concert reviews firsthand, immediate, from the heart
08/29/2002



Review written by: ZEN (lifeofzen@sym.com)
Review posted on: 08/29/02 23:58:42 ET

This was this reviewer's 6th Tool show

If you like Tapeworm may I suggest Life of Zen ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~* LIFE OF ZEN *~*~* *~*~* THE FUTURE OF ELECTRONIC ART IS HERE *~*~* DOWNLOAD 3 UNRELEASED TRACKS FROM THE UPCOMING ALBUM (---THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AFFECT---) *~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 1. Abstract Lore 2. Temperamental 3. The Psychological Affect _______________________________________________E`volve___

Review written by: Bob N. (spiralout@keepgiong.net) Review posted on: 08/30/02 00:46:32 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Amazing show. This was the best damn stage setup I have ever seen. setlist: Sober The Grudge Useful Idiot Stinkfist (new extended version) H Schism Parabol Parabola Opiate Dispostion Reflection Triad Lateralus Same normal setlist, but the show was still fucking amazing. Hearing Triad with the memebers from Tomahawk was incredible. Once again Tool proves they are the greatest band ever

Review written by: soberaenima (soberaenima@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 01:07:32 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

That was an incredilble show. The stage was awesome, but from previous reviews I thought more changes were at hand. The Triad was spectacular...that was the most amazing instrumental I have heard in a long time...they played typical to the setlists of the past with only 2 hours. Very entertaining, but I think previous tours were better in display. Don't get me wrong, Alex Grey is phenomenal...especially the last set, with TRIAD. Awesome... can't wait to see them again.

Review written by: The Uncle (phil@tabsource.net) Review posted on: 08/30/02 01:12:03 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Setlist is as follows: Intro (same as always) Sober The Grudge (-) ions Stinkfist (white lines plus another extension) H. Schism (extended in middle, also cool intro) Parabol Parabola Opiate -- intermission -- Dispostion Reflection Triad Lateralus Now as far as my review, Sober could have been the best song of the night (it was one of my favorites, as they didn't play it last time around), then the grudge kept the energy going. For those two songs, maynard was in the black leather jumpsuit, then in the middle of stinkfist, after the white lines, he stripped down to the leather briefs (crowd went nuts). H. was cool to finally see live, I might have rather seen forty-six & 2, but i'm not complaining. Schism was cool with maynard on the headless guitar. Parbol/a were pretty cool too, as thsoe cancer balls thinggy were held in the air by fans of some sort. Opiate was amazing, the crowd was really into it. (no Ænima, damn) Intermission was normal. Disposition was pretty normal too. Reflection was normabl, but in the climactic part, this stupid drunk motherfucker ran through the aisles (it was seated floor, what's that about), and on this guy's trip back, this dude in my row took him, threw him by the shirt over the aisle, then broke a chair from the link and started pounding this guy, it was great. The problem with these guys is that it turns out that they peed all over my friend's leg, which was definately not cool. Other than that, it was a great show (setlist not as good as the other one, but still cool as the guy next to me gave me a joint)

Review written by: Kris (bizkorn592@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 01:33:25 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

Great show as usual, but it was lacking some key songs. Going into the concert I already knew what they were going to play. Last year at the Chicago show they played everything including Pushit, 46&2 and Aenima. They sounded great though.

Review written by: Steve (bobafett_6748@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 01:42:07 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Wow, totally mindblowing as Tool always is....setlist is as folllows.... Sober The Grudge Stinkfist (extended jam) H Schism Parabol Parabola Opiate Intermission Disposition Reflection Triad (with John and Mike from Tomahawk) Lateralus Tomahawk was awesome. The crowd seemed into them until he said he hated Michael Jordan, but I thought he was hilarious. Mike and Maynard are two of the most talented vocalists in rock today, and I was glad to hear them both. Highlight for me was Triad, because as a musician, seeing other musicians really get into a groove on stage was quite exciting for me. However, I think the crowd got into the earlier songs more than the later ones. Maynard said his usual except to "have sex, preferably with someone". Tomahawk amazed me, I hope they one day tour on their own or make a new album. I would love to hear from them again, though. Thank you to Kabir for t.d.n. which hooked me up with an awesome ticket at face value! I appreciated it very much. Steve

Review written by: Andy Reitz (reitz@eecs.cwru.edu) Review posted on: 08/30/02 01:44:14 ET

This was this reviewer's 6th Tool show

=+= Tool =+= =+= Live at the United Center =+= =+= Chicago, IL =+= =+= August 28th, 2002 =+= Another great show from Tool. Maynard's voice seemed fine, and the band was as tight as ever. I was way, way far away up in the nose bleeds, so there was a bit of an echo from the back of the venue, mostly affecting MJK's voice. But once I got used to it, the echo didn't bother me. Tomahawk opened, and the crowd was more-or-less receptive of them. I like Mike Patton, so in my view, this is the best opening act that I've ever seen at a Tool show (barring festivals). I think that Tool purposefully chooses opening acts that they like, but that they know their fans won't. It's all so that they can build that palpapal sense of anticipation. Setlist: Video/Notes: ======== ============ 1. Sober "Concentric Circles"/"Naked People" 2. The Grudge "Poking Third Eye" 3. (-) ions "lightning effect" in rafters 4. Stinkfist The vid, recycled. During the extended bridge, MJK stripped down to his skivvies. Also, some additional lyrics were added. 5. H. "Circle Snake" -- A snake, eating itself, tail-first, in a circular cycle. 6. Schism This song was preceeded by an extended bridge from "H.". 7. Parabol Great effect, of projecting many "perfect circles" onto the crowd. 8. Parabola As this song got going, what can best be described as a "group of congregated cells", i.e. a giant 4-week-old embryo, began floating over Danny's kit. Very cool, watching it jive to the music. 9. Opiate Your huddled masses, yearning to be free. -- Intermission -- 10. Disposition Very slow start, I think it threw the crowd off-kilter. 11. Reflection MJK picked up a guitar for this and for "Triad". At the start of this song, 4 curtains dropped down, to which various skeletal images were projected. 12. Triad Tomahawk joined in for this song, starting with an amazing amount of drumming, eventually bridging into "Triad". 13. Lateralus MJK talked a bit before this one, mentioning something about bringing your ticket stub to a pet store in Riverside, CA, for 10% off of fish food. He also thanked everyone for coming, and told people to lay down, by the fire, and write poetry. And also to have sex, preferrably with someone else. Overall, the video screens are continuing to evolve. It seems as if Adam is really getting into the 3d rendering, as there were several new sequences that I had never seen before. If you go, watch for the giant green head, whose tongue falls out into his twin. Absolutely stunning, in a deer-in-the-headlights sort of way. At the end of the show, the entire band had a nice group hug, and actually stood on the stage and took a bow. I've never seen them actually welcome such attention before. The song of the night, for me, was "H.". Maynard changed some of the intonations of the words (which he did in a few songs, most notably in "Reflection"), which added some additional depth. It's amazing to me, how something as simple as a song can evoke such a strong emotional response. Hearing that song really took me back to all of the personal shit that I was dealing with back in '96, when "Aenima" crested. But being several years away from that time, I was able to evaluate that time of my life in a different light, bringing a sort of closure -- moving to a higher ground, that the song sortof ends with. Overall, I'm very happy to live in a world where a band like Tool exists -- continuing to innovate, and change, and to captivate me. And, although it makes me unhappy to realize that there are some songs that I probably won't ever hear live ("Can I hear a shout for '4 degrees'? Amen"), I'm coming to terms with this fact. Just 8 more steps to go...

