shizaquawn

Hola.

There are some discrepencies in the quotes ... one being that Maynard didn't say "Seattle" in his Gorge introductions. He said "Tool ... Gorge. Gorge ... Tool." You wacky Seattlites try to usurp everything, even something that's over 100 miles away from your over-expensive fish market.

Anyway!

I've heard some music from Isis, because my friend is a big fan of their's. For my tastes, they don't quite hit the spot. Bands that growl instead of singing just don't work for me. I'm a person who thinks the spoken word is just as, if not more important, than the music that accompanies it. That said ... they were awesome musicians, and if someone compared them to the Pink Floyd of metal, I would dig that.

This is the first time I've seen Tool, too, since VoodooFest in New Orleans during the Lateralus days, back when the super-contortionists hung out with the band .... and I was pretty excited, making up my dream setlists, etc. I had read some posts from other concerts, but I had hoped that something totally unique and unprecedented would happen here at The Gorge ...

1. The Venue - The Gorge, as stated, is a beautiful venue. I can't remember if it was noted, but Maynard turned away from the audience in "Jambi" to face towards said-view, singing "king's mountain view ..." and waving his hand slowly across the landscape. That drew some cheers.

I can also imagine that besides the view, this place has to be a favorite of the band because a.) it's situated right next to a winery and fields of grapes and b.) it's damn close to a military base in the mountains, with signs along the road on the way there, warning pedestrians not to enter "military space."

We traveled from Portland, and it was worth the trip, but if anyone goes, I would definitely suggest camping that night, as there are very few routes out of the Gorge. We sat in the grass parking lot, engine idling, for an hour before moving. Should have brought a grill. Someone lit off fireworks in the parking lot to notate where they were ... but with all of the forest fires that are happening in this area these days, it seemed like bad taste in hindsight.

2. Experience & The Setlist - It was a nice setlist. Quite powerful, and I definitely enjoy all the new sounds/flourishes within old favorites such as "Opiate." I wish I could have heard "Right in Two" or any other number of songs, but hey, I can't complain. I teared up a little during the climax of "Aenema," maybe because it was a long time since I'd seen them, maybe because I still resonate with those lines Maynard sings, "Don't just call me pessimist; try and read between the lines!"

I wish Maynard had spoken more with the crowd, about whatever the band and him are going through. Hell, I feel like I've grown up with Tool over the past 11 years, from 16-27, and when I get a chance to see them, it's like revisiting with an old friend. Ah well, maybe he's going for a minimalist feel with as few words as possible. Mayhaps the tight setlist doesn't allow time for extrapolation. 10,000 Days' Tour, despite the subject matter, seems all about Maynard riding an imaginary bronco on stage and crazy alien theatrics, which brings me to ...

3. Rosetta Stoned - I'd love to see Adam's videowork in full, but from the seated area, it was hard, depending on where you were located.
Bring back the two big screens, folks! Nonetheless, the crew with labcoats on was a great idea. The new video really illustrates the song ... with random images of graphs, brains, solar systems and symbols ... all the stuff that our good hero is unable to write down. Stupid pen. My girlfriend and I really enjoyed that, plus the images of some guy stumbling around a road near Area-51. Funny stuff.

From the seats, we couldn't see the laser images that were being projected on stage, either. Glad for you folks in the Lawn.

4. Man on the Roof - Every show I've been to inspires a random audience member to act like a total psychopath. It's usually someone with too much testoserone for their own good, like the skinhead in '98 that was punching random people in the back of the head in the pit ... only to get dropped repeatedly by his victims as he was crowd-surfing later. Clown. This time it was King Kong. He climbed atop the sound stage (right term?) during the middle of "Opiate."

It was really annoying, considering that people started paying more attention to monkey-boy than the band. I was hoping they'd call him out, or maybe even change the lyrics of the song to make fun of him. Maynard's just lazy these days with his ad-libbing. Security nabbed him and handcuffed him, nonetheless. Retard.

5. Overall - We had a good show. It wasn't the best I could have hoped for, but it was tight, well-orchestrated with great vocals from Maynard and spectacular solo ditties on the parts of Justin, Adam and Danny. The encores were sweet, though "Lateralus" set the bar too high in terms of lighting and effects. I felt it was the real climax of the show, with "Aenema" trailing a little bit behind. I feel sad seeing that members of the band are pursuing new interests and lives, even though it is inevitable. These guys are all extremely talented, unlike Keith Richards or other members of the Rolling Stones, who are just good for impregnating hos and acting as receptacles for toxic products. The Stones could literally tour forever, even after they're dead.

But Tool ... shit, they've all got other gigs in mind it seems. And I think it comes through in the shows. And I don't care if I get flamed, but there doesn't seem to be as much passion for the music (or for sending out "a message") in this tour as there was in earlier years. All of us who have been around a while can sense it, even if we care not to admit it.

So, with that, I wish the band the best, and I wish the fans the same. I feel like this is a farewell tour almost ... if not from touring, it is a farewell from making a statement, of the band feeling as if its music can actually change the world, not just make a streak in it. Maynard barely said three words to the crowd, and in a place like The Gorge, with the above-mentioned beautiful elements, it just seems like it's the end of line for Tool. What exactly would inspire them to stray from their sets, to actually absorb what's going on and feed off of it? The show was a beautiful event, but besides one of Danny's solos (which just felt special!), it was like a paint-by-numbers Michelangelo. I didn't feel the intensity that comes from haphazardness and creativity.

Peace.

__________________
"When I get new information, I change my position. What, sir, do you do with new information?" - John Maynard Keynes