SirGrotius

Wow, really an amazing show. This was only my 2nd Tool show, so I suppose I'm a newbie but I enjoyed it every bit. I had a great seat (thanks to Styx) and a clear view of the band.

My first comment would be how incredibly clear and, well, amazing Maynard's vocals sounded. I was blown away considering the amphitheatre venue. I also found Maynard animated just enough...sort of similar to the animated characters in the early Tool videos. His gesticulations (if that's not too crude of a word) were sometimes creepy as were his intense stares (he was staring at me, I believe!), but when he grooved, for instance during the Pot, he really got into the songs. Styx pointed out to me the surprising flexibility of his spine.

Maynard also looked cool, which I have to admit, I admire. He had a wicked mohawk thing going and he also pulled off a cowboy hat, which matched his cavalier attitude during many of the songs (there was something of a sarcastic rodeo theme, I believe, ha). Also, cool-ass jacket. I don't quite recall what was on it...three initials....

Since there wasn't a low during the show for me, it's hard to pick out a high. The three songs after the on-stage break were nothing short of spectacular, but I was pleasantly surprised by Rosetta Stoned. Maynard had a sinister-looking megaphone device strapped to him and sounded very good.

Justin's bass really stood out, which again was something of a surprise due to the venue. Adam's guitars were loud and had great presence. I was impressed by how full sounding Tool is live considering they play heavy music but w/ only one guitarist. The drums were sensational. I like that Danny is so mega-talented but his rhythms always fit the song and are not complex just to be complex.

My only regret is that I probably won't see them for another four or so years.

Oh, I almost forgot to add that I dug their hand-wiggly handshake thing at the end of the show. Maynard went around and wiggled his digits just above each band member's. It was an auspicious token of their camaraderie.