Review written by: dctrbeef (dctrbeef@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 02:23:59 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show

This was my first live show even though I have been a fan since 93'. Not going to bother with the set lists...yada,yada,yada sufice to say that the"cancer ball thingies" or the giant mullberry shaped balls spinning around under the fans are actually blastomeres which are the early stages of the zygot in human development...hint,hint. These guys perfuse biology. Danny carey is the best drummer I have ever heard and now SEEN! BTW I saw that fight from the first row balcony stage left.

Review written by: bradjeralds (bradjeralds@webtv.net) Review posted on: 08/30/02 02:33:33 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. pushit pushit tomahawk sucked. mjk was on,no patient....laterallous killed...see you in east moline thank's danny,adam ,justin &mjk.....holy fuk....

Review written by: headake (headake30@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 03:07:21 ET

This was this reviewer's 5th Tool show

The Uncle (phil@tabsource.net) posted the set-list, and Andy Reitz (reitz@eecs.cwru.edu) did a great job adding the video- per-song list as well. Well kids, I've been around.... was a subscriber to the list back in 95-96. This was my 5th time seeing TOOL (second concert review), and they keep getting better each time I see them. I loved hearing SOBER as the opener... just set the tone of the rest of the night. It was great to hear H. as well. The projection and lighting involved this time was phenominal. Stunning. Perfect for the music. Adam is really getting the essence. I particularly liked the backdrop. One was three, linking faces bookended by two side-view skulls, and it was changed to a series of eyes with a final outer row of faces the eyes lead into. Wonderful. Long individual screen backdrops were used in the later part of the show as well... like the liner notes of Lateralis..... with the bone, muscle, enegry views, etc.... Triad was impressive. Amazing energy generated by that one. Ending with Lateralis was genius. That song is a perfect closer. It's a perfect song as well. Maynard has written some wondeerful songs in his day, but Lateralis and Disposition are his peak of higher consciousness. They are and were the perfect caps for the evening. The whole night was magical for me, and I caught up with some old friends involved with the band again, which was nice. Didn't meet the band again this time, but that was fine with me - I just wanted to catch up with old friends. I havent seen these people in 5+ years. I would have to say that this experience tonight, all of it, ranks up there in the top 10, all-time great experiences for me in my event-filled 36 years of life. I'm so glad I picked up on TOOL when I did (Undertow CD), and I am so grateful that they have never disappointed me. Not once. They are evolving and getting better with each new album, and it's wonderful to every now and then get a chance to sample them. They're so much more to me than just a band. They're more than music. They made me incredibly happy tonight. Happiness is good for your soul. Hope all is well Kabir!

Review written by: mslisa (mlisa100@earthlink.net) Review posted on: 08/30/02 03:36:57 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

Tomahawk seemed pretty good to me. Mike Pattons comments about Mike were pretty funny. I thought their performance might have suffered a bit from the poor acoustics at United Center, though. Tool ruled the night, as they should. I thought MJK maybe had a bit of trouble with a microphone during the first couple of songs, but other than that, everything was perfection itself. H , Opiate, and Triad were definitely the highlights of the show for me. As usual , the visual images were stunning, and the evolution of the videos continues to amaze me. I don't know if everyone can see this from where their seats are, but I think the video images projected on the side screens are also projected onto the platform MJK stands on. I also thought the lights focuaed on the band members a bit more than before, too. That made me happy. I love the visuals, but I also enjoy watching the guys! There is just no way to describe the energy on that stage during a show. You can just see and feel how much the guys enjoy themselves on the stage. The interaction between them is awesome, and I feel privileged to witness it. The group hug at the end was amazing and from what I saw, MJK pretty much just jumped on top of the pile. Sunday can't come soon enough for me. Mikwaukee here I come.

Review written by: Kirsten (kl21@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 06:12:46 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

Well I waited about 2 months for this concert, and now that it's over I had to purchase tickets to the Milwaukee show to see it again. I had seen Tool in smaller venues before and the sound quality seemed better then at the United Center. The musical instruments just totally drowned out Maynard's singing. As for all the visuals that were on the stage...really cool. Also from my seat it was hard to make out the band members, but it looked like Maynard had his speedos on the whole time. Tool is by far the best live band I have seen. They put so much into everything they do. Another impressive note was how in sync the music was with the videos that were being shown on the screen. As for the setlist it seemed to be the same as the Detroit show (providing those setlist were correct). Can't really say too much about Tomahawk because the loud screeming of Mike Patton made me leave for a breather. I wasn't impressed with what I heard, but maybe if I downloaded a song or two I could get a better idea of their music. Anyway see ya in Milwaukee...........Peace out!!!!!!!

Review written by: Dan Ferralez Jr. (dferra2@uic.edu) Review posted on: 08/30/02 09:22:43 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show

I've been waiting since last May when Lateralus came out to experience this. It was supposed to finally culminate a couple days ago in Normal and then in Chicago. Unfortunately, Normal was cancelled, much to my displeasure. Yet I think that in perspective, it was all meant to be. My first TOOL was meant to be in Chicago, my home. When the lights went off, all my waiting paid off. The music was spectacular, the visuals where dazzling, and the sheer energy of the crowd made it all worthwhile. The highlight of the show was undoubtedly the half-hour version of Disposition, Reflection, and Triad; it blew my mind in more ways than one. I also loved the very end, when they converged to the front of the stage and embraced each other in one big group hug. The "brotherhood" is just part of why I love this band so damn much. I also enjoyed the fact that this was my younger brother's first concert (mine was shitty Dishwalla). All in all, I had a great time. I hope to catch more shows in years to come. Thank you Adam, Danny, Justin, and Maynard. I'll never forget this moment.

