Capt. Sith Park

I do believe the ONLY waste of space mr.'morethanone' is #10 & #40 (of course this is just my opinion) Much like your opinion/criticism (entitlement to said opinion) of the venue/sound/crowd (mayb u should have stayed home (BTW, u r awfully far from it - I'll bet u didn't add to the energy in any way) They (the elitist's out there r infiltrating our thread guys, knew it wouldn't b long)

- I wouldn't have really wanted the overall sound to be any louder, but that's just my opinion (comparing one venue to another is like comparing apples & oranges mr.foot), (see, those 2 US dates completely blew-out u'r ear drums and all u could hear was that dreaded underwater bass-ring-muffle, u must consult a doctor right away)

- Sorry mr.positive, I do remember hearing screaming all night long & significant applauses 4 each member who may have had certain 'spotlights' in any given song (don't worry, it's that selective-hearing thing. By the way, have u heard of tinnitus - due dilligence is required mr.'OutofControl' )

mr.negative - I've read quite a few comments COMPARABLE to your's about your own show (and every other date in this mini-tour) so obviously mr.'soundguy' u may b a tad immature in your observancy/reading skillz of said shows (of course that's just my opinion - Oh yeah! that opinion thing yet again ... yes, they r like A _ _ _ _ _ _ _!)

All ready 2 much time spent on mr.'touringw/theband', pleez do something positive 4 us 2 chillin' canadians - take u'r hands, put them over your mouth - that way we won't have 2 read YOUR negative non-sense and the ppl around u won't have 2 listen 2 it.

On 2 much better thoughts/reflections L8r

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"There's ppl who defend your borders, There's ppl who work on your plumbing, but the ppl who make your life worth living are the ppl who celebrate the freedom 2 b able 2 express yourself and have enjoyment of song and dance" - MJK

evil agent

Just got back from the show (5 hour drive from Montreal, and 5 hours back). It was my 5th Tool show, and 2nd small venue show. I can't say it was my best Tool concert ever, but it was definitely awesome.

The band sounded excellent. Danny definitely sounded better than ever before. I can't believe he's 45 and still getting better! His solo in 46&2, and Right in Two, were jaw dropping. His drumming in Vicarious was so wicked. Justin and Adam sounded great. I DID notice the fuck up in Lateralus, it was definitely Maynard coming in too early, during Adam's solo. I watched nervously to see if they'd get out of it, and they did..beautifully! They didn't all change to suit Maynard, but they let him sing his part.. then they just sort of jammed for another few bars, randomly, then brought it to the quiet part. It was awesome, and to me it added character to the song!

The only complaints I have: I think it COULD have been a touch louder. It sounded really loud at first, but halfway through the show I felt it could have used another notch (turn it to 11 next time!). I also thought the security sucked total ass... I couldn't smoke my joint, for probably the first time in over 50 big concerts. They were standing right behind us (we had aisle seats at the back of the floor). I think the no-drugs plus the somewhat far seats made me feel a little disconnected with the band. At the small venue in Portland 2001, when I was tripping on strong mushrooms, I was 100% connected with the band. This show was great, but didn't quite reach that peak. I think its true that the crowd may have been a little reserved, and I always appreciate a lively crowd, but it wasn't really a big deal. I was there to see the band, not the crowd.

Highlights: Stinkfist, 46&2, Lateralus, Aenima (fuck yeah!). I loved Right in Two, but I'm still sad I didn't hear The Pot. But we also got the extended parts in Stinkfist and Schism, which I don't think the other shows got.

Anyway, out of my 5 Tool shows.. I'd probably rank this as the 3rd best. Hope to see them in Vancouver in the fall, or possibly Seattle or Portland.

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My Tool Shows:
1. Portland 1998 | 2. Portland 2001 | 3. Vancouver 2001
4. Tacoma 2001 | 5. Toronto 2006 | 6. Vancouver 2006

pushthenvelope

This was my third Tool show and although it was very good I think there was room for improvement as well. I hope I don't get flamed for saying that. Some people on this board have a nasty way of attacking those who have a slight criticism of the band or their show's. Take it easy it is just another person's opinion.
Although I like Lost Keys/Rosetta Stoned, I thought they could have made a better choice for the opening number. It just seemed a little flat and the crowd was a little subdued during this. The sound was muddied (vocals) at this point but they had that fixed by the time they kicked into Stinkfist. Stinkfist,46&2 or Vicarious would have been better opening choices IMO,because it would have whipped the crowd into a frenzy right from the opening note.
Schism & Sober are great tunes, but I can't help but wish they had played something a little less popular. Perhaps I've heard them too much.
Highlights for me were ,46&2,Jambi, Right in Two ( Danny,just awesome).
Lateralus, Vicarious,and Aenima made for a killer finish to the show. The show seemed a little short too. One or two more songs (the pot, for instance) would have pushed the show over the edge for me.
All in all I give it an 8 outta 10. With some minor tweaking (which they will do before they come back) it will be a great Tour in the fall/winter.

