The Tool Page: Tour Reviews

concert reviews firsthand, immediate, from the heart

11/02/2002

Review written by: neognosis (neognosis@christismybitch.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 00:17:13 ET

This was this reviewer's 7th Tool show

Just a few highlights from the show. It was a really good show. Lots of energy. Insane crazy traffic since Florida State/Wake Forest were playing just across the street! The Grudge was played with a lot of energy, much more aggressive than what I've seen before. Maynard led the "smokers" in the Non-Conformist Oath before Stinkfist. H. - I love it when he does that :) Maynard's voice cracked going into the second chorus on Parabola! - Ha! Ha! :p I finally got to see a performance of Third Eye (with both Timothy Leary and Bill Hicks)!!! Awesome! Meshuggah ("inventors of the hands-free penis pump") really rocked the house on Triad! Maynad before Lateralus: "we hope we've inspired you to go drive safely home, bust out the hand lotion and masturbate yourself into oblivion." Md.

Review written by: DogmA (420@CDXX.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 00:53:04 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

The Setlist (to the best of my memory): Sober The Grudge - ions Stinkfist Schism (w/extended intro) H. Parabol/a Third Eye --Intermission-- Disposition Reflection Triad (w/Meshugga) Lateralis Good show, the pit sucked (as in too damn violent constantly), but other than that, the show was good. Meshugga isn't really that great, this being my first time seeing them or hearing them for that matter. My setlist may be slightly out of order, but those were the songs that they played. Tool is a machine, as always.

Review written by: Morbid_o (morbid_o@helpmejebus.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 01:07:10 ET

This was this reviewer's 5th Tool show

Ok, the setlist has been posted, and It matches mine(for once!). so...great show..a tad violent, but there was a great amount of positive reaction to the violence, as seen when one guy who was picking a fight was hoisted out against his will by some fans. security also seemed to do a rather good job, being generally quick on the job. there was a lot of pushingand shoving going on, but i guess thats just other people's thing..i think i might try sitting down next time. great show..much rock...can't wait for next time. now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to "think for myself" and "masturbate myself to sleep" (as well as "not repeating what people say")

Review written by: Mary (roissy_37@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 01:40:39 ET

This was this reviewer's 8th Tool show

Great show as always.... I love the 'open with the hit and get it out of the way' approach. I found Messugah to be tiresome - Sorry - but I've yet to be impressed with them... The overall vibe was great but why no encore? LJVM sucks as a venue - will we ever get to see tool in 3000 seat venues again? the TAB in ATL was a far superior show!

Review written by: Danny (likwidjmper@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 01:57:33 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Great show... lotsa energy.... was in the front row of the floor for the majority of the show. Lotsa pushing and shoving going on, but thats to be expected. I wasn't expecting to hear 3rd eye... that was deffenetly a highlight.... Meynerd kept his back to the crowd the whole night... he was wearing a full leather suit..... as always, Tool fuckin rocked.

Review written by: April (aprillbl@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 01:58:46 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show

First off, Meshugga did a pretty good job of getting everyone pumped up and ready for Tool. I had never really head them until then but they are pretty good. But when Tool came out is when the show really started. The lighting and effects totally rocked. The crowd was crazy! Every song was excellent but I think that Schism and Stinkfist were probably two of the best that they did. Especially Schism because as soon as it started I could feel so much energy from the crowd. This was my first time seeing Tool but I have to say that I have plans to do it again because it was a killer show!

Review written by: aj (skionsalomon@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 02:06:11 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Hey you! Read reviews already posted for your show to see if somebody already posted the setlist. wow. first of all, i have alot to say, tool is a big part of my life. it was cold standing in line for 2 hours. ok, meshuggah sucks. fuck you for bringing those dipshit fans of yours who go and ruin tool fan's nights. you people really pissed me off. ok now to the good stuff. tool-the floor was rough tonight, there was alot of energy in the winston-salem crowd ("fucking smokers"). the floor is a real new experience, once i moved from the mob of swaying people i began to enjoy the show. the grudge was so full of energy and so powerful. that is one of my favorite songs. stinkfist just sent chills crawling up my spine, that song was the highlight of the night, totally fuckincredible. lateralus and third eye were such treats. tool, your music is so healing, it puts me into a musical euphoria. maynard didnt face the crowd much but thats ok, the band really rocked tonight, very much into the musis. it is such an experience to take in all the energy of the music with the other tool fans. awesome. the only bad part of the night. my fucking camera got taken away. that pissed me off, i was being sneaky with it. oh well, i still had the best night of my life. thank you tool, thank you maynard, adam, justin, and danny for giving me music that is all inspiring. you all mean so much to me. for the rest of the fans, spiral out, and masturbate. and by the way, i was the guy with the van with tool stuff all over it. aj

Review written by: Master Reviewer (channingivey@earthlink.net) Review posted on: 11/03/02 02:10:04 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show

This was my 1st show, and THE SET LIST COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ANY Better . Meshuga(YOU ROYALLY suck!!!)...hopefully that is mispelled because you do not deserve a correct spelling, the lead singer needs to find himself. Only Noisy is what I can tell you.,The 1st 45 minutes was a waste of time. For North Carolina Sober is the only beginning to start with. And to follow with Stinkfist is the only way to follow. Followed by H. then Schism then Parabol into Parabola...you could not ask for a Disposition and Reflection which seemed to to be the clean-up for all of the shows thus far . This led into 3rd eye with heavy Tim Leary themes and could not have summed up best of all through Lateralus which was the finale. Hats off to TOOL because right now...they are the only team that follows thru with hard core reality music and Jams....Come back to LJVM Coliseum or just come back North Carolina and BLIND me with your light your NOW..

Review written by: Derek (nospoon_31) Review posted on: 11/03/02 02:23:27 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Yeah, that was fuckin awesome. This is my second time seeing Tool (first in Richmond in August), and this show was ALOT closer to home, which was nice. Me and five friends arrived at the collesium about 3 hours before the show started, and froze our damn asses off. When they finally let us in the doors, we ran to get as close to the stage as possible. Big mistake! Messukka was fuckin horrible and their fans were the biggest bunch of violent fuckin rednecks I'd ever seen. This was my first time in a Tool pit, and it was ridiculous. I couldn't move at all at one point, but I finally managed to work my way out to the side of the floor where there was more room just as Tool started. I was in a pretty bad mood at this point, but the second I heard the opening riffs of Sober, all was well again. Tool was fantastic tonight. I won't go through every song, but highlights included Stinkfist (love the new bridge that fakes out the crowd every time) and Third Eye. I was very surpirsed to hear Third Eye, and how cool was it too see "Question Authority" guy (cant remember name, sorry) on the screen? During the intermission, I finally found my friends again, and then Disposition/Relection/Triad kicked our ass. Messugga was good for one thing - having their drummer on Triad! He was incredible!! And then, of course, the best song of the night Lateralus, was insanely good. Tool, keep making incredible, inspiring music, and keepin comin back to North Carolina. But find better opening bands!! Oh, and I was in the van with all the red Tool stuff with the AJ guy. Bet you wish you drove that sonofabitch! Sprial out (gotta masturbate) Derek