Review written by: bexley113 (wbrody2828@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 09:53:28 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

First off, a quick thank you to all the fans who booed heartily when mike patton dedicated a song to the biggest pussy in chicago...michael jordan. you don't come into the house another man built and shit on him. you just don't. now that i've gotten that out of the way, i can honestly say that what we witnessed last night here in chicago was the spectacle to end all rock spectacles. what tool lacks in spontaneity they more than made up for in sheer force and visual splendor. obviously when your entire show is set to video images that intricately timed spontaneity is impossible, which makes the more free-form moments in songs like stinkfist and sober all the more appreciated. i loved how maynard threw in the first verse of elvis' suspicious minds during stinkfist, probably a nod to all of the people who posted yesterday questioning why the Normal show was canceled. As someone who has eagerly anticipated this show for the majority of the summer and followed the bands every move on this website, it was a little strange to be playing along in my mind and know that as soon as they played H that you weren't going to here 46 and 2, and as soon as Maynard started repeating 'Think for yourself, Question Authority" that it would be Opiate and not Aenema to bring the house down before the intermission. I loved The grudge and Lateralus live, so much stronger than on recording, particularly Lateralus when it jumps into the more elastic section around the seven minute mark, with Justin bending over backwards and snapping back straight up in time to the bass throb and Danny's cymbal crash. But the segement of the concert where everything seemed to fit together best was disposition/reflection/triad. Danny kept the beat impeccably during disposition and reflection amazed me, with maynard's voice careening through the mix and the murals and artwork pulsing hypnotically, and the visuals on the screens fell apart and came back together, all in perfect synchronicity leading of course into triad with john and mike from tomahawk which was so heavy i swear you could hear god walking around in it. just an awesome awesome display of musicianship, artwork, and mental stimulation. thank you tool for such an inspiring and intimidating performance, hopefully it will end up on a dvd when they come off the road. thank you tool, can't wait for the next time around.

Review written by: DegenerateSodomiteBastard (DSB@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 10:42:11 ET

This was this reviewer's 9th Tool show

What can you say, you go to see tool, you know what you are getting yourself into. Wasn't as quaint as the shows I saw earlier this summer during the European leg, but I would see them anywhere irregardless. The new stage setup is incredible, especially the Alex Grey pieces used as backdrops and such. This was the first time that I have seen all the new goodies, so it was especially tasty. I would write more but I haven't slept in about 36 hours, and well, my brain is a fine mush right now. Got to meet up with some buddies from the Ettelbruck Luxembourg show last night, Chris and Brett, we have come full circle. The set lists are right, and Maynard was playing the bass during triad, which seemed to dwarf his diminutive stature. Thought maybe they would pull something wild in Chitown, seeing as though Normal was cancelled, which I, and many others, had tickets to. It was a total psycho-sensory experience. We are all lucky. See you in Cinci and Moline........DSB

Review written by: Mike (melomar@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 11:06:07 ET

This was this reviewer's 6th Tool show

The band sounded great last night. Maynard did some vocal rearrangements in the songs that really changed the feel of the show. Maybe I just can't shake the knowledge that he's had problems with his vocals lately (and am a little frustrated by Tuesday's cancellation), but the rearrangements seemed to allow him to work around hitting the high notes that make the hairs on your arm stand on end. Since Maynard's voice is one of my favorite instruments in music, I was a little disappointed when he didn't attck those notes in his usual manner, especaially during Reflection. The way he sang "before I pine away" at the end of the song just left it without its usual climactic, frantic end - the only part of the song that I like. In his shoes, I'd protect my voice as well... this is far from being a complaint about the band's performance. It was solid. My personal evaluation of the show isn't as simple. Every Tool show that I've attended has left me with something new when I've left the venue. I have never been to a show that hasn't in some way moved me or changed my perspective. Last night's show, however, left me feeling flat, unmoved, and tired. I've tried attributing it to as many things as I can, redundant setlists, having seen them so many times, frustrtation about the cancelled show, bad crowd, lack of inner turmoil (something i didn't lack at all of the other shows), incredibly high expectations, etc. None of those, on their own, really fit. Tool has been a big part of my life and having feelings of animosity towards something that has encouraged me to struggle, to think, and to grow is very confusing. Was it me or the band the wasn't pushing boundaries? Maybe I didn't feel challenged because I wasn't challenged or inspired because I wasn't inspired. Maybe I've just been desensitized to the the Tool circus. Maybe the show IS just a show. Maybe I'll feel better about this one later. That has certainly been the case before. It took me over a year to get a handle on the feelings 1998 show in Kalamazoo left me. The Kalamazoo show, however, didn't leave me feeling like I had just been taken for $45. Nor did it leave me suspecting that the band was off stage snickering at the crowd while it took an intermission of a length that could only be described as 'irritating'. It did, however, leave me feeling frustated much like I am now. I have no idea where the problem lies. Hopefully I can figure it out in time for Moline and, If I'm lucky, the evening of September 7th won't be nearly as sober as last night.

Review written by: Larry (lobo329@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 11:06:57 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

What an amazing show! From the instant they dropped the backdrop to reveal the silouette of Maynard and incredible audio and visual experience. I can't wait until Sunday when I see them again in Milwaukee. If anyone recorded the show, please e-mail me so we can work out a trade for a copy of the show.