Avail

This was my seventh show, all in the Toronto area, and I have to say it was noticably the worst of the seven. I was sitting centre balcony and I found the sound very muddy, the bass didn't punch through and maynards vocals were washed out.

I also felt the band themselves to be a little 'loose'. I have always found the to be amazingly tight live but last night I could hear a lot of timing mistakes, especially from Adam. He DID mess up the beginning of Lateralus, as well as the beginning of Right in Two. It looked to me like he was fighting his guitar tuning all night.

I think they started to fix some of the level problems towards the end of the show though because for Vicarious and Aenima the vocals were quite clear, although I think Maynard is still feeling his cold, the climactic chorus for Vicarious sounded pretty rough imo.

Still a good show on the whole, but myself (and the other three people I was there with) agreed it was definately not up to par for past performances.

Eighteenth Eye

I was down front in what was originally the 2nd row (EE) but became the 4th row with the front 2/3 rows being filled with contest winners and The Hummingbird Centre staff's best friends or something. And trust me it showed!

I was in the aisle in the front left section(near the centre) with a Tool #3 shirt on and was rockin' out the entire show! The first 2 rows in my section were sitting the whole f'n time! And them, along with a bunch of other losers that filled the entire centre aisle of row DD just stood there like statues and didn't even bob their head or sing the words to songs that everyone in the building should know like Sober or Schism. There were a few others moving around but for the most part the crowd was lame!

The band frickin' rocked and it was my fourth TOOL show and it was very memorable and was a different experience than the last times I have seen them. It was amazing and I am still buzzing but nothing will beat the atmosphere that was created in the ACC. They made the "Hangar" feel smaller than the Hummingbird Centre and Push It (Salival version) was by far the greatest Tool moment that I will ever experience!

Highlights for me tonight was the teaser ending when they played Lateralus just like at the end of the other shows from the last tour and then sat on the stage and blew us away with an incredible encore (I avoided all spoilers before the show so this was a nice surprise). Adam's solo in Jambi with his Peter Frampton "Talk Box" was incredible!

The only complaint I have from tonight was the lame crowd (maybe it was just up in my area). Contest winners should not be in the front few rows. Period!. The boys blew everyone away and if I had nothing to compare it to it would be the best show I had ever seen and I am happy for all the first time Tool fans that finally got to experience the best band in the world do what they do best!

J A G

I thoroughly enjoyed myself last night. It was exactly what I needed and I can’t wait for them to come back in the fall. It’s kind of unrealistic when you think about how high our expectations are of the band and sound quality etc… We revel in their music and put these 4 guys on such a high pedestal that only Demi-Gods could meet some of our expectations. I confess that I too am guilty of this at times, but I just have to remind myself that these 4 guys are incredible musicians and have most certainly enhanced my life throughout the years, and for that I am grateful. Who I am to criticize them when I can’t even play 2 successive chords on a guitar without fucking up.

Last night wasn’t the best Tool show I’ve seen, but I think it’s counterproductive to list all the reasons why the show wasn’t the greatest of all time. I’d rather contemplate the aspects of the show that sent chills up my spine and gave me goose bumps. I believe that for the most part everyone in this forum is open-minded and willing to hear criticisms, but one must also consider that we have waited in great anticipation for this show, paid good money for the tickets, and ultimately just want to immerse ourselves in the Tool experience. No one is perfect and to expect the show to be perfect is absurd. So how about instead of coming into this forum with negativity, humour us and tell us what you liked about the show, as none of us have any interest in acquiring a negative spin on the show or the band. It’s just getting so tiring hearing all these criticisms of 10,000 days and now we have to hear it about the live show.

I love Tool and always will. I’m just thankful that I was afforded the opportunity to see my favourite band live. What a treat to see my hero’s less than 15 feet away from me. Danny totally stole the show in my opinion. I almost teared up at the end when he bowed to the crowd and you can see it in his face how happy he was with his performance and the appreciation the crowd was showing him. Adam seems like a rather clandestine character. Very mild mannered and subdued on stage. I was really impressed with his play and seeing him up close helped me realize the intricacies and complexity that goes into his song writing. I felt myself tense up a few times wondering if he’s going to hit that ever so subtle note that I hear on the albums. And he did; every time. Wow. Vicarious was really impressive live.

Anyway, last nights performance only served to corroborate my feeling that Tool may be the best band around these days.

It was very nice meeting all the TDN people at the Hot House. Looking forward to seeing you all in the fall.

