6th tool show.
not the best but better than at least one, if not two i've seen in similar type venues. the best tool shows i've seen have been at outdoor venues. the sound mix comes though much clearer. in contrast to previous posters opinions, i think maynard intends for his vocals to be muddied and indecipherable at times in order, possibly, to evoke more of an emotional response to the music from the listener as opposed to a "mental" or "logical" response. notice on the 10,000 days album the vocals are mixed way down to almost blend with the instruments at times. i think they replicate this in the live sound mix. i personally don't mind it. tool still puts on a top notch, professional show.
there were a couple of minor mess-ups musically with the band but, as always, they recovered well, which shows their professional skill and showmanship. and it seems at a couple of shows, including this one, there are parts of various songs that originally maynard might sing at a higher octave but i'm guessing due to age and a lot of touring touring the past 15-20 years his voice has taken a beating and he chooses to go at it at a lower register. this is fine with me. i would rather him sing the part lower and hit the note than try to do something he might not be capable of and have his voice crack and sound terrible.
honestly i think the crowd here at gwinnet arena was great. the other shows i've been to at similar venues (pensacola 2002 and biloxi 2002) we had to deal with a bunch of moshers on the floor level which was not the case here. i still prefer "assigned seats" venues such as oak mountain ampitheater in pelham, al or the macfarlin auditorium in dallas. i did enjoy gwinnet arena though. the guys directing the traffic outside did a great job and the staff on the inside was awesome too. no problems.
the setlist was strong although not too much different from what i saw in '07 at oak mountain. i was happy with the changes (eliminating wings 1&2 and pushit, but adding flood and aenima). every time i've seen them it seems like they play at least one new song that i might not have heard live before; flood being that song in this case.
overall great show. the stage show (lasers, lighting, and backdrop art) keeps getting better. definitely adds to the atmosphere. maybe i'm just partial to my hometown and the outdoor venue ( the oak mountain ampitheater which is owned by verizon) but i think the two best shows i've seen were the october '01 show in the monsoon and the may '07 show. nothing beats an outdoor tool show.