Review written by: Andrew (yantisa@purdue.edu) Review posted on: 08/30/02 11:38:15 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

AMAZING! Tomahawk was excellent. Tool was of course no less than awesome. Maynard was not too talkative, but addressed the crowd 3 different times. 1. Saying, "Chicago, Chicago." (very imposing) 2. Giving the "Don't let your TV control you speech, and be creative." 3. Lastly, " Go home, sit by the fire, and write some poerty and have sex, but make sure you have sex with someone else." Definite Setlist: 1. Sober 2. The Grudge 3. Stinkfist 4. H 5. Schism 6. Parabol 7. Parabola 8. Opiate Intermission 9. Disposition 10. Reflection 11. Triad (absolutely amazing w/ 2 members from Tomahawk 12. Lateralus (amazing) Maynard had a black stripe painted down the middle of his face, and when they began playing Stinkfist, he was already stripped down to a speedo. Video and lighting were phenomenol. They began with 2 video screens, but by the end of the show, they were operating 8 screens. Go see a show on this tour if you have a chance. Maynard, please come do a show in Indianapolis!! Spiral Out, Andrew

Review written by: depthcharge (dc@depthcharge.net) Review posted on: 08/30/02 11:48:42 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Tool is *the* best band out there today. The first time I saw them was 7 years ago when they opened for Primus (which was incredible), and since then they have improved when I didnt think they could improve anymore. They are such a talented band in the studio and they execute their live show with such intricacy and perfection. Eveything about it was awesome: the visuals, the stage progression, the timing of everything, and last but not least, the solid talent of the band. It was a suprise to see 'opiate' played live, as well as 'triad', which went off like nothing I have ever seen before. I highly reccomend seeing their tour this year. They are definitley in their prime.

Review written by: Drago (sdrag311@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 11:57:57 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

tonights performance was outstanding. the band played extremely well. maynard sounded fanominal, with one exception, during reflection, the group drounded out maynards voice. the set list is as follows: Sober, The Grudge, Stinkfist, H., Parabol, Parabola, Opiate, Intermission, Disposition, Reflection, Triad( with the help of 2 Tomahawk players), and ended with Lateralus. Not one to miss, last year when i saw them on sept 9th, maynard was standing in the back, he still is but is much more visable. Great show guys!!!

Review written by: stevil (stkalapis@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 12:05:15 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

Every time I see TOOL its like a religious experience. The Alex Grey Artwork adds so much to the show. The setlist was standard as always, But I really enjoyed the Stinkfist with the extended Elvis-Suspicious Minds vocals. "I'm Caught in a Trap, I cant walk out, Because I love you too much baby!". See you guys in Moline. Great show!

Review written by: jalan (jason@farmfresh.org) Review posted on: 08/30/02 13:27:56 ET

This was this reviewer's 5th Tool show

opinion one: ANYONE stating their disapproval of Tomahawk as an opening band might not have been trying to hear their music. phenomenally tight. kudos to their united center performance. maynard reminds me of a cello, but mr. patton left me wondering how sounds like that can come outta one throat. he's part demon. plus pulling duty on his electronic tweak stations. i enjoyed the bands use of textures overall. quite amazing. opinion two: the subtle twists (especially vocal) in the tool set were REAL nice. i had trouble making out lyrics all night, so thanks for the elvis tip, whomever posted that info. i wish it would've registered on the concious level. the mix was a little boomin' where i was located, which made the softer parts all the more revealing and intimate. stinkfist, schism, h, reflection. they all held gems. i thought reflection was particularly fragile, but even if it wasn't, anything would break in the wake of triad. dem shitz is massive. and that bald dude in a speedo playing bass... classic. tangent one: i enjoyed salival and all. decent deal. but can i have a full show?? one night? you can just send me a cassette recorded straight off of the board. i'm not picky. i might even be able to help you out with the shipping. 'twould be greatly appreciated men. take care. safe travels. your art is uncompromising. i leave y'all with an inspirational quote that rivals some of those from MJK... out of the mouth of another extaordinary frontman: "I used to have a drug problem, now I make enough money." --david lee roth

Review written by: Master Reviewer (herzeleid420@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 13:32:01 ET

This was this reviewer's 3 Tool show

All i can say is awesome show. Danny did an awesome job on drums (especially during Triad). Maynard had a speedo on (heaven) and his ass showed for a few seconds. Adam did his thing, and so did Justin. And for people who want Adam to move around a little more, give him a break. A few years ago he almost died from getting runned over by a bull, or something like that. Well...all I can say now is, great show, and visuals. Setlist. Intro Sober Grudge Stinkfist (extended) H. Schism (new intro) Opiate Parabol Parabola Intermissoin with lights, trippy visual, and new backdrop. Disposition Reflection Triad (awesome) Lateralus By the way, if you spent only $45 dollars to only hear Schism and Sober, I pity you yupppie fucks...expecially the ones right behind us. Also, dont throw ur cigs down to lower levels, not cool man. Laters all.

Review written by: Mr. Skibone (skibone@blahblah.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 14:23:34 ET

This was this reviewer's 6th Tool show

My buddy and I decided that either A) Tool likes really fucked up bands to open for them, or B) they want to get the crowd in the mood for some GOOD music. I'm sorry, I had never heard Tomahawk before and I was looking forward to hear what Mr. Patton was up to recently, but that was beyond painful. The only halfway decent band I've ever seen open for Tool was Cows - it just keeps going downhill year after year. On to the show - despite review and review of "Best concert ever - blablabla", last nights performance was to me...uninspired. Like another reviewer, I tried to find reasons why I was a bit disappointed - maybe I was a bit tired from working all day, maybe it was the fact that there was no open seating - although I don't go on the floor for a Tool show, the energy of the moshing certainly adds to the show. As it says above, this was at least my 6th show (lost count - I think I maybe forgetting one) and each one was more amazing than the one before it. But there were enough little things missing last night - Maynard's voice seemed a bit hesitant, the setlist needed a little more punch - a good Third Eye, Aenima, Eulogy, or even Ticks and Leeches. Triad was quite amazing though. Oh well, I hope I haven't become that jaded to the Tool experience. Here's hoping for a better time in Moline. My two cents - load up your flamethrowers.

