Tool - 10,000 Days

[Dogstar]

I'm no longer a live Tool virgin, hell yeah! I finally got to see them in the flesh, on May 17 at the Tower Theater just outside Philadelphia, PA.

Let me just say that the Tower Theater is awesome for shows. It was the second time I got to go there. Great sound, and it seats about 3,000 people. We were in the orchestra section, about 20 rows back from the stage, right-center. I had a near perfect view of Danny Carey all fricken night, hell yeah!! .

They opened with Lost Keys/Rosetta Stoned. Adam and Justin were the first to appear on stage (Adam on the left and Justin on the right) and the crowd went fricken apeshit. I have to hand it to Philly crowds. They are LOUD, LOUD, LOUD. Of course, I did my part .

The visuals were pretty cool for this song. All this purple trippy shit playing on the screens like skins on Windows Media Player or something. Danny was next to appear on stage, and just when I thought it couldn't get any louder, it did. He got mad, mad applause. Right before Lost Keys was done, Maynard comes out, silhouetted and all, kind of sauntering. He had on a cowboy hat, sunglasses, tight-ass low-rise jeans with a massive belt buckle and cowboy boots...and NO shirt. The man is looking good. He had to have been working out because he looked friggin awesome. Ripped and lean and hot...Ok, I'll stop now, but MAN, OH MAN, did he look maaaaaaaahvelous.

I was really curious about what Rosetta Stoned would sound like live, and man, they delivered. Maynard did all that fast talking at the beginning like a pro, complete with vocal effects. It was really cool. When they got to the part where it goes, I forgot my peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen, shit the bed agaaaaaaaaaaaaaain...everyone was singing this at the top of their lungs, faces upward and arms in the air. It was pretty cool. After it was over, Maynard kind of just stood front and center and said, Philly...just like I remember it...And of course, the crowd went wild cheering and screaming.

I don't remember the order of the songs, but they had a few twists on some old favorites. They did Stinkfist with this really cool jam in the middle and the video for that song playing on the screens. Schism also had this incredibly speedy jam in it during which Danny went nuts on the kit. That man is amazing. He makes it look so easy. He was just incredible. Justin was a madman, too. He is a serious head-banger. His hair is really long now, too, and it was flying all over the stage.

They did Jambi, which kicked the studio version's ass. This song rocks hard. Adam's talk box solo was bad-ass. He has to be the most mellow guitar player I've ever seen live. He didn't move a lot, but he was in the zone and he was dead-on for every song.

They also did 46 & 2, which has one of my favorite drum performances ever. I was so happy. It was amazing. I was fixated on Danny for this. I just couldn't take my eyes off him. The drums on that song are just ridiculous. He didn't even break a sweat. The man is a god. And jeebus, his arms are bulging masses of muscle!!

They also did Sober (with the video playing), which people went nuts over. Philly likes its radio hits . Some people have bitched about the set list, but my being a first-timer, I was just so damn stoked to FINALLY hear all these songs live. Every muscle in my body rocked hard to all of the songs. It's a wonder I can move my neck and arms today, hehe.

About half way through the show, Maynard apologized for his voice, saying he was sick. He thanked us very, very much for coming out and hoped that he wasn't terrible because he was sick. He said something like, well, we have a couple of options. I could stay home and not tour, but we can't not come to Philly. This, of course, got the crowd riled up even more. I'll tell you, he sounded friggin great for being sick. He pretty much hit everything. The only thing I noticed was that he wasn't as animated and mobile on stage, which I guess could be attributed to his illness. He didn't say much, either. Still, he moves those hips like nobody's business. It's as if he becomes one with the song, or it's as if the music is coarsing through his veins and his body just follows the rhythm. I'm not sure I'm articulating it well, but let's just say it makes me nuts for him, lol!