Chosen One

mr hand is at the forefront again, however, no hate here (let me explain), in defence of mr hand...i think you simply hit us a little too quick with your objective critique, we're all still in la-la land and you've seen so many shows that you're lucid enough to make such astute observations. i do appreciate everybody's remarks but it was a cold point to make and difficult to understand considering we had our last comparable show some years ago now. regardless, i thought the show was plenty loud and enjoyed the overall sound and atmosphere of the venue (mistakes, shortcomings and all) but it's difficult to 'rock out' physically at a seated venue without causing problems with your neighbours, i know your peoples aren't concerned with that. btw, i'm no blind patriot of the locale...maybe i'm too starved for tool to know any better but i just loved the show! anyways, all the best to you on your adventures w the band (i am jealous) nuf said about that, seriously...now when reflecting on the show, aside from the show totally kicking ass, i agree w some others that although right in two was performed really well it's my least fav tool song, some of my bros love it and it's growing on me and has some great parts but i would've preferred the pot or the grudge (can't get everything), but it did give us a moment to collect our brain bits and prepare for the remainder. during one of the feedback intros/seques did anyone else feel like they were hinting at the art bell song? have they ever played the eggs of satan live? although, not a great display of their many talents (maybe boring for them to perform) i think it would be a devastating (not to mention hilarious) live song. thanks again to the band for dropping by and kicking our asses.

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Destroy him, my robots!

Pud

Amusing,
A very good show, but the crowd was not entertaining? That is your review?
Well I saw them 4 times and Seattle and Denver shows fail in comparison to the other shows I saw!!!!! You guys don't know what a real Tool show is like!!
"I, the Tool concert expert will correct your misguided ideas. I have been to the mountain and seen god, you cannot recognize him!!!"

I often wonder what purpose a post like this serves other than to bolster your own self image.
Really..please...just stay in Seattle.
Pud.

cadmonka

Sitting down?! In the first few rows?! That just can't be, there's some mistake. What a travesty. Something needs to be done about this. Can you even imagine the kind of vibe that could have been achieved if you stuck all the toolarmy/tdn fans in the first few rows?! Maybe next time....

I was rocking out in Row m, on the left/ctr aisle, and the crowd around me was (1) on its feet, and (2) screaming loudly for many parts of the show. So I have no complaints. (other than that i'm deaf and hoarse today - but that was expected)

This was certainly not my first tool show, but it was my first trip to the Hummingbird. I kid you not, one of the highlights of the night for me was when we first entered the venue, and i saw the stage through the open doors at the back of the auditorium -- all i could think was 'i'm at the back of the room, and THAT's how close the stage is?! Fuck ya!" From that point on, the rest was all gravy.

As for what they did/didn't play -- what does it matter? We know the boys are coming around again soon, and we know that set list will change.

did anyone else almost pass out in the middle of schism? I mean, really, that song knocked me on my ass.

setting all comparisons aside, this was a phenomenal show in its own right -- there's no question that they blew the roof off.

I'm not sure when I'll get this cheshire cat grin off my face ~

wolvie111

Great show, the energy was kind of lacking. A lot of people that stood around not knowing what was going on and the drunk old man next to me that yelled "PLAY THE POT!!" while they were starting up Right in Two. I am sad that I didn't get a chance to meet the people at the Hot House, I walked by with my girlfriend but she wasn't feeling 100% after I got into a confrontation with a scalper. I did however meet two of the guys from the forums when i saw them in the venue with the seating chart (I think it was Fathom and Systematic). Anyways, my hightlight was Rosetta Stoned, translates well live.

dave_nyc

I also saw them in Seattle and last night, and have to agree that the sound was much more subdued in Toronto. As was the crowd, which is something I love - it gave me less distraction and more time to focus on the band. They didn't play RI2 in Seattle, so it was great to see it live - Carey was off the charts. For those who didn't see The Pot on this tour, you are missing out, it was epic. I too, would love to see the Grudge, but hey, I'll take what I can get, and this being my 8th Tool Show dating back to 93, I've seen pretty much everything they have (except for maybe Flood...what a shame).

Anyway, go easy on what's his name - it's just a bad review. Movies, books, etc get them all the time, and critics aren't generally bombarded with personal attacks. And no, I have no idea who that dude is.

All in all, I thought it was a great show. I am seeing them Friday, and am hoping/praying for a slight set change, but who am I to bitch about the decisions of the best band on the planet. My personal favorites from Toronto were Rosetta (which I didn't love on the album, now I'm obsessed with it), Jambi, and of course Lateralus - such a perfect song, despite the slight fuck up.

Speaking of which, I've been reading these reviews daily, and there is almost always a criticism of Adam's playing - anyone know what's going on here? We all know how talented he is, so I'd think it's technical issues, but you'd think they'd be worked out by now...any guesses?

D

forty two

So... you're not trying to rain on our parade, but then you say things like "crap crowd"? It seemed to me like Tool had no problems with the crowd. If they did, they certainly fooled me. Heck, if I was them and I was playing to a crowd I thought was crap, I would go backstage before the encore (if I was going to give them an encore at all).