Review written by: Brian The Very Disgruntled Goat. (Brv1983@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 14:31:29 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

TOOL was incandescent. Sober The Grudge Ions Stinkfist H. Schism Parabol Parabola Opiate - Intermission - Disposition Reflection Triad (w/ Mike and Tom from Tomahawk) Lateralus I was in a state of deliquescence at the fact that I missed Tomahawk's entire set and it diminished all positive energy for me to have during TOOL's performance. Regardless of the fact the I was being quite enthusiastic during TOOL's set, I still felt hollow due to missing Tomahawk. I have been preparing for their performance for months. I bought their album within a few weeks of downloading and burning it. I love their work. Hopefully they'll do another album and subsequently another tour but due to Mike's busy schedule, I doubt that will happen. In retrospect TOOL's performance was exceptional beyond my expectations but I was so destroyed before they came on that I missed the opportunity to digest the experience properly (at least by my own personal definition of "properly"). "The Grudge" scream was about 14 seconds long. It seemed to fit though. Possibly on account of the fact that song was performed at a slightly faster tempo than the album. After one of the first few songs (I can't remember exactly which one) Maynard said in a pianissimo dynamic: "Chicago" and the crowd retaliated with cheers. We repeated this cycle about 4 times. It had to have happened sometime after "Stinkfist." Before "Opiate," Maynard gave us one of the many paraphrases of the "Think for yourself. Question Authority" speech. Maynard's "Opiate-Rape-You-Scream" was just about as intense as the album and much more intense than any of the renditions that I've heard in all the bootlegs I've witnessed. After "Triad," Maynard said thanks to Mike and Tom from Tomahawk and said that they owned some kind of establishment in southern California and if you take your ticket stub there you can get free fish or something to that effect. Before "Lateralus" we got the "Take this experience and make something positive out of it and then sit by the fireplace and have sex" speech. After "Lateralus" They hugged. The show was absolutely outstanding. Maynard played his Steingberger headless guitar during "Schism" "Disposition" and "Reflection." And he some sort of long necked stringed instrument during "Triad." It was to dark to see exactly what It was. All the new Alex Grey Art was amazing. What else can I say. I will refrain from going into detail because some people may want to be surprised in the future. Go see TOOL. And could someone pleeeeeeaaaaaaaaaase post the Tomahawk setlist????????? Please.

Review written by: eric coon (tool1351@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 15:39:15 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Last year i saw TOOL play in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the guys played damn well, despite being a little tense (the show was 2 days after 9/11). Last nights show in Chicago was nothing short of incredible. Danny's new kit looks and sounds sharp, Maynard was getting hypnotic and dancing his speedo- bearing ass off, and Adam and Justin were just playing every note perfectly, and barely moving in the process (it's about the music, not the way the members move), and altogether, they either played their parts perfectly, or threw in some variation in songs like Stinkfist (which was my favorite of the night), and some slight variation in Schism. The Alex Grey paintings were remarkable. I believe he had 3 paintings from the sacred mirrors collection, and one huge painting in the back of the set that changed with the color of light projected onto it. The stage props were, in my opinion, better than those used during the fall 2001 tour. A friend and I traveled all the way from southwestern MI to see Tool and they didn't let us down once. If you are reading this and still haven't seen them in concert yet, get off your ass and buy a ticket. You've got to see it to belive it. Thank you Tool.

Review written by: Master Reviewer (rahiem@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 16:44:47 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

I thought this show was awesome! They played a few less songs than last year but more visuals. The setlist went something like this: Sober The Grudge Stinkfist H Schism Opiate Parabol Parbola disposition reflection Danny Carey drum solo Triad w/ Mike and john of tomahawk lateralus

Review written by: Foster (jfoster@lyricopera.org) Review posted on: 08/30/02 17:20:21 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

Hey you! Read reviews already posted for your show to see if somebody already posted the setlist. Well, to begin with, enough whingeing about the sameness of the shows. You're acting like picky little Deadheads. If the setlists are getting monotonous, you don't have to see tons of shows. What Tool have created is a stunning multimedia production; inspired, moving, and precise. Now that I've gotten over that, on to the show at hand. Spectacular, awe-inspiring. My wife kept saying, "isn't it incredible how that visuals can be at once so abstract, and so creepy?" Tomahwak we're pretty cool. I recommend that anyone who feels like giving these guys a chance pick up their disc. They are a lot less screechy in the studio. So Mike Patton's an asshole. Are we just figuring this out? This is a guy who steered nearly an entire interview in his FNM days to the subject of his masturbatory habits. Scintillating. On the whole I liked Meshugga better, but I have a soft spot for chunky metal in odd time signatures. The wait for Tool seemed interminable, but probably wasn't any longer than last fall at Allstate. They started with what seemed to me to be three show openers (Sober, Grudge, Stinkfist). All were great. It was nice to hear some different stuff from the catalog than they played last September, and I was absolutely shocked by the appearance of Opiate (and by it's sheer intensity. Hadn't heard that little gem since 1993. The intermission suited me fine, as my knees were aching pretty badly by then. But I have to say that naked folks suspended above the stage, swaying back and forth (ala Allstate) is way more entertaining that twenty minutes of jiggling skull animations. The final segment of the show was the obvious winner. Pure intensity. Great help from Mike and John (damn, I miss Helmet). All in all, Bravo, boys. You levelled me again. See you next time around. One last thing. We have a word around here for people who flick cigarettes out of the upper deck: Suckass. Don't be a suckass. The lifespan of a suckass is very short indeed. See y'all.

Review written by: Zachary Wyatt (everhum@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 17:21:11 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

Just a note: Maynard was not wearing the standard leather jumpsuit. He was in fact wearing one of the police uniforms that the members of Tomahawk were sporting during their set.

Review written by: Rana (scorpiot13@excite.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 17:27:01 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show

the show was absolutely amazing! i was going absolutely insane during the few minutes before they came on, and when they finally jumped into "sober", i went *completely* insane. i was so moved and so touch by this experience. tool has been my favorite band for a few years now, and i'm so glad to have been part of that show last night. i can't describe the feelings i had as they played. i just want to tell everyone who has never been to one of their shows to go and enjoy yourselves! tool is the best!

Review written by: Dark Theologue (capthowdyfour20@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 19:09:29 ET

This was this reviewer's 7th Tool show

There is nothing that comes even close to the experience of seeing TooL live. They have been my favorite band since I wandered over to the second stage during Lollapoloza '93 and asked the guy next to me who was the band on stage (after two songs they had made quiet an impression on me). Since that day, I feel that TooL has evloved to a level beyond rock band...becoming a spiritual experience. Ok, on to last night's show. I have to admit that I attended the July 19th show in Las Vegas...so there wasn't too many surprises in store for me. The set list was slightly shorter this time around (by two songs). That was disappointing, but I write that off to the "illness" that caused the cancelation of the Normal show two nights earlier. For anyone who has not attended a show on this tour, they are missing one of the best visual displays in the band's great history. Not only is there the standard video screens with various mind enhancing visuals and a very nice lighting effects, but what really impresses me is the larger than life works of Alex Grey (he did all the artwork was Lateralus' linear notes)...including extra large reproductions of his infamous 'Sacred Mirrors' pieces. They opened with 'Sober', which helped my friend get into the show from the start (it was his first TooL show), being the only song he really recognized all night. They later moved onto such personal favorites as 'Stinkfist' (the entended version that they have been playing for the past year now) and 'H' (that song always brings tears to my eyes for reasons I won't get into here). 'Parabol/Parabola' ignites such an engery in that place (not to mention I love Alex Grey's contribution to the video) that it is maintained even through the 10 or 15 minute intermission. Another big treat of the night was 'Opiate' because I had not heard them play anything from that album since 1996. The crowd roared for it. Although Maynard played his little deception games first, reciting the Tim Leary speech 'Think For Yourself'...teasing the crowd with the possibilty of playing 'Third Eye'. Still the highpoint of the night for me was the full rendetion of The Triad (Disposition, Reflection, & Triad). It is absolutely amazing live...to the point now that the album just doesn't do it justice for me anymore. I could feel the entire building's energy coursing through my body and before I knew it I was actually shivering from the goosebumps it had given me. Words cannot convey the emotions I felt all night...it was a combination of every emotion a human being is capable of. By the time I walked out of that show, I had such a stupid looking grin on my face. You would've thought that I had either taken a lot of acid or had the best sex of my life...when really I owe that stupid grin to four men and their incredible talents. I'd like to thank TooL for providing their fans with that kind of experience, best $40 I spent all year. Seeing as how there are many other reviews here...I'm sure you've already seen the setlist...therefore, I won't bother....

Review written by: aaron sanders (ajhacker2002@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 19:15:59 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show

well seeing tool for my first time was a night i will never forget. first it started off with tomahawk which, in my opionion they sucked because i could hardly hear what the hell he was singing. i dont take anything away from them cause they did get invited by tool to open for them. i did think the drummer was alright though.( i was the guy screaming you suck when he said if you want to blame it on someone........) now when tool came on it was a whole new world for me. at first it was as if they were playing with my mind cause it seemed like forever before they came out. but when they did i was in for a treat cause they played sober which was the first song i ever got hooked on by tool. the setlist was great but as hooked on tool as i am it left me wanting more. the energy in the place was great it seemed everyone came together perfect. even the fans seemed together in it all. my favorite part was parabol and parabola that seemed like a climax to me that i didnt want to stop. tool is definatly the best band in my mind and with all those mind blowing videos like the skull that would ripp out of the skin was too sweet. everything came together so well last night, now i want more. see you in moline.......... SPIRAL OUT.........

Review written by: Caleb (einstein8@famvid.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 19:21:10 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

First of all i'd like to thank everyone for acting like idiots towards Tomahawk. It was very uncalled for. Even if you didn't really dig it, its just not right. I;m glad Mike said what he said...... Tool..very inspirational. I actually relized a lot of things while witnessing this event. Personally I didnt care to here Sober.....on that note this show seemed to be a little more main stream then what i would've liked to see, but I imagine it was balanced with all of the wonderful changes brought us. Danny and Triad was definately the highlight of the evening. Looking past the main stream essence of the show it was the best thing ever and i felt privilaged to have been there. A few times I almost cried. Thank you very much, Maynard, Adam, Justin, and Danny. See you in Moline.

Review written by: Soma Smith (Dimension33@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 21:09:33 ET

This was this reviewer's 5th? Tool show

A seamless display of music with a message... The Band, the music and the "Show" has evolved so much.. From the moment you get to your seat it begins. The sound is so overwhealming you have no choice but to be sucked in. Then the visuals start.. the lights and the animations and the hanging artwork all working with the sound.. all screaming out to all of us to wake the fuck up.. to Feel and think outside of what we are told is reality.. Sending messages that are beyond words.. The music envokes emotions that are within all of us. But most are too caught up in thoughts of irrelevant details and miss the point.. Like anylizing the time the music is in, or sucking the balls of their favorite band member, or yapping about The part where the song "Kicks in" and get's loud.. when they are missing a beautiful melodic part of a song... But, Most people are just fucking stupid. But, with bands like tool and the few others that are sencire in what they are doing and have an understanding in their own lives, and most importantly, have the ability to communicate that understanding through their music... not just lyrically.. There is hope.. A few weeks previous to the show, me and a friend were listening to Lateralus and we were wondering if Triad had ever been performed live. and we kicked around how cool it would be to see... Sure enough this show it happened and it went above and beyond expectations. Triad was the most intense part of the evening.. I wish the band nothing but happyness. I hope they recieve the rewards they desreve for what they have done and are doing to change poeples lives for the better..

Review written by: Smartyr (rock_kid@go.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 21:28:58 ET

This was this reviewer's 2 Tool show

I'll start off with saying that tomahawk was the worst band I have EVER SEEN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE!!!! If you're going to a future show don't bother showing up, I sat through half a song and had to leave and walk around. MIke patton was quite the duche bag and he was booed equally as much as he was cheered. I have a great story. The floor was all seated and they were linked together... otherwise the shit would hit the fan....so I was talking to the lady who I saw getting tickets with and I was talking to her when the security guard said loked like the guy from roadtrip.... so I said hey, doesn't that get me onto the floor? and why yes it did. Me and my buddy each paid for a round for this burly dude and ended up 21 rows back!!!! unbelieivable. The emotion that maynard and the boys put out was just completely indescribable. Tool was unbe-fucking-lievable. The set list was normal but almost every song was expanded or had a jam session. The triad was the most ingenious drumming I have ever seen. The guy from tomohawk played the backbeat and danny went to town. I could not believe the stinkfist and the h and the whole show. I nearly creamed my dreams during lateralus and I literally had to remind myself to breathe at times. I found places in my head that I did not know existed before then. If you haven't been before just go in and let go. The energy just flows like water. I think even the band knew they had connected incredibly well witht he audience as maynard got on danny's back complete with black stripe down his face and they just stood there fist in the sky thanking the fans for "sharing this moment with them". I was uttterly amazed and shocked. While they didn't play all the songs I wanted to hear the songs they did play were so incredible and different than the album version.... it's like all the songs evolved into something even better... and than vbeing there for it's creation.. just indescribableThere is no feeling or emotion to describe them...... just go and experience it for yourself

Review written by: Dan (danz0r@askchopper.com) Review posted on: 08/30/02 23:36:03 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Wow... Tool was amazing, as always. I'm glad MJK felt well enough to perform, I was really worried he'd cancell, but he pulled through, bravo, and good job. The show was amazing, I plan on trying to snag tickets for the upcoming Indianapolis show. Tomahawk was ok, but pissed me off with his comments about Jordan... no taste, no respect.

Review written by: ShErWooD ForeSt Boy (NIRVANAWS@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/31/02 01:58:50 ET

This was this reviewer's 2st? Tool show

This show was nuts. I must say, I enjoyed the set list from when they played the Allstate better, but the performance in this show, as a whole was incredible, and beat the hell out of the last time they were in Chicago. The screen visuals, the Alex Gray backdrops, the lights, the floating balls, all amazing. Shirts were five dollars less this time too!! By far the best show I have seen. This was my second show, but I brought a few friends for there first Tool experince. I was happy to know, they all qouted "This was the coolest thing I have ever seen!" As for Tomahawk, im fuckin' all about them. Patton is the shit and I totaly got a kick out of the Michael Jordan coment. Everyone who got pissed really needs to ill. On a side note, I sat next to a pretty cool chick in her late thirties. She was really drunk, and I think she wanted to have sex with me. -Enjoy Slayer- MmmmJuicy

Review written by: R Sandmaier (rsandmaier@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/31/02 03:29:51 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show

I just skimmed through all the glowing reviews for this show and felt I had to add my 2 cents worth. Let me start by saying that this is my first large arena show in quite a while, so with the tix price I had high hopes for a visual feast. But I must say that I was quite bored with the show over all, especially when I realized that the intermission break that went on for ever was the encore break. I may be spoiled seeing bands in smaller venues, but the "Spectacle" of this show just didn't fill the arena. I actually enjoyed it more when I tried to ignore the video screens and watch the band. And about Maynard... well, this was my first Tool show. I fully appreciate his decision to not upstage the band and draw all the attention onto himself. But Fuck! Look at the audience! There is nothing more exciting at a show than to make eye contact with the singer. Come down of your turntable and let the audience feed off your energy! I guess I'd like to say that I'm sure I'm pissing off all the Tool fans that scroll down far enough on this review page to read this, but thats a GOOD thing , cause FUCK, all the other reviews are the same. PEOPLE.. TOOL is an Good Band, with alot of original things to say, but they are not the Be all and End all live. If during a show, you are looking around at the crowd wondering if they are having a good time, they are probably wondering the same thing. Keep liking Tool, but shit, find some other bands too, and go see them.

Review written by: me (me@me) Review posted on: 08/31/02 03:42:15 ET

This was this reviewer's meth Tool show

i wasn't afraid of much for this show. the waves of apathy that spread over me during the day of the the couple of days before made me slightly apprehensive, though. i was thinking- am i still not going to feel much? i do always think of myself as a sensitive man, but not many things really move me. it can't be any other way, but sometimes i feel almost upset about it, like i want more stimulation. very stinkfist. before the concert i had some free time in the city and i decided to ride around and visit the "grounds." suddently, when i saw the tour bus in the parking lot, i was awakened. i was filled with an as yet unchanelled and uncentered energy. i was just happy and buzzing from the excitement. from the get go, my Energy was focused... during the opening jam-chords of Sober i realized that tonight they were serious. maynard said: "Chicago..... Chicago...." _- it's like he was talking to us and being really serious about the emotions to come. my attention was mostly on danny but for at least a third of the show on maynard and the guys. even the way they performed the songs reaffirmed in me that they were all about the music. at crucial moments they pulled it off exactly as it was in the album and at other times they let themselves go and did wonderful jams. truly professional. even maynard getting lighthearded toward the end was great. it was time for the energy to take a more overtly positive spin and he joked like he felt was right in his heart and the show ended with such positivity that all i could think was: "thank you, thank you, thank you..." it was all about sincerity and togetherness.

Review written by: caps (caps8419@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/31/02 17:30:50 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

This would be my second Tool show, first being at the Allstate. Awesome show!!!! Opiate was cool except nothing beats Eulogy from the last chicago show. I'm pissed about the seats cuz we were waiting first in line at gate 3 from 4 that same afternoon. DAMN! no one seemed all to interested in the fact that there was a camera set up behind Danny the entire show and there was also one i saw above the mixing board.( our seats were next to it) I also met one of our Tool guys wife. She was very nice to us, and wanted us to help her look for a band stalker in the crowd so that she could kick her ass. She was pretty cool, but we forgot to ask who she was married to. AH well. overall cool show. MAYBE THE CAMERA"S MEAN A DVD!!!!!!!! FINALLY!! -M

Review written by: Ryan (Rassmanaman3@attbi.com) Review posted on: 08/31/02 20:38:42 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show

Tool is truly an amazing band. This being my first time seeing them i was amazed. I knew from their cd's and music videos they were a unique and talented band but until you see them live you have no idea. Maynard is truly the most amazing musician to come along in a long while. The sound was great and every song was amazing. Schism had some great guitar solo's, lateralus was by far the best song played flawlessy and with much passion, and of course triad wtih the members of tomahawk was absolutely amazing. Tool is clearly the best band out right now. They are not your typical modern rock band who either just screams or has crappy lyrics. They have great well sung lyrics and some of the best special effects/artwork out there. It's a must see for any kind of music lover.

Review written by: aaron (ajhacker2002@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 08/31/02 23:49:29 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show

now that ive had alot more time to thnk about how incredible the show was i think i will write a better review. first of all i would like to thank tool for the best experience at a show i have ever had. maynard has always made the music carry me away to another place and after the show i was forever changed and inspired to do something. the music as a whole was amazing and mind blowing. then when maynard talked to the crowd everything made sence and i felt complete. keep rockin out guys you are THE best of the rest!!!!!!!! the fans are the best people i have ever met and it made my first one a great one. i felt the setlist was really good but i was wanting more and more. danny rocked as did the rest but my fav was the guitars!!!!!!!!!! overall great show and i am hooked even more so now then ever!!!!!!!!!!!!

Review written by: Tool fan (Trick8950@aol.com) Review posted on: 09/01/02 18:34:29 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Well, I my first tool show was last year at the allstate arena, and this show surpased that show by a LOT. The sound quality was a bit better at the united center than the allstate, and the band had much more energy this time around. Plus, the added art/visuals etc. made it a truly awe-inspiring experience. I remember looking around during disposition/reflection and seeing tons of people looking at the lights/art with just dumbstruck looks on their faces. That's what tool will do to you. It's also really cool to see that the older generation appreciates the genius of tool as well. I saw many 40 year old+ people at the show that were really into it. Highlights were H.(one of my faves that I haven't seen live before) and triad(which cannot be put into words. It literally will blow you away; if you haven't seen triad live you MUST go to a tool show ASAP). I got freaked out when maynard walked off stage during stinkfist because I thought he had another voice blowout. But soon he returned and it was apparent that he left so he could change into his little speedo thing. he had the painted face, and he danced around a lot more than usual. It was also great to not have a moshpit, so the meatheads/frat boys couldnt ruin the experience by acting like animals. Even without a pit some idiot decided he was gonna try to run up and down the rows of chairs but he was quickly grabbed by an angry fan and punched in the face. That was very cool. Overall the crowd had pretty good energy, and so did the band. Afterwards maynard told us to go home by the fire, write poetry, and have sex. He then thanked us for sharing the moment with them and for our support. The band stayed on stage for an unusally long length of time taking in the applause. They waved for a while then hugged, and maynard jumped on justin or adams back( i forget which one) and they left. It was truly inspiring night that I'll remember for quite a while. Side note: tomahawk was not bad, but they werent good. They could do without all the screeching noise/feedback that basically ruined their music. The cop outfits were kinda cheesy too. I did like how mike patton came into the united center and said that michael jordan is the biggest pussy in the world. He in turn received a barage of boos, for which he said "chicaaaaaagoooo" in a taunting type voice. Overall tomahawk was an average opener. Much better than meshuggah...

Review written by: david smith (davidsmith@qut.edu.au) Review posted on: 09/01/02 22:01:08 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show

i went to the brisbane show and eventhough i am a massive tool fan i was dissapointed because they didnt play more of their old claasic songs that if you took a smple of tool fans and calculated statistics you would find that most of the fans wanted to hear the old greats. their new stuff is nowhere near as good as their old stuff this is represented by the current record sales

Review written by: drAb (mbdrab@chicagonet.net) Review posted on: 09/03/02 13:40:10 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Yes, TOOL was perfect once again but it pisses me off when I hear people sing every fucking word in the song and what’s worse is that they are louder then MJK. Yes, I’m talking to you, you mother-fucker, fat-ass, dip-shit rock-star wanna be standing behind me.. fuck you and fuck your friend too. P.s. TOOL is the BEST…drAb..

Review written by: drAb (mbdrab@chicagonet.net) Review posted on: 09/03/02 13:42:23 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Yes, TOOL was perfect once again but it pisses me off when I hear people sing every fucking word in the song and what’s worse is that they are louder then MJK. Yes, I’m talking to you, you mother-fucker, fat-ass, dip-shit rock-star wanna be standing behind me.. fuck you and fuck your friend too. P.s. TOOL is the BEST…drAb..

Review written by: drAb (mbdrab@chicagonet.net) Review posted on: 09/03/02 13:48:26 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Yes, TOOL was perfect once again but it pisses me off when I hear people sing every fucking word in the song and what’s worse is that they are louder then MJK. Yes, I’m talking to you, you mother-fucker, fat-ass, dip-shit rock-star wanna be standing behind me.. fuck you and fuck your friend too. P.s. TOOL is the BEST…drAb..

Review written by: Bethany Lewis (falldressup@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 09/03/02 21:40:26 ET

This was this reviewer's 1 Tool show

So this was my first concert that I actually wasn't forced to go and see with my parents. (Wow, I feel all grown up, now.) My friend/quasi-girlfriend and my mother all went to see TOOL and Tomahawk, and I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I was just to know that Maynard and I were going to be in the same room, let alone Maynard, Mike Patton (lead singer of Tomahawk), and I... The opening preformance by Tomahawk was wonderful, I thought, but then again, I'm also a big fan of Mike Patton's... Most didn't like him to begin with (the non-Bungle fans) and after the fact that he COMPLETELY dissed Michael Jordan, a lot of people weren't too thrilled with him. Yeah, but anyway... So, they played their songs, and then it was about a twenty or so minute wait for the lights to go out again, and then there was a five-minute-long suspense building, as music began to play, but no one was on the stage yet, wow, that seemed like it too forever and a day. TOOL opened up with "Sober," and at that point in time, Maynard was fully clothed, in black, but at the end of the song, he left us all hanging with the last line as he walked off stage and behind it and later came back up with just his black underwear on. Pretty tashty. The rest of the show was awesome, it kicked some major fucking ass, and I'm only speaking up until 10:30PM b/c we had school the next day, so my mother made us leave; but I'm sure that the rest of the show was just as good, if not better than what the three of us had seen. Oh, and to get an idea of how FUCKING CLOSE I was to the stage, heres my seat ID: Venue: United Center Location: Chicago, IL Date & Time: Thursday, August 29, 2002 7:30PM Your Tickets: SECTION 113, ROW 4, SEATS 14 TO 12

Review written by: 1st Time ConceRt Go-er (ringman55@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 09/05/02 02:50:03 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show

Well guys, this was my FIRST Tool concert (definitely not my last) and i have to say it was totally, mindblowingly (a word..?) AWESOME. everyone has posted the set list..so i'll just throw in my FAVORITES of the night. the opener...Sober...my head just about exploded when the girls behind me screamed their heads off in joy..but hey i was about to blow my own throat out yelling so its all good :) sober is just an AMAZING song.. Danny was like a god behind his hugeeeeeeeeee set... someone said like 30+ pieces but i doubt that..i'm thinking like 50+ but im not a drum expert so im probably way off. stinkfist...holy shit guys...that was sooooooo awesome..i wish it woulda been 46 & 2 ... or maybe back-to-back woulda been better..but being a begger i can't be a chooser!!! it was spectacular nonetheless... following that was H., which i was totally shocked to hear..!!!! great song opiate...OMG guys that was the BESTTTTTTT song of the night..to bad they didn't add the Lotus Experiance on the end lol...but nonetheless it was superb. other notables: halfway through Stinkfist... Maynard strips to the skivvies..the women go nuts..even my g/f..it was crazy... but it energized the crowd. -tomahawk played Triad with Tool..that was a great way to climax the show.. and it made up for the poor performance they did when they opened up. I really did not appreciate the fact that their lead singer said *this is paraphrased to how i interpreted it* "well if u don't like how we play, F*CK off, cause TOOL invited us (maniacal laughter)". and dissing michael jordan really pissed me off.. man they should have had a pure Tool show..coulda added some old school stuff like Hush and Intolerance and