Review written by: Billy (Phishlax7@aol.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 02:23:35 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show

Holy shit. This show was unbelieveable. It was my first Tool show, and it was out of this world. Meshuggah was pretty good. They may have been a little heavy for me, but they still rocked. I thought of it as a kind of strange choice to pick them so, seing as they are somewhat death metal. They are amazing musicians thought, especially their drummer. Their vocalist can scream, also. he seems to put no thought into it, and it comes out perfectly. A good opener, i guess. Tool was beyond words. Sober Maynard:Good evening, smokers!.... The Grudge Stinkfist Parabol/Parabola H. Schism Third Eye Triad/Disposition/Reflection(highlight) Jam with Meshuggah(mixture of songs...had parts of Hooker w/ a Penis, 46 & 2, and Ænema, with some other...no vocals, Maynard on guitar) Maynard speech...incorporated masturbation in there. Use this for something positive, also. Lateralus Tool is the tightest, most professional band I have ever seen. When they play, it sounds as if it is coming straight from the album. They are all gods. Maynard had his face painted with a black stripe down the middle. He didn't strip, or face the main crowd, but thats ok, cause i was on the side. I had perfect seats where i could see all the band, and maynard on his platform very well. he stared at me and my friend for almost 2 minutes. we were acknoledged by everyone in the band

Review written by: JayDawg53 (jaydawg53@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 02:54:12 ET

This was this reviewer's 7th Tool show

Third Eye. Enough said.

Review written by: James (faek_account@thefragile.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 02:56:49 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

I mainly went to see Meshuggah this time around. Tool was just kind of a bonus because a friend of mine wanted to see them. It's really sad to realize how close minded a lot of Tool fans are towards Meshuggah. Tool preaches open mindedness and acceptance, and all of you say you practice it. But outside of a couple, there were very few supporters of Meshuggah. Yells of "Get the fuck off the stage" and "You suck" are just totally uncalled for. Show some respect. One young lady standing next to me made it a point to tell all her friends how much she thought Meshuggah sucked, during their set. "We got here early for this?" That's nice...go outside and wait? Meshuggah is incredibly talented. I'm sorry all of you non musicians that cant count past 4 beats per measure cant see that. It really makes me sad to see such skill and talent wasted on ignorant ears. Mind you, this has been going on since Fantomas and Tomahawk. But it doesnt matter, because you'll all go back to "thinking for yourselves" while chanting "TOOL RULES" with the rest of your sheep like friends.

Review written by: Oskar (thingsfellapart@msn.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 03:10:53 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Hey you! Read reviews already posted for your show to see if somebody already posted the setlist. Damn good show. Ten times better than last year down in Charlotte. I was down on the floor in the midst of all the drunk moshing idiots, but they didn't bother me too bad. Meshuggah rocked good and hard, but i'm just not into them. They did a good job of getting people pumped though. I don't really think i have to go through the setlist song by song, just the high lights. Third Eye was a dream come true to experience live. And the Dissposition/Reflection/Triad sequence was simply amazing, visuals and all. Yeah... the best part of the show had to be the visuals. Those drunk moshing idiots didn't get nearly the full effect intended. P.S. Danny Carey is a hero. Actually they're all heroes....

Review written by: BastardChildOfFrankZappa.. (zonkin_out@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 03:16:40 ET

This was this reviewer's 5th Tool show

Great show. One of the best i've seen. Third eye almost made it worth the money. I've always wanted to see that song done live, and i finannly got to. Meshuggah...Fuck! i missed them because of my stupid ride. I played some meshuggah for them before the show, but they failed to comprehend anything past a 4/4 beat. That pissed me off, i actually came to see messhugah more than i came to see tool(i've seen tool 5 times and it's ussually always the same recently) It was ok because triad with meshuggah was the best live version i've seen so far. Pretty violent down there, i saw people going nuts over the drum head danny thrw out, they were about to kill each other....Anyone Noticed how maynard politley told us to go fuck ourselves? When he said go home and masterbate your selves into oblivion? Of course everyone cheered, because most tool fans are stupid fucks. No one else seemed to catch that did they? Anyway, thir eye and triad were the high lights...

Review written by: Bryan (BryLMoo@Carolina.rr.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 03:32:20 ET

This was this reviewer's 3 Tool show

All I can say is....WOW....this was the best show I've seen tool do in a long time. They played H. and Third eye! Those two songs made the whole night worthwhile to me. I knew I was in for a treat when I heard the timothy leary sample start. "Think for yourself, question authority..." Maynard was very animated during this show asking us to take the "non conformist" oath at the end of which he said "never repeat what others say." After Triad the band members gathered around Danny's kit and jammed something out. I would really like to know what that was? Before Lateralus, Maynard told the audience to "go home and get some hand lotion and masterbate into dilleria." I almost busted a gut laughing at that one. =P There's just a feeling you get when you go to a TOOL show that cannot be expressed in writing. I believe the setlist for this show was much better than their previous NC shows. Maynard, Adam, Danny, Justin, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING ON A GREAT SHOW. Bryan PS: to whoever got that round piece that Danny signed, I should have kicked your fucking ass...your girl was MAD because you "pushed" her. You are the fucking scum of the earth and if I ever see you hurt her or anyone else, your ass is grass. You should have left well enough alone. Someone else caught that piece of TOOL history, and you had to go and make a complete ass of yourself "beating up" on a fellow fan just to make yourself look cool. again, you should be glad to alive.

Review written by: that guy (icp696669@aol.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 06:38:46 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

This wuz my 3rd show and my first show on this tour. Im going to see them 3 more times this week. but it wuz wonderful i have never been so happy to be in a room. i think the crowd could have got into messugah alil better but they did great. but tool yet again changed my life. the setlist wuz great: sober the grudge stinkfist (extended) H. schism parabol parabola umm well fucken third eye intermission D/R/T laturalus and maynards last words were have a good masturbate. thank you to tool. thank you to everyone in winston-salem for making this the best night of my short life.

Review written by: Athemeus (athemeus@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 09:14:41 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Really awesome show. I went to the show in Charlotte last year in October, and this was definitely better. In the beginning, the band was on stage, you could hear some noises, and you could tell Adam was kinda strumming, but it was unrecognizable. Then suddenly it all lights up and Sober hits you in full force and it was incredible. They kept it pounding the whole way through. Live you just hear more complexity in every song and it's amazing. Now, I do have one little bit to say though. I realize a lot of people enjoy the music sitting down/move less than others or not at all. That is great, enjoy it whatever way you do. But alot of people who were standing up during Stinkfist/H/Schism, etc. sat down during Disposition/Reflection/Triad which I thought was pretty awesome. I can understand it perhaps for Disposition and all, but with the Meshuggah drummer out there with Danny for Triad; that was the most amazing piece of music I'd ever witnessed. At first I was feeling a bit disappointed that we got no Ænema love, but Triad more than made up for it. The two on drums, it blew me away. I guess I just wonder why it seemed like me and a few others not in the pit were the only ones really enjoying it! In closing, kudos to those in the pit. I saw a pair of pants flying through the air at one point. Also congrats to the guys waving the signed drum sticks at us on the way home, you lucky bastards.

Review written by: ryan (jrhexum@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 10:17:53 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

After last night's show, a single word come to mind.....PERFECTION! Simply perfect. I can't even pick one moment to be a highlight. It was all a highlight for me. In the past few weeks i've been looking at all the reviews to see what Tool was going to play. I came to the conclusion that they had two seperate set list. On one they opened with sober and pretty much stayed with the same list as when i saw them back in august. On the other one they played Cold and Ugly, and Third Eye. So last night when they opened with Sober I have to admit i was mildly dissapointed. And then they dropped the bomb. Third Eye was the biggest surprise of the evening. Thank you Tool for simply being the best in the buisness. I've never had a more gratifying experience. The best of luck to your future.

Review written by: Eric (EL2024@Hotmail.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 12:08:41 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

four words can sum up what i saw last night oh my fucking god. It was just amazing the lights the visuals the whole entire atmosphere was just amazing it was a really amazing night to witness Tool. The setlist Sober The Grudge - ions Stinkfist H Schism Parobol/a Third Eye with Timothy Leary and Bill Hicks speeches was great intermission Disposition Reflection Traid w/Messhugah amazing one of the best songs of the night Lateralus Messugah was pretty good although their lead singer was screaming and i couldnt understand what he was saying but they were still great to watch. Tool was just ungodly i saw them in Greenville this summer and it was amazing but last night was just amazing H and Third Eye were badass and maynard was prett talktive saying Winston-Salem Smokers and then giving us the nonconformist oath which was great and then telling us that members of Meshuggah are inventors of the handless swedish penis pump and then telling us to masturbate to oblivian and happy mastubation which was pretty funny. The show was amazing. Meshuggah and Tool were both great to watch and i hope they come back soon

Review written by: Master Reviewer (jaycoll38@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 13:54:11 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Hey you! Read reviews already posted for your show to see if somebody already posted the setlist. Compared to the Richmond show this was GREAT!! I had to trade aniema for Third Eye but well worth it. I would like to thank the fans for being so loud cause Maynard dug yall a lot better than the West Virginians in Richmond. Lots of energy coming from the band and the crowd too. P.S. I think Danny Carey is the best drummer and to where a Kansas uni to UNC country is some fucking funny ass shit

Review written by: Deus (mcriot@antisocial.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 14:43:29 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

First off, Meshuggah sucked. All fans lauding their muscianship, and basically praising them as creative pariahs need to have their heads checked - different time signatures does not a good band make, as Meshuggah proved. Derivitive to exhaustion, they played maybe two nice riffs (the rest was typical for a band who seemed to be trying too much to exemplify "hardcore",) were completely unenjoyable and seemed a noisy distraction to an otherwise powerful night. Screams of "Shut the hell up" echoed throughout their set, but the plastic machismo droned on for what seemed like an entire week - throughout all of which, not one intelligent thing was said, nor was any actual music played. Stupid choice for an opener, especially considering how violent and riled up the crowd was - which, going into tool, isn't a great thing. But that hour-and-a-half (god, it seemed so much longer) ended, and you could feel the staticy buzz of excitement pervade the arena. Tool was on point tonight, I loved the extra bridges during songs that fans believe they know so well - and as always the visuals were unbelievable. I was happy to see more attention payed to the 3d visuals - the tapestrys, atom-balls, the giant geometrical patterns - and their integration into the show. This show blew away any previous performance, of any band, I have ever watched. Dwarfing their show at Walnut Creek, the highlights to me were watching Maynard make nearly everyone in the venue conform to his ideals ("Now you all repeat after me...") and then basically laughing at their willingness to be sheep by telling them not to repeat what other people say, think, or do. (Following in anyone's footsteps, even a free-thinker, is still following.) I enjoyed seeing Maynard not face the crowd, standing on a giant monitor, watching the videos and letting the visual and aural art dictate how he preformed. It is certainly a breath of fresh air to see someone who cares that much about the art, instead of putting on a rock-star persona and strutting around stage like some mannequin looking for a way to help his ego. Third Eye was amazing, especially with the footage of Leary, coupled with the sample of his speech. Parabol/Parabola, H. and The Grudge were examples of how to use metal in an intelligent, emotional way (unlike Messhuggah's tired act) and D/R/T really strecthed me out... The highlight might well have been Triad, an extended version, with Messuggah's drummer (good for one thing after all: helping with music that far surpasses his own) that really blew me away, it convoluted its way through peaks and valleys, finally exploding at a climatic conclusion; Maynard still was not facing the crowd. Many of the songs had added instrumental bridges, and really helped add an air of unpredictability to the night. The new riffs seemed more experimental, all of which seemed to help the night come to an emotional head: I sat, dumbfound, not in a concert - but in another world. Everything, right down to the lighting - with its psychadelic lights, circles, and iradescent wires - was perfect. This is how concerts should be. Now if only Tool had played all three hours, and not the joke that was Messugah.

Review written by: Josh (josh5183@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 14:58:22 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

I'm not going to bore you with the same opinions that have already been posted here. Here are my key thoughts: a. I don't think Meshuggah had that much talent, but that is my own opinion. b. Maynard seemed very "happy," he made comments that got definite reactions from the crowd. c. Third Eye was the one song I wanted to hear, and it was played. d. The stage was nice (like always). If you were close (and elevated) enough to notice, you could see that the video was streaming on Maynard's podium. If it was the same one from shows earlier this year, it also spins him in circles. Very cool. Is there a reason Maynard usually does not face the audience while singing? e. The crowd was pretty pumped. The bitch in front of me needed to shut the fuck up and understand that she was at a Tool show, not Travis Tritt. Those are my comments; hope I didn't offend anyone.

Review written by: GONGBOY (Gongboy@aol.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 16:00:17 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

well, waiting for a few hours outside the tourbus didn't seem to be worth it... The police finally tried to dissipate about 10 people who were standing outside, waiting for their idols to show themselves. Unfortunately, ONE STUPID-ASS fishnet- clad lady, drunk either on lust or ether, was trying to get Adam to sign her pants. The police were called, and I staked out in a couple from Ashville's car, unseen by the johnnies while listining to a CD by the band 20 feeet away from us, with 2 sheets of metal between them and us. This bitch (and the girl he was arresting) didnt leave the scene for another hour, and after my new friends lost hope. I had about 15 minutes in me after they left. I did manage to get a couple Messuggah autographs, so it was not totally in vain. And if you dont care about Messuggah, and think they suck, well I am glad that they signed MY ticket, you ignorant fucks...TOOL, well, I love what they're doing with synthesizers and sound effects; they are more like a movie with the best fucking soundtrack when they put on a concert. Great night, until the bacon came and started sniffing out the situation. Man, I loved Third Eye...

Review written by: Katie (blackcanvas555@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 16:07:58 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

What can I say that already hasn't been said? I've been to Charlotte, Atlanta, Greenville, and now Winston-Salem, and this was by far the most amazing performance yet. The crowd was damn awesome (the loudest I've heard to date), and the band and audience really seemed to feed off each other. They played H and Third Eye, what more could I ask? Then Triad, during which I don't think I even blinked. No live song could possibly top the trance-like rhythms that are Triad. (and no other live band could ever pull it off, I can't believe it can be so tight no matter who the extra drummers are) On a completely different note, this is the first show that I didn't even try to brave the pit. I got a nice seat, stage left, from which I could see the entire band (I could see well enough to watch their fingers change chords and Maynard's every move) and the visuals screen was the perfect distance away. It was perfection, and I really think it added to my enjoyment of the show. I was able to move around and enjoy the music without having to try to see between heads and avoid getting trampled. To all the short girls and guys, as well as all those who hate the drunken idiot moshers on the floor, try getting off the floor for a show! I don't think you'll be disappointed. It's really not that far away, and the slight elevation is key to enjoyment. Thanks for an unforgettable night, TOOL. Peace.

Review written by: Peter Domanico (peterdmnc@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 16:23:49 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show

This being my first show, I was really exctied to hear Tool live. There was a little violence at the beggining of the show, but most of that ended when the opening act was over. The crowd cheered as Tool's roadies came on stage. The crowd went insane as each instrument was unveiled. The show was incredible. The visuals where insane. I'm definitely going to see Tool again.

Review written by: John (gra3111@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 16:37:14 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show

This show could not be put into words. If any word could describe it it would be phenomenal. I just love using that word lol. The show started off with a buzzing synth, then led into sober which got everyone going. The Tool crowd was fucking awesome. Everyone was friendly and certain ones were very VERY open. There was this one dude I heard saying to a group of people that we are all the same age. And thats pretty much all I heard. I'm guessing he's saying we, are souls, ourselves, were born the same age and time and its just that our physical bodies lookd older/younger. Anyways, the show was overflowing with euphoric and blissful vibes...good vibes. Maynard was funny on stage too. Maynard is just so fucking awesome. Same with every Tool member. Tool is not just about one person, Tool would not be Tool without everyone. Everyone plays a huge part in the show. To simplify things, Tool are geneouses, go see them.

Review written by: Nat (greatglad@plopmail.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 18:40:56 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

I'm not sure where to really start. I've been dreaming of this day for three months since I saw them in Greenville in August. I cannot believe that once again I have had my mind blown away by my heroes. First things first. Meshuggah is not my type of music exactly, but I must say I was impressed with their energy and some of the music was pretty good. They went over well with the crowd. Before I go any farther this crowd definitely ranks as one of the best crowds I've seen the band with. They were so into the show and that makes it even more enjoyable when the crowd is into the show. Anyways, back to the show. The setlist: Sober: Very nice. The band came on stage and made lots of noise before starting. Adam played what sounded like the end of Merkaba right before Justin kicked into the opening bass line. Very powerful opener. The Grudge: This sounded so great. The sound of the Lawrence Joel Coliseum was amazing. It was byfar the best sounding Tool concert I have been to. The band was right on with this song. Maynard ripped that growl perfectly. Stinkfist: This was definitely the most intense song of the night. As soon as the band kicked into it the crowd went insane. Everyone had a hand in the air. I had so much adrenaline pumping through me at this point because of the intense crowd. I really love that extended part of the song. I love how Tool takes their songs and make subtle changes for the live shows. It just adds a new element of excitement and creativity to the show. H.: This is my favorite Tool song and I've been wanting to see them play ever since the first time I saw them. When Justin kicked into that opening bass riff I just let out a huge scream of joy. It was amazing when they slowed it down and let the crowd sing the "I don't mind" part. I went crazy on the breakdown after that. This was one of the highlights of the show for me. Schism: Very nice new intro. The animation for this one was amazing. This song didn't appeal to me much because of its popularity but it has slowly grown on me. It was definitely cool with the extended middle part. Parabol/Parabola: What can I say? One of the best songs I think this band has ever done. The stage was really great with the two balloon balls floating up during the song. Maynard almost lost it at one point. His voice started to break and I thought it could be trouble. He managed to make it through the rest of the night fine so I guess he was ok. Third Eye: Maynard introduced this by saying "... and now a word from our sponsors...". Then the screens showed Tim Leary giving the "think for yourself" speech. After that the Bill Hicks' clips from Ænima came on the pa. They then kicked into this monster of a song. I must say it was the biggest surprise of the night. I didn't expect it at all. What an amazing song though. The crowd really went crazy for this one too. This was definitely "the highlight" of the night for me. This topped it all. Disposition: Very mellow. It provided a nice transition. This is a great song just to sit back and watch the videos. Reflection: Very powerful. I love how Adam plays his guitar part as well as the synthesizer part with his foot. He is so talented. I've only seen Jon Greenwood of Radiohead pull off something like that so that definitely puts those two in high class. Triad: Definitely the coolest song of the night. This was great when Meshuggah's drummer came out and helped Danny and I'm not sure who but another member of Meshuggah came out and did something with Adam's synthesizer. This was amazing to watch the two bands coexist and make such beautiful music. Lateralus: I became saddened when Maynard began the final speech because I knew the end was near. This song is so amazing. I love that eastern-sounding intro the band does now. This was another one of my highlights because it is my favorite song of Lateralus. Great song to end with. I walked away from this show with a greater appreciation for the band that I've grown to love over the last six years. They make sure to thank their fans and they don't disappoint. I don't know if I will go see them again because I have seen everything of theirs I set out to see in the beginning. I don't know though. Only time will tell. But for now I have been inspired by my heroes to make something positive from this experience. So thank you Tool.

Review written by: vividtv (satan666@hellsgate.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 20:28:48 ET

This was this reviewer's 5th Tool show

THIRD EYE!!!!!!!!!!! ENOUGH SAID!!!! This is my 5th show. I saw them in 92 at lollapalooza. Each time I see them it gets better and better. I finally got to experience third eye live..Man, I don't think another band could top that performance in the world. That song was like a life changing experience. You haven't heard it until you've seen it live. Setlist is as follows, and in my opinion the best list so far on the tour.. Sober The Grudge Ions Stinkfist H Schism Parabol Parabola Intermission with Tim Leary Third Eye Disposition Reflection Triad Lateralus

Review written by: Johnny P (TheLinearLife314@aol.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 21:08:47 ET

This was this reviewer's 666 Tool show

Meshuggah Pro's and Con's: Pro: singer was cool and i found him to be entertaining. Pro: the drummer's best part was in Triad with tool. that was great. Pro: complex rhythms are always a plus. Con: the audio set up had poor quality. the only part i could really hear was the bass drum(s?), toms, and bass strings (seeing that all the guitars have bass strings), and of course, a howling voice. in other words, i couldn't hear any symbols or guitar layering.... just bass. Con: aside from him speaking in between songs, i think the only word i understood was "salvation". Con: though they played complex rhythms it threw off the songs a bit and they all sounded exactly the same. i know bands tend to have a definitive sound of what they do but this was somewhat far stretched, and to me, sounded like a heavier, but more intelligent and aware, godsmack. TOOL Pro's and Con's: Pro: Sound quality was great and all the members very dead on this time, minus a few notes, but theyre human, and i most certainly would not complain about it heh. They sounded amazing. Pro: Maynard interacted with the crowd a bit more than usual. unexpected and worth while. Pro: They mixed up the set list, and incorporated a few new songs as well as variated the dynamics of their songs. Thats the real reason i come to see them play--to hear the same songs performed differently. Pro: the stage set-up was excellent. it shows true artistry and human involvement. this was my third show but so far the only one thats made me think. and it did. Con: to be honest, even after thinking hard about it, i have no complaints about this show. Well... Tool could play Wilmington or Chapel Hill or even HOB but that place is horrible. I think Tool would be more impressed with the coastal regions than the piedmont, but thats just me. Other Notes... I really liked listening to the Jam sessions before each song. I liked watching the guys looking at each other playing randomly, seeing the chemistry of what is/is becoming Tool. That meant a lot more than i think they know. and it was very beautiful. Adam plays with a sensitivity that i dont think people really pick up on. To me, He is the center of Tool. the others play well and do their parts. But Adam is the reason Tool is Tool. if Adam wasnt there Maynard wouldnt sing so intimately. Justin wouldnt have that emotion to work off of. and Danny... Danny can play anything with anyone. He's there because he knows they have something as a whole, at least that what i see when i go to their shows. Set List: Intro, sounding a bit like merkaba but not Sober The Grudge (-) ions and Oath of Nonconformity Stinkfist H. some really pretty jamming Parabol/Parabola some more really pretty jamming Schism "and now a word from our sponsors" Timothy Leary and Bill Hicks excerpts Third Eye Intermission yet, more pretty jamming Disposition More jamming Reflection More jamming Triad Postive Masturbation Oblivion speech. More Pretty Jamming Lateralus thanks for your time, Johnny P.

Review written by: Johnny P (TheLinearLife314@aol.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 21:10:15 ET

This was this reviewer's 666 Tool show

Review written by: Johnny P (TheLinearLife314@aol.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 21:10:37 ET

This was this reviewer's 666 Tool show

Review written by: SmokeDookee (chris swanson) (smokedookee@triad.rr.com) Review posted on: 11/03/02 21:53:41 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

well, i live 5 minutes down Silas Creek Pkwy from the LVJM Colesium. what a sensory overload. so much to see and hear at that show. i got there about 7:45 and already had my tickets, and a few friend's of mine came down from Boone, NC. i "got to know my neighbors" down on the right front end of the floor, in front of the last set of steps coming down from the side. one tall dood said he drove up from Atlanta! the guy behind was up from Myrtle Beach. some other nice peeps from based @ Fort Bragg in FayettHell. ALOT of people i know from here in the Winston- Salem/Greensboro/Highpoint Triad area. the crowd was super hyped up, and the vibe kicked ass, at least the ones i talked to. i wanna know what the name of the little jam peice at the end of the show was. and at the end, when he threw the big drum head out, i was still in the same spot. it kinda hovered like 15 feet abouve me and my friend Jesse, and then angled off and dropped like right near the bottom of the steps. that girl and her boifriend got the drum head. that other punk ass dood and 8 of his buddies tryed to take it from them. she got punched. then the dood spit in her fuckin face. the drum head was pretty fucked up by the time it was in one pair of hands. fuck that shit, that was really dumb. some of you peeple would pimp out your fuckin sister to get an autograph. the shit even caught the attention of the band. it looked like Danny even laughed. that shit was sick overall though. the visual with the dood who's face keeps like streching and stuff, the skull pops out. all the artwork that was done by Alex Gray was amazing. theres a link here buried in this site, so i'll post it: www.alexgrey.com . craziness. everbody in Boone gimme a call. peas

Review written by: Duchess Pammet (hulagirl_1976@yahoo) Review posted on: 11/03/02 22:00:59 ET

This was this reviewer's best Tool show

While I understand that a heavy percentage of the audience was not receptive to Messhuggah's style, you've got to give respect for musicianship. Especially the drummer. Unbeleivable! And TOOL! The music. The visuals. The emotion. Only one word can describe the experience of getting TOOLed: inspiring. Off to go find my bliss. Hope you do the same.

Review written by: andro (idratheryounot@email.me) Review posted on: 11/03/02 22:31:21 ET

This was this reviewer's 5th Tool show

tool played an excellent set, as so many reviewers have already stated. maynard was exceptionally talkative - much more than i have seen in past shows. i couldn't hear his full "hello, smokers..." speech over the screams of the people near me. if anyone can remember everything he said, please post it. the 'repeat after me' individuality oath was hilarious. maynard's toying with mob mentality is always amusing. i would love to have a studio version of stinkfist played exactly as it was played at this show. simply amazing. even better than last year's version where maynard threw in some elvis. the version they played was much more polished and natural to the song. hearing third eye with both voice overs was great. the fractal visuals were some of the best i've seen at tool. combined with the backdrop and the floating cancer balls, the experience was perfect for squeegie-ing your third eye. i don't know if this is a common occurrence, but maynard changed the way he sang the "calling me/pine away" parts of reflection. the notes he hit were completely different. i enjoyed the change, but my girlfriend didn't like it as much. meshugga's drummer was a monster during triad. he broke a drumstick partway through, picked another one up and went back with even more energy than before. the crowd was, as far as i could tell, excellent, compared to the last few tool shows i've attended (greenville this year, charlotte/raleigh last year). meshugga was very well- received for an opening act... at least, compared to fantomas and tomahawk. maynard's voice may have been bothered by the haze of smoke that seemed to be a part of the venue itself. the crack heard during parabola may have been caused by the smoke; i know my eyes and throat are irritated a day later. amazing show. i'll be patiently waiting until the next time tool comes to/near nc.

Review written by: I fucked my wife's ass after the show. (bngwtr69@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 11/04/02 00:17:19 ET

This was this reviewer's 8th Tool show

To start, I don't know what fucking show these other chumps were at last night but it doesn't sound much like the one I went to. I have been to 4 shows in the last 13 months (Sep. '01 VA Beach, Oct. '01 D.C., June '02 Richmond) and this was by far the worst. Winston-Salem = stupid drunk redneck frat boys. The crowd was the worst of all four shows. I feel lucky to have made this many shows without one single asshole sitting near me. Last night I was surrounded by them and I could see the floor was full of them too. If this was a "good" crowd, as a previous reviewer mentioned, then its no wonder why the performance was a bit lacking. I would say 1% futant, 5% regular human, 95% neandertal. Get the joke? Most of my night was spent watching the guy from "hooker with a penis" dancing hip hop style and yelling "wooooooooooooo" at the top of his lungs (even during "disposition") and smack talking with his friends. What an annoyance. There were more near me too but I'll spare you the gory details. I am also not a huge fan of Meshuggah. I'm not going to bash on them, they just didn't grab me. I'll leave it at that. Tool played a good set but not anywhere near what they are capable of. I can't really say that I'm holding it against them, they have toured for roughly 18 months continually. They have to be exhausted and it showed. There was an obvious lack of chemistry, I don't know if it was the smoking crowd or the ocassional objects thrown on stage or just the fact that the audience was just a bunch of country bumpkin rednecks! Or maybe there are some chemistry issues within the band. I don't know but this was definately not the Tool I had seen previously. Don't get me wrong, they, on their worst night, can still blow any other rock band off the face of the Earth. They, just like you and me, have good and bad days. Setlists reported seemed accurate and one thing I will give note to is that with all of the songs there was improvisation and a more experimentive kind of feel. Some of the tempos were notably slower. "Stinkfist" and "Parabola" come to mind. I think I noticed more new shit out of Adam than anyone. It was just a strange show. To quote my wife "it just seems like something is missing." I agreed, I could feel it too. Maynard did have more to say tonight than any show I have seen since Ozzfest '98. He greeted us as the smokers as only Maynard can. I was shocked to find that smoking wasn't probhibited in a coliseum venue with Tool playing to top it off! We were however in WINSTON-SALEM. So I lit the fuck up and took advantage of the situation. Sorry. He also gave the Non-conformist hipocratic oath. Plenty of takers there. We did get a little spin on the do something positive speach. However after being advised by Reverend Maynard to go home get my lotion and mastubate into oblivion. I instead went back to my hotel room, got my "KY liquid" and masturbated until my cock was raging hard, then I stuffed it into my wife's orafices for a couple of hours! See I was thinking for myself! I don't know about what that other guy said about Danny signing a drum head but he did throw his kickdrum head out and it had a big hole blown out from his pedal hammer! Once I saw that I wished I had watched to see how many times, if any, they had to be replaced. Whoever caught that has something to pass on to their grandkids! Adios you fucks! P.S. Penny if you read this.........I love you.

Review written by: SmokeDookee (11) Review posted on: 11/04/02 01:50:41 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

bngwtr69@yahoo.com, dont be gay. no1 but you complained about tool's performance.

Review written by: meshuggah fan (fuck off) Review posted on: 11/04/02 07:53:37 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show

meshuggah kicked ass and are really talented. ive noticed shitheads here saying meshuggah sucked and werent any good. its not my fault you cant handle any music heavier than tool with basic time signatures. meshuggah are more talented and thats the only reason i went to the concert. i only liked 3 tool songs. the rest was damn boring jamming that went on for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 1 song from undertow and none from opiate? what a rip off. i wont be seeing tool again unless meshuggah is with them. to all the shitheads that said meshuggah sucked, fuck off and listen to your pussy soft rock shit bitch.

Review written by: the sound guy (squeegied_third_ear@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 11/04/02 08:16:16 ET

This was this reviewer's 7th Tool show

So many people have said that the sound at LJVM was great, but I guess they haven't been to many shows because that was definitely the worst sound quality I've ever heard. The bass overpowered everything and you couldn't understand what Maynard was saying/singing. And a big "fuck you" to everyone who thought the quiet parts of the songs (middle part of Third Eye, Disposition) are your chance to talk about how you went crowd-surfing and got tossed over the rail! Shut the fuck up and listen! :p Okay, that's done, I feel better now....

Review written by: A Tool Fan (sheridan62000@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 11/04/02 08:29:39 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Overall the show was awesome. Tool is, without a doubt, the most worthy band in recent history--unbelievable musicians and intellectuals, capable of grabbing me by the kiwis and not letting go. However, I must admit that I was a little disappointed with Maynard. I realize what a drain it must be to perform with that kind of intensity night after night, and true, the smoke was so thick inside that even I, as a seasonsed smoker, was getting affected by it. But I felt like Maynard wasn't "up to par" on Saturday. His voice cracked a few times; he truncanted some "yells" and he didn't go all out on some other areas (such as in "Reflection"). Also, while the other three members stayed on stage at the end and "took their bows", Maynard was absent. Not sure what was up with that, but I thought that it was a little disrepectful of the fans. I also was surprised that the show ended so early. I was hoping to hear "Prison Sex" and a full rendition of "46x2"...but I've seen those live elsewhere, so it wasn't a biggie. I have followed Tool since '94, and to me they are hands- down the best band in existence today. If Maynard was feeling a bit under the weather, I can understand. It really didn't detract from my overall experience. I still had a great time and got a super release that I needed. It was just curious that Maynard didn't stick around at the end. Maybe he really needed a Richola or something. Cheers~

Review written by: Jessica Mezger (silentlyoutraged@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 11/04/02 09:06:00 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

Drove down to Winston-Salem from Norfolk, VA. So, we get there, and walk over to get in line. Isn't too bad, a lot of angry-disinterested looking (very cute!) goth chicks, and a truckful of drunk frat boys creating a commotion. We are gratified to find that the line grows much longer behind us than it was long before us, so we'll have good seats. When we finally get to go in, I get to find out how very anal their security rules are, as I am told that I'll either have to throw away the belt clip for my watch, or get rid of it and go to the back of the line. I throw it away. We get great seats, right up front and stage left (that's to the right facing the stage, for those of you who weren't drama geeks). Meshuggah, quite frankly, sucked. Yay. They did a very good job of killing my eardrums, but weren't very good at anything else. I managed to doze through most of them. TOOL. Okay, setlist: 1. Sober (with intro) 2. The Grudge 3. Stinkfist (with extension in middle) 4. H. 5. Schism 6. Parabol 7. Parabola 8. Third Eye, with the Salival intro (think for yourself, question authority) intermission 9. Disposition 10. Reflection 11. Triad extended percussion interlude w/ Meshuggah's drummer 12. Lateralus They had, as usual, varied visuals. Sober was almost, in itself, an "intro," because it didn't quite feel like the show began until The Grudge did. Then, the backdrop fell and things kicked into swing. Throughout almost the entire show, Maynard was at the back, facing away from the crowd; a continuation of Tool's trend towards placing more emphasis on music and visuals, and less on band spotlights. I have to say, I somewhat miss the boobs and the sermons, but it's also a good change. The entire backdrop changed twice, from black to multicolored-faces, and from that to a spectrum spiral of eyes. About halfway through, there were also spinning ball globes that were HUGE, one on either side of the stage; they also dropped semi-banners of the different stages of the human body/evolution from the cover of Lateralus. At one point, Maynard began playing his own guitar. He had a blue/black stripe painted down the middle of his face. The crowd was generally good, although I could have done without the drunk fuck behind us wearing the "ARYAN NATION" shirt... And the concert, above and beyond the setlist (gods yes, they played Third Eye!), was incredible. At one point, Maynard played with the crowd a bit. He had the crowd repeat after him certain phrases, leading up to "I will think for myself! (crowd: I will think for myself!) I will not repeat after others! (crowd feels dumb)" I didn't repeat a single thing, somehow knowing where this was headed. ^_^ The band was in great form, and they had an excellent setlist.

Review written by: Michael Childress (birdskater@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 11/04/02 09:14:16 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show

Hey you! Read reviews already posted for your show to see if somebody already posted the setlist.

Review written by: Michael Childress (birdskater@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 11/04/02 09:27:35 ET

This was this reviewer's 3RD Tool show

I just want to thank Tool for playing 3RD EYE, since it was my 3rd Tool show I really thought I would hear it. And to all of you idiots saying crap like Meshuggah sucked, its just because you dont have any taste in bands that have talent, Tool pick these bands for a reason, and the reason isnt so that you can sit around and say that they sucked. Meshuggah came on at 7:30 and left at about 8:30. I really liked New Millenium Cyanide christ and Future breed machine. Tool took the stage at about 8:55 They opened up with Sober. Maynard said and now for a word from our sponsers and Timothy Learys face came upon the big screen and said think for yourself question authority, then they played 3RD EYE. The visuals of the show deserved some appluase for itself. Alex Greys artwork really gave the place a sense of feeling and emotion. During triad meshuggahs drummer came out and helped them. After they played it Maynard said "We want to thank Meshuggah, inventors of the hands free penis pump and then said when everyone gets to their home to break out the lotion and masturbate. The show was great it has changed my life thanxs tool. Until next time SPIRAL OUT KEEP GOING

Review written by: Zach (zwest99@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 11/04/02 10:42:02 ET

This was this reviewer's 5 Tool show

Tool never ceases to amaze me. This performance was incredible and inspiring as always. The setlist was flawless. "Third Eye" was probably a high point. This is one song that I never expected to hear live. If I had not, the show would have been no less impressive. The variations which were added during songs such as "Reflection," "Triad," and "Schism" only added to Tool's musical prowess. It is obvious that these four gentlemen have progressed further into their masterful status. The "Sacred Mirrors" backdrop was beautiful, just as all of the other works of Alex Grey. The seven pointed star seemed to be hovering above Danny's drums and seemed to be shining its light directly down on this deity of the drums. Maynard's vocals were flawless as always. I loved the variety that was added to some of the songs. Some of the normal guitar rifts changed, which was breathtaking. Adam Jones is a great musician/artist. The bass could not have been better. Adam and Justin seem to stand as motionless sentinels of the stage. Their movements are not too noticable but their presence is felt just as powerfully as the others. Thank you to these wonderful musicians and all of the other forces which allow the show to go on. These men truly are artists of the highest quality. Their work is unforgettable and no other musicians today compare to this. Thank you.

Review written by: YURAKAPTIV (TT420ish@aol.com) Review posted on: 11/04/02 13:18:16 ET

This was this reviewer's 6th Tool show

Hey you! Read reviews already posted for your show to see if somebody already posted the setlist. First off Messugah does NOT suck,you who think they do obviously don't understand the concept of the different time signatures(Latarelis...HMMMM..maybe theirs meaning behind the numbers 987).Anyway the show was beautiful.Except for 99% of the crowd,expected though when you live in a country(more specific this territory) as SICK as ours,full of people who only know how to REFLECT on who or what is the next thing to destroy.The set TOOL done was spectacular,thank you TOOL for playing Third Eye,my inspiration for the past 7 years.From Third Eye on through the rest of the concert I had my visual eyes closed and didn't open them until Latarelis,ohhh the world I visited during the trip(mmmmm..5 grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms,thanks for the advice Bill).Again,thank you TOOL for letting me stand in your world for a little while and I will see all of you on the other side one day.YURAKAPTIV

Review written by: DN (danichols@wfmy.gannett.com) Review posted on: 11/04/02 15:07:18 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

What a show! Everytime I see them it seems to get better and better. Third Eye was definitely the hilite of the evening. Triad with the extended drum part was mind blowing. Loved the lightshow, the backdrop, and the video screens. Very Trippy 8^) I love seeing the diversity of the crowd at these shows. I've never seen Meshugga before, but I think they are a good contrast to TOOL. Very heavy. They almost make TOOL look even better (If that's possible!) TOOL is the best thing we have in music today, and it's good to see them ripping it up. Can't wait for a new studio album and new tour!

Review written by: iokua46and2 (iokua46and2@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 11/04/02 15:45:23 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

i'm a bit late with this, so everyone's probably said what i will, but oh well. overall, great show, better performance than last year in charlotte, having h. and especially third eye was roughly equivalent to the missing Ænema, forty-six & two, pushit (although i realize they've not been playing that this tour), eulogy. while it was indeed a terrific show, the best of my life, at both of their concerts i've seen, i've noticed something left unmentioned by most- maynard's voice is different live than on albums, for the worse in my opinion. you get used to it after a while, but live his voice is more nasal, not nearly as full, overall just weaker and not as beautiful. i'm talking solely about tone quality, not his ability to be on pitch, because that was as good as ever. not to sound like a critical asshole, but some other things i noticed- why did adam not use a slide at the beginning of third eye, at the part where the guitar first comes in loud, opting rather to play it with single notes? not a horrible thing, just made for a weaker entrance, the rest of the song was incredible, a true joy to experience. one other thing, forgive me all you lovers of justin chancellor, but at both shows i've thought the cleanliness of his sound was lacking. it may just be distortion because of sheer volume/ sound travelling and such, but opening riffs in sober and reflection sounded a bit sloppy, as did 46 and 2 last year. ok, i'm done bitching now- again, incredible show, the alex grey light displays were absolutely amazing. the whole show was an intense, energy filled, beautiful experience (save for people talking through all of the quieter moments. it seems they think that if something's not loud and fast, it doesn't deserve their attention). thanks to tool, and here's hoping they make another stroll down tobacco road soon.

Review written by: billy (billybob@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 11/04/02 16:54:07 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show

Hey you! Read reviews already posted for your show to see if somebody already posted the setlist. what a wierd show HERES THE SETLIST THIRD EYE INTERMISSION HOOKER WITH A PENIS

Review written by: James (tallyscorp@aol.com) Review posted on: 11/04/02 18:28:24 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

The thing I like best about Tool is the "be unique" and "think for youself" attitude. Maynard's Oath was awesome, and his point was clear (and for the record, I didn't shout out along with everyone else). Some reviews I've read here suggest that those who have expressed ill feelings regarding Meshuggah are acting contrary to Tool's openmindedness. This is utterly ridiculous and abdsurd. Its not like people hated Meshuggah before they heard them; I consciously made that decision after their singer made the most crude assault on my eardrums since Tomahawk opened for Tool in Pensacola. I didn't need anyone to tell me that. I thought it for myself. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go masturbate until I am dilerious.

Review written by: SmokeDookee (any1 hear the track in btween set by Ein) Review posted on: 11/04/02 20:00:58 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

did any1 notice the Einsturzende Neubauten track in between the sets? i wonder who's choice of music was?

Review written by: Cody (fuckHarryManback) Review posted on: 11/04/02 21:17:25 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Wow this show was awsome as expected from the greatest band ever,TOOL. I attended a show in august off of their summer tour and it was my first one and I instantly knew that anytime they came within a 200 mile radius of Greenville,Sc i would have to go see them, so i did in winston salem. THIRD EYE is was so fucking astounded with them playing that and H. i had saw the other songs performed live and i am on a mission to see all of their songs live, so hopefully they will still be around for another 13 years. I think that they had Useful Idiot in the set list some where and even eon blue apocalypse but i may be wrong. I dont see why people go to a tool show and mosh, what the fuck is that, tool is a beautiful band with beautiful music that gos beyond music (not for fucking rednecks) Meshugga was very unpleasing and doesnt even deserved to be called music more like bad noise coming from untuned instraments. their percusionist was alright i suppose thats why danny let them do tried with him. I dont even see how they got on tour with tool becuause thats really a descrase too tool such as tomahawk was. but hey its an opening band so what do u expect i didnt go there to see them anyway. The energy at the tool show is pure love amongst the true tool fans and when everyone leaves the show they are family with that being stated im leaving -see you on the other side, CT

Review written by: Neil Ivan (constructionworkerecu@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 11/05/02 08:19:44 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

This will be the first time Ive posted on the site and only my second Tool show in the past 6 years! I am ashamed. None- the-less in my opinion Tool's approach to their music / art should be inspiration for any other human that decides to pluck a guitar or belt out some vocals. The concert was, as it always is, a positive experience. Yes there where the violent types that want to constantly start a pit or the people that just go and are looking for a heavy metal show but that is their perspective to Tool and I for one belive that they can have it. For the majority of us who visit this site more than likely share very similar views on Tool's work. The Winston show was again a flawless performance by the band and as always takes you to that level that only Tool can in concert. Maynards whole approach to the delivery of his work is commendable. A perfect example in the way he had his back to the audience the entire show. Once again, it has always been about the music /art and not the members of the band. The new version of Stinkfist is absolutly spactacular and again illustrates the bands phenominal ablility to play live. Still waiting to hear the new, slow verson of Pushit. (my favorite) Anyway, spread the word and open the world of Tool for someone else so that it my be a positive experience in their life. -For those that understand- Stay true to yourself and never, ever fall into the habitual cycle of life. Cut your own path and make room for others who wish to follow in it. Let Tool's music be an example and always be as positive to others as their music is to you!!! GOD BLESS

Review written by: Bobby McFarland (bf23734@appstate.edu) Review posted on: 11/05/02 13:04:45 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show

Saw Tool in Winston-Salem the other night, was my first Tool show. Although they sounded great, I have to say I was dissapointed. There was not a lot of showmanship...come on..people payed 50 damn dirty dollars to see the show and Maynard stood back near the fucking drums. Danny was awesome but wasn't enough of a show. I will see TOOL again but only if Maynard realizes he is not aboce everyone and stops standing by the fucking drums. Very dissapointing.

Review written by: Anna M. (annamontan@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 11/05/02 17:46:15 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

This was the third show I've been to and it was the best. It's almost beyond words, but I'll try to describe it. The music was so wonderful that it overcame all the idiots we had to contend with down in the pit. Unfortunately, some people will never learn to appreciate Tool's music the way it should be--that is, shut up, listen, and quit trying to beat the hell out of other people. Some of us really do come to see the band and listen to the songs, not get killed. I really liked how Maynard actually talked to the crowd and gave us a taste of his intelligent, wry humor. He also gave us advice: don't blindly follow what others say, etc., which is nothing that you'll hear from any other major singer in this day and age. The whole band seemed really energetic and they looked like they were having a good time. It was also cool how Danny, Justin, and Adam stayed around at the end and waved to everyone. I thought Messuggah was a good opening band, better than the previous 2 that I saw. I hope they were able to ignore all the rude jackasses who kept screaming at them to get off the stage. In spite of the bad apples in the crowd, this show was simply spectacular and it made for some really great memories. I can't wait to see my next Tool show--every concert is an out of this world experience. This band is one in a million.

Review written by: Ishmael (ishmaelathome@netscape.net) Review posted on: 11/05/02 23:01:16 ET

This was this reviewer's 6th Tool show

As always the show was incredible. I liked how they played "third eye". The accoustics were great from the first- aid section too. Why first-aid you ask? I broke a toe or two in the pit. Anyway, I always cry during one song in particular. The way the music flows through your soul at a live show can never be imitated. One guy almost ruined it for me by cursing Maynard for not turning around and facing the crowd. Personally, I would have enjoyed it also considering he has a very chilling, yet sexy appearance, but if he prefers not to (like in the last 3 shows I've seen) then oh well. Not up to the loudmouth asshole to decide anyway. For anyone who has never been to see Tool live, I would suggest doing so soon. I have this ominous feeling that Maynard is getting a little burned out on touring. I know that they love and respect their fans and would cease all touring if they knew it were only half-hearted. Not facing the croud the whole tour has been pretty disappointing. At Lollapolooza in '97, I remember Maynard being forefront and dressed well enough to make men and women lust..... the show was like a movie and no one on that tour beat their performance. I think we almost had an encore here on the 2nd, we were all a little hesitant to leave until security threatened us. It was unfortunate that I spent 35 minutes in first-aid, but all was well worth it. My partner in crime caught Danny's set list fully sporting some long dirty-blonde hairs. It's nicely framed in our living room under lock and key:P Anyone wanna buy that bloody sock still????????

Review written by: Jessica Mezger (silentlyoutraged@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 11/06/02 09:17:41 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

Hmmm... Just because Tool chose them for the opening act, they're automatically good? So I should subscribe to others' opinions instead of my own? That doesn't sound much like "THINK FOR YOURSELF" to me. But then, you could go in the endless logic loop ... if you think for yourself because Tool says to, then you're obviously not thinking for yourself. Better to be originally original. Gomenasai, I will stop now.

Review written by: shiloh (pushin_me@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 11/06/02 11:43:20 ET

This was this reviewer's 5th Tool show

Thank you Tool!!! what an awsome show. they done third eye, so my third eye is now open!!! they also doen H, i hadnt ever seen those 2 songs. i have seen every song off of Ænima now except jimmy, i hope to one day see that song live hopefully!! The crowd was in a great mood i thought and the band was in a great mood also maynard talked more than usuall and all they guys seemed to be real into jamming on the songs. highlights were actually the whole show , because the band sounded unblevably tight, i really enjoyed H, and third eye, which third eye sounded awsome better than the Ænima version or the salival version, and Dispositon reflection and triad were fucking AWSOME, they rocked so hard on those songs!!!! It was my 5th tool show, ( i have seen them in 1997 lopolaza in charlote, 1998 raliegh ozzfest, 2001 oct 6 in charlote while freezing my ass off, and then Aug7 2002 this year in greenvile SC and then this winston show) and every time i see them Its better than the last time, its like i think to myself there is no way they can top this performance and then i see them again and they outdo theresekves by 10 fold!!! THANK U TOOL, PLEAZ come back soon, your number one fan in north carolina pushin*S*