Personally, I don't need everyone else to be jumping up and down and trying to mosh in the seats while shouting "TOOOOOOOOOOOOL" like they are the lead singer of some hardcore/screamo band to enjoy a show. I only say that because that's really the only thing I can think of when you talk about the crowd not being as "good" as the ones in Seattle and Denver. Everyone around me was enjoying the show in their own way, and that's all I would ever want or expect from fellow fans. I did the same (with some singing, bouncing, fist pumps, horns, and headbangning thrown in), and I didn't really care how other people chose to listen. I do feel sorry for you if you need to have everyone in the crowd acting a certain way in order to fully enjoy a show. It's... well, it's kind of pathetic.

One more thing about the crowd: you could feel the anticipation in the air before the show started, and it was amplified by the random bouts of cheering that would ripple across the theatre until everyone was clapping. I'm scared to think of what people were doing pre-show at those other two you went to...

Hey, you can't use the "flag-on-your-backpack" line against us... We don't buy flags from your country to sew onto our bags when we go overseas; it's the other way around. ;)

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-Douglas Adams

Bino

My two cents…

1.Venue: Pretty good. Intimate. I was in row P, seat 44 – basically in the middle – and the sound was great. The high-end was a bit high, the low end a bit powerful, but it worked fine. No complaints. Having only seen them in large arenas before, this was perfect.

2.Crowd: Kinda lame. OK, that's a bit harsh, but I was, as far as I could tell, the only person within a few rows of me that was fucking givin’er. Oh yeah, I fucking gave’r. My neck kills and it was so worth it. I can’t not convulse, ya know? Don't get me wrong, I didn't enter anyone else's space or anything, but there were just too many standing still types. All the power to them, I suppose, but that's not how I roll when I've waited 4 years to see them again. Funny little couple in front of me – before the show, they were both on their Blackberry’s. Real normal, square looking couple, but once the music started, the chick didn’t stop grooving. An eclectic mix of freaks, geeks and norms. Good times. Wish they’d been louder, but whatever. Everyone seemed happy, so that’s all that matters.

3.Band: Tore shit up. Yeah, Maynard butchered some lyrics, held back on some notes and there was some over-all rust. Big fucking deal. I could care less. 98% of it was spot on. My highlight was Vicarious. I dropped a wad at that 6:40 mark. Money. Would have preferred The Patient and The Pot to Right in Two, but who the fuck am I to whine? Nobody. It was awesome so fuck complaints. Anyone lame enough to not find a million positives in this show can chug pickle.

4.TDNers: Awesome. Nice to meet some of you cats. The lil’ gift was wicked, and I managed to get mine home intact. Hope some of you had a chance to hang after the show. I had to bail. I basically floated out to the HBC.

5.FUCK: So Danny whips his drum head, and as it’s midair I think “Holyfuckingshit it is coming *right* fucking at me!” so I lurch forward – it’s 3 feet in front of me and heading straight for my melon! Then…the fuckstick in front of me gets a fucking stupid, fat finger on it and it deflects directly in to the guy beside me’s lap. FUCK! I look right at him and say “$100 right now for that” and he says “No chance”. FUCKITYFUCKFUCK! Danny had written on it. It was the only downer of the night. I’m not dwelling on it, because that would be lamer than Mrhand’s review, but still…it stings a bit. FUCK!

Best Maynardism: After they sat down, basked in our love, and returned to their places, Maynard said "Thanks. Now that's what I'm talking aboot". Aboot? Awesome. I LOL'd at that shit.

Final thought - having read reviews from all the shows so far, you'll find cretins here and there who complain that "Maynard made the same joke in Detroit that he did in Minny" or "I wish they'd move around more on stage". All I can do is laugh at those poor, pitiful douchetards.

EssPea

I had just enough time to say "Oh shit... Wings" to my buddy before schism broke out.

I was balcony back row and it was perfect. The past times I have seen tool it was from in a pit, so being able to see each and every little thing that they were doing from above was a great change.

And to all those complaining about the crowd not being into it, get over yourselves. Just because you like to rock out heavy to Tool and others like to sit back and enjoy doesn't mean one is better than the other. Aenima was amazing, I think everyone in the crowd was singing along.

MINDDEVIL

I was in KK far back left and thought the crowd was all standing up for the entire show, from what I could see. Of course they were great; vocals did seem a little off. I hear this is just a warm up tour, well we can hope. I was at the 1991 'epic' in Toronto and well this was a much more intimate show by far. If you can call 120 decibels quiet. It was nice Maynard was a little chattier.

It was pretty cool that they threw out that stuff at the end of the concert. I don’t remember that for APC.

I would have liked to hear "Intolerance" or "H" myself.... I don’t usually bring out my TOOLARMY t-shirt but it was great to have a good reason to wear it.

It seemed even they got tired of standing for so long, with that little sit down with the 4 of them. I would have thought it would make a great picture for you know inside a Live DVD concert TOOL disk. Hint Hint Nudge nudge. In 5.1 or DTS wouldn’t hurt either.

Cheers!

zapata_36

All in all, an amazing night. Security was pretty lame, I couldn't smoke my joint either, but I'm also happy they made sure I wasn't trampled by any crowd surges (being in the orchestra as I was) so I suppose we're even.

I'm loving the heavy dance-like breakdowns they're adding to their songs live -- really made me wish there weren't seats in the way.

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Every suture opens new wounds.

MINDDEVIL

I picked up a shirt and poster... I have not opened it yet... still waiting for the hearing to return..... the hot pants though were where I had to draw the line... "not that there is anything wrong with that" I like maynrad and the boys... but i dont "like" them

nicky_numbuz

Last night, I was one of the lucky ones who was able to get tickets to see Tool live at the Hummingbird Centre, and the band did not disappoint. In fact… they were everything I expected, and more! I’ve only seen them once before back on the Lateralus Tour at the Air Canada Centre, and this show had a distinctly different feel to it. Standing there watching them in this small, classy venue and being so close to them really made you feel special. It’s as if I almost knew I’d never get to see them this closely ever again. The show had a “warm up” feel, as if we were being treated to some sort of small, intimate jam session. The jokes from Maynard and the bands’ constant smiles really made you feel like you were experiencing something different – something special.

Some notes on the show overall:

From where I was standing, the sound was great. At some points it was a little tough to hear Maynard’s voice, but for the majority of the show he came across strong and clear. He seemed on his game – no signs of being sick, if he still is. And I love the mohawk and cowboy hat look. Danny looked so calm on drums, but damn he was amazing to watch! Adam looked very emotionless, but his strong guitar playing made the show rock as hard as it did. Justin was the one who was moving around and rocking out the most. His bass work, along with Danny’s drumming, was the “balls” of the show! Tool’s rhythm section is what makes them a powerful, monster band.

Security at the Hummingbird Centre was a bitch! As the show started, I attempted to take a picture with my cell phone and a guard closed my phone and told me if he caught me again he would kick me out. Alright, fuck you too buddy. Those fuckers with their flashlights constantly broke my attention from the show, and that’s one thing I hated.

The show had a “spectator” feel to it. Because of the fixed seating, there was obviously no moshing. For the most part, the fans stood in awe of the trippy stage presence and aura that Tool created with their visuals, lighting, and music. I was perfectly happy standing and just taking everything in. This band doesn’t tour often… so when I am lucky enough to see them, I won’t be wasting my time moshing… that’s for sure.

Maynard was in comedian mode, which is cool considering the last time I saw him (the week of the September 11th tragedy) he only said one thing all night. He told us to enjoy our strong Canadian dollar, and to buy the United States. The crowd ate that up. And he also blurted out “I love Canada” which was hilarious, seeing as you can never tell when the guy is serious or joking. I’m sure he appreciates his fans, regardless. In a classic line, Maynard said something along the lines of “We just came out with a new record, and it has gone platinum in Canada.” After the crowds ovation died down, MJK said, “What the fuck guys? What about triple platinum? I want to put a new wing on the winery!” Funny stuff! Don’t quote me word-for-word, of course.

The video screens behind the band members were wicked! I loved how they used clips of videos throughout the night. Not many bands these days create visuals like Tool.

Now to the setlist, and comments on the songs:

Lost Keys (Blame Hoffman) / Rosetta Stoned: Lost Keys had no Nurse/Doctor voiceovers… it was just music. As the curtain went up, Adam and Justin were on stage starting it up. They were joined after a few minutes by Danny who was greeted as if he were God. Maynard then came out and the place exploded. He had some sort of voice distortion box (with something strapped onto his back?), and I got chills when I heard “Alrighty then. Picture this if you will…” followed by the band ripping right into Rosetta Stoned. This song absolutely kicked our asses live! An awesome opening song!

Stinkfist: The place went nuts at the start! Going from new Tool to old Tool pulls everything together and makes you realize how good these guys really are! Midway through the song, they performed a different variation of the song which I’ve heard on other live bootlegs. Amazing!

Forty-Six & 2: More classic Tool kept us on our feet.

Jambi: I think everyone was waiting for this one! One of the hardest rocking Tool songs ever… and it came across as such! I’m glad to know 10,000 Days has so many “Heavy Metal” aspects to it. Adam’s talkbox solo came across flawlessly! And everyone loved it from the sound of things!

Schism: The crowd went nuts at the intro. The coolest part of this song was midway through when the band changed up the instrumentals and basically turned it into a very heavy jam session. It was wild! Maynard was on keyboards, so it seemed.

Right in Two: Instantly, I heard someone scream “Play The Pot” a couple of times. This is where the internet ruins the surprises, I guess. But, what can you do? This is one of my favorites on 10,000 Days and while I probably would have rather heard The Pot and The Patient… it was still awesome! Silly monkeys…

Sober: More older Tool… it rocked live! Hearing this song made me wish they had played at least another song or two off of Opiate and Undertow.

Lateralus: This was my favorite song of the night, hands down! I always loved this song, but I swear I have a new appreciation for it now!

The band then stepped away from their areas and sat on the mini stage Maynard stood on for the whole show. They sat there and soaked up a good ovation for a few minutes, and then went back to their posts.

Vicarious: As much as this song rocks on the radio… it’s even better live. Good to hear the crowd singing along.

Ænema: Before the start of this song, Maynard said “I was serious about you guys buying the States, ya know? It’s all going to be a bunch of beachfront property soon anyway.” And he went straight into the “Hey hey hey…” intro! This sent chills up my spine! Everyone lost it! This song was another highlight for me. No matter how many times I hear it, it constantly reminds me of the world’s problems and how easy it would be to flush it all away. Awesome way to end the show!

After the show, the band hugged and threw guitar picks, drum sticks, water bottles and pieces of Danny’s drum kit (I think??) like frisbees into the crowd. They waved goodbye and left the stage.

I can’t wait to see them again in August/September! I bought a $30 poster and a $40 t-shirt… yeah, I’m a huge tool… but I wouldn’t want it any other way! I can honestly say that this band brings me so much friggin’ happiness it’s hard to translate into words!

Thanks for the unbelievable show, guys! In my eyes, there is no greater band than Tool!

sneak

I've been a fan for ten years but I've never had the chance to see them live. What an amazing show! The crowd was on their feet the entire time but a tad on the reserved side - I guess they didn't want to miss anything :D I didn't mind the slight tech probs though the vocals were drowned out for a few of the songs from where I was sitting.

I agree that it would have been awesome to hear The Pot and The Patient over Right in Two (though the drums were awesome!). I loved them punking us with intros to other songs, and the extended Schism was fucking kickass!

Hopefully I can catch them again when they return later this year!

Maken

My first tool show and it was as good as I had hoped. Easily the best concert I've ever attended. From where I was standing, I could hear everything perfectly, great balance between instruments. I actually thought the crowd was quite loud, especially during the "sit-down". As for during the music, so what if everyone doesn't like to rock out, it isn't fucking slayer. Also, I have no idea what people are talking about with the security, I smoked two joints with my buddy, and a bunch of others around us were getting stoned w/ no issues. Didn't even see a flashlight. Highlight was definitely Lateralus, a completely enveloping experience. I also would have chosen Patient/Pot over Right in Two, but fuck it, RIT kicked ass anyways. Amazing experience that I will remember always, and I feel privileged to have shared it with you all.

evil agent

The ability to smoke joints at the show completely depended on where you were seated. I could see that people in the center floor were merrily smoking away. But I was at the back of the floor, on the aisle.. right next to two ushers. There is no way I could have smoked for more than 10 seconds, without them catching on, and they kept shinging their fucking stupid little lights the whole show. Pissed me right off... The joint might have been the one thing I needed to get me TOTALLY in the mood. It would have made the concert a 95% instead of an 85%.

Anyway, it was still great. I just think the intimate venues need some stimulation (ie. drugs or something) otherwise you kind of just stand there, and start to get a bit tired (at least that's how I felt). I'd rather be really high so I can get COMPLETELY zoned in, or just standing on a general admission floor so I can get closer to the band.

Anyway, it was pretty good. But I can't deny that I feel a tad disappointed.. maybe because it was my 5th show, I'm becoming desensitized to Tool?

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My Tool Shows:
1. Portland 1998 | 2. Portland 2001 | 3. Vancouver 2001
4. Tacoma 2001 | 5. Toronto 2006 | 6. Vancouver 2006

nicky_numbuz

Did anyone else buy a poster at the show?

I did... and I just opened it up. Wow! It looks unbelievable! The colours are wild! It's totally worth the $30 I paid! Lucky for me, I work at a framing company... so I'm going to have it laminated and framed with a 5" black frame. But we also do standard framing with glass as well. If anyone is interested in having yours done too, let me know. I'll cut you a good deal. E-Mail me... [email protected]

jayde

my rocking out was somewhat restricted. To my right was a guy who was sitting the whole time smoking up. And if my arms went a bit too far in that direction I either hit his head or got burned by his joint. On my right, was a guy plugging his ears when i was screaming lyrics making my self conscious.

When I thought I heard a tiny hint of Eulogy I completely lost it as it is my favourite song.
Great show all in all...didn't live up to my "best concert ever" expectations, but so what. I'll see you all at hopefully all the Ontario Fall stops

Bino

You don’t think that looking out in to a sea of statuesque zombies has an impact? You get what you give. Just my humble opinion. You feed off the music, they feed off your energy.

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zenkinet

Great show...
Any ideas what was playing prior to Tool hitting the stage?
I heard some Skinny Puppy and some Autechre, anyone else have an idea what that other stuff was?

Rogue Diabetic

Yes I thought maybe someone else would have picked up on that to. For a split second I was thinking we might get to hear it.

However, it seems plausible that this was merely a coincidence. But who knows.

Kyndig

I agree with this post pretty much as is - summed it up well.

Danny Carey carried this show - its the first time I have seen Tool in which I was able to watch him whenever I wanted (previous shows obscured in darkness).

To anyone who thinks that the band jammed to cover up maynard in Lateralus - they did not - they just played the song out as if nothing happened. Good discipline to just keep it going and not let it fall apart, but it wasn't some sort of miraculous spontaneous jam session.

About the crowd - there was a lot less fist pumping / horns / waving etc going on then one might expect, but anyone who expected the crowd to be going apeshit at a seated venue is deluding themselves. The crowd was definitely loud, but not annoyingly so. From where I was the crowd seemed to be on their feet for the whole show, so thats good - were there seriously people sitting in the first few rows?
Then again, I probably would sit if I was that close (nobody obscuring my view) ;)
Overall I would say the crowd was great (better than I expected for sure - I have found most concert crowds around southern ontario to be too tame).

The ushers however had a major impact on the atmosphere. Although I was kind of glad they got the 15 illuminating cellphones out of my view. I wish the people in the middle of the crowd did a better job at hiding their joints, because every time an usher spotted one they ended up shining their lights in 15-20 peoples faces.

Maynard definitely not sounding great (relatively speaking) - probably still fighting off (or succumbing to) a cold.

Some people mentioned technical glitches with the screens - I don't think any descriptions have done this justice - all four were off pretty much the entire RI2 song - 2 of the screens crapped out for long periods - and when they got the one backlighting maynard back on, the color was off and the projection aspect ratio was wrong - but it was funny seeing a tech's shadow as he tried to fix it.

As described above, the sound was "Muddy" - might have had something to do with my seats - I think the mezzanine overhang might have messed with the acoustics of the place for people standing under it like myself. For example - I had a lot of trouble hearing exactly what Maynard was saying when he talked occasionally between songs - caught the gist of most - but I'm glad some people on this board were nice enough to recap.

I LOVED the small change ups in Stinkfist and Sober. Vicarious and Aenema were virtually flawless (aside from Maynards voice) and rocked HARD. Jambi was definitely a highlight for me as well.

Once again I have to give props to Danny - he nailed everything just right - especially the solo in RI2 - that was unbelievable!

thepatient_10k

haha and yea i laughed when i saw the tech in the background of that screen. Those screens were fucking around.

Avail

Kyndig, glad to see someone heard the same as me. I also noticed the omni-present bouncers, unfortunately one jerk in front of me kept lighting up so they were ALWAYS there. To be honest I find smoking at concerts annoying... I developed mild asthma and an allergy to tobacco in my late teens (never smoked, but grew up in house of smokers) and I find myself much less tolerant of smoke than i used to..

I look forward to hearing them when they come through with a proper tour, proper light-show and a more diverse setlist (this one kind of felt like a Greatest Hits package).

I'd give my left ball to hear them play Swamp Song again some day though.

KenshoDojo

Such an awesome show, brilliant in every aspect. Had no complaints and I thought the crowd was perfect.

For anybody who thought the crowd sucked: A good show is a show that creates the atmosphere for people to be themselves while feeling an intimate and respectful bond to one another and this show did exactly that. We all have our own standards as to how a crowd should behave at a Tool show, or at any show in general, none of them are universal so there is no point in arguing about it.

I bet the guys in the band come out of every tour amazed at the differentiating crowds between cities and how they all create such positive atmospheres.

Eighteenth Eye

Everyone was definately not singing along! The front centre DD row did not know the words to anything and the contest winnners were completely lame in the front 3 rows!

Chosen One

it's all coming back now...I'm pretty sure that was a bullhorn strapped to maynard's back but i don't remember him using it...did anyone else see him use it? also, i believe during vicarious there was a visual of a tongue licking an eye...could that be a clip from a new vid (some of you guys are pretty in tune w the band, any insight)? what about the symbol on the stage floor (i had an aerial advantage over some), does it help them focus? i heard there is more to the cd artwork than meets the eye? "tell me everything" i'll stop asking questions, now.
i really loved the venue, i never expected to see tool in such an intimate environ (pop 3,200) and i don't expect i ever will have the chance again. first time in a forum, i like it, lots of different angles on the show, keep it up...cheers

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orbit survey

It was also cool to see Leafs Bryan McCabe & Darcy Tucker rockin' out on the floors....priceless!!
cheers

iamtheiconoclast

I don't know what all you people are complaining about mellow crowds for. Hands in pockets and light head bobbing is ideal, so far as I'm concerned. I don't go to shows to see a bunch of fans thrash around like morons. I go to experience the damn good music that Tool have to offer. Sure, it's heavy music, and I love it that way, but that doesn't mean there's some golden rule saying it has to be interrupted by the crowd. I don't need camaraderie and noise, and I don't need to feed off the energy of a room to get me riled up; Tool can do that all by themselves. What I really want is for everyone else to sit down and shut up and stay the fuck out of my way, and I'm truly glad that's what's been happening.

wolvie111

Honestly the worst part of the crowds were the people that were drunk off their asses yelling retarded things at the band. My girlfriend sat next to a guy with a BO problem and I didnt want to switch with her because the guy next to me was far worse than a BO problem. I thought the sound in the venue was the best I have heard from any of the shows I have been to. It really was an amazing show. And someone in here mentioned something about the scalper yelling at the box office people, yes I heard that "I DIDN'T GET ANY FUCKING TICKETS!! WHAT THE FUCK!!!". As a matter of fact it was worse around 3:30 when the box office was releasing standing room only tickets and all the scalpers yelling at each other and cutting in front of people that actually WANTED TO SEE THE CONCERT. I actually had some words with one of them when he tried to grope my girlfriend on our way to the Hot House. Another Tool fan stepped in to tell me its not worth laying the guy out and then missing the show because I had to go to jail. Good looking out!

Alexkos

I was in the left side of the balcony and really didn't have an issue with the crowd at all. The 8 or so people around me were singing along and knew all the lyrics from what it seemed. Again, it may be my bias because it was my first show and I have nothing to compare it to but if it sucked I can only imagine what the other shows are like.

Alex

imbackagain2

I was sitting right side row W. The show was amazing, The band was amazing and the crowd considering the venue was great. I was pleased with the setlist they chose. The worst part of the show was the fucken security guards. What a bunch of dicks running around flashing their lights everywhere. Me and my buddy were standing out front before the show and two scalpers were yelling at each other. I look over and happen to make eye contact with the large black scalper to hear the words"what the fuck are you looking at?" I hated scalpers before and now I want them dead. FUcking assholes. Anyway the show ruled. Best tool show I have seen. I got t-shirt#4. kinda regreting not buying a poster now. To my surprise there were actually alot of good lookin ladies there. Even though I failed to hook up. Show was great though. I didn't see tucker or mccabe. I think your fibbing.

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m4yn4rd

Fucking great show. Thanks to the little 12 year old girl infront of me so I could see much clearer. I rather enjoyed the crowd, they seamed lively enough for me. That could be because I went to actually listen to the music, instead of bobbing around like a tool. Danny fucking went all out, everyone around me was just in awe during the 46 & 2 solo.

I almost shit myself during the extension to Schism, they rocked out harder than I've ever seen any band rock out.

Watch the video, that's how it is.

Aenima was definitely the highlight for me, infact the whole ending (Lateralus - Vicarious - Aenima) was incredible.

Great playing, great visuals, singing coulda been mixed better, but it sounded better than a lot of concerts I've been to so no complaints.

There were many times where I was completley still with my jaw dropped.
Props to the two middle aged asian women, they looked so lost.

silence33

Those crowd complainers who put a sharp pain in my skull like someone scratching a chalk board!:

How can the same person who critiques the music while offering opinions on the G-riffs and drum rolls also make valid points while also "rockin out" and jumpin up and down?

I'm sorry, well actually I guess I'm not, but I enjoyed sitting back and watching the moment....tool is a band that offers both things, rockin out, and enlightenment....I'm surprise an OGT would not understand this and be closed minded to those there for something different then yourselves, oh wait no I'm not!....If you need people to jump around and run into you to enjoy a concert, then hey, go watch gwar. (remember Gwar?....wow) When I was 16-18 and an "angry teenager" I remember hitting the mosh-pit, but, I must say that as Tool's music has grown it definitely has way more to offer then just freaking out and yelling at everything. In fact, it really always has but the Neanderthals that Tool even makes fun of can't see it cause they haven't grown...also, smoking up at a concert to be a part of it, give me strength if that is a justified complaint.

Agreed Tool's aggression is brilliant in its transference through the music, but check the slope on your forehead, it's the intelligence of the music that makes it the awesome force it is. I'd like to know if the people who are pissed at the "sitters" if they jump around like MONKEYS while they read books, oh wait, scratch that comment for obvious reasons.

I enjoy how people like me sitting back relishing in the moment ruined the show for the likes of you enough to write about it because it proves something - you need others around you to make the moment and you can't rely simple on the music alone. That's a shame because those jumping around didn't ruin the show for me. I was too busy enjoying the moment to even notice. Who drives all over the place to see one band anyway? Kill me. Don't you have a job or something? If this is your job then granted that's impressive, but probably not. I understand driving local but from Denver, slit my eye lids cause I can't seem to feel anymore. By all the comments I have read about the crowd interaction I wonder if people paid attention to the fact Tool was playing there first concert in T.O. in like forever......half of you probably thought you came to see Zwan.

The concert was brilliant and the best thing always about seeing Tool live is how they mix things up and don't regurgitate the album.

And fav moment:...some "die-hard" tool fan with a shirt and poster, wearing all black of course because that's what makes a hard core fan, walked by me after the show and told someone on his cell phone in an angry voice "Ya, it totally sucked cause they only played one off of Aenema!" ........ Isn't that refreshing? :)