The highlight of the night for me was Right in Two, as this is my favorite song off the new album. That song just kicks my ass nine ways to Sunday. It gives me chills and it was just incredible live, especially the second half of the song when it really rocks out. Adam, Justin and Danny were insane on this song. It filled the theater, the sound was so all-encompassing. I had to keep reminding myself to open my eyes and absorb all the visuals because they were pretty cool, too. I was just grooving big-time to this song.

At one point, I can't remember when it happened, but they all sat down on the stage while the crowd went nuts. It was an encore call and all, but they stayed out for it, just sitting there (Maynard did leave the stage, probably to rest up for a few before the encore) and the crowd just kept getting louder and louder. Adam had this huge grin on his face and he pumped his fist a couple of times, which further incited the masses. Danny clapped and waved a lot and this went on for a couple of minutes until Maynard came back. They did Vicarious, which sounds way better live than on the record, and Lateralus, another of my favorites. By this time, I was pretty much out of my mind. I try not to sing in people's ears when I'm at a show, but I could not help myself on Lateralus. It was so intense, especially the spiral-out-keep-going part. I was screaming this at the top of my lungs.

I believe then ended with Aenema, which was just fricken awesome. Everybody was singing along by this time and the crowd was in a frenzy at this point. What a cool vibe! After they were done, Maynard threw water bottles into the crowd and Danny threw sticks and a drum face or whatever it's called. It hit the fricken balcony and bounced two rows behind us. They shined a light on the guy who caught it and Danny and Adam were laughing when they saw how far it had gone. I think they were impressed .

I had no words for it after it was over. We just sat there, kind of dumbfounded and just in holy-shit-that-was-fucking-amazing-I'm-speechless mode for a good five minutes. Since I was driving, I didn't get to drink anything, but I more than made up for it when we got home. We rehashed all the details and gems and cool moments until about 4:30 a.m. Maynard has said at shows that we should use our concert experience as inspiration for creative endeavors. Well, I was inspired to bake some friggin cookies, haha. So, we ate a shitload of chocolate chip cookies and drank a ton of beer just reveling in the afterglow. God, I love live music! What a great night!!!!

Oh, and no less cool was my friends' incredibly generous gesture. They bought me the tour poster (Alex Gray album art) for my having them as guests!! I was floored. I was all ready to fork out the dough for the poster (it's huge) and a shirt, and they beat me to buying the poster. They are the best! I'm getting it framed and it's going to go right above my couch in the living room. It's going to look great.

Tool more than lived up to the hype and I can't WAIT for the late-summer/fall tour. Maynard said they'd be back in late summer. I am so there.

Today, all I could think about was the show and I listened to Tool all day and all night at work. This concert buzz is going to last quite a while, I think.

THANK YOU, TOOL, for one of THE best concert experiences of my life.

And jango, if you're still dropping in every now and again, THANK YOU for introducing me to Tool.

[Muad'Dib]

oh my sounds fucking amazing!! i cant wait til they come to australia, about 10 of us are flying over to see them, so hyped. Amazing experience, glad you enjoyed it!

[Dogstar]

Oh, that's awesome, Muad'Dib. You will have a great time, for sure!!! I'm STILL buzzing. The songs keep replaying in my head.

[Dogstar]

Some new tour dates

June 5 - Greenville, SC @ Bi-Lo Center
June 7 - Richmond, VA @ Richmond Coliseum
June 8 - Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena
June 9 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Boardwalk Hotel
June 13 - Winston-Salem, NC @Joel Lawrence Coliseum
June 15 - Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Festival
June 17 - Little Rock, AR @ Alltell Arena
June 19 - Cedar Rapids, IA @ US Cellular Center
June 20 - Peoria, IL @ Peoria Civic Center
June 22 - St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Arena
June 26 - St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Center
June 27 - Chicago, IL @ Sears Center
June 29 - Cincinnati, OH @ US Bank Arena
July 1 - Detroit, MI @ Pine Knob Amphitheatre
July 3 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena

I will be at the Bonnaroo one. I wish I could go to AC, too, but I'll be visiting my family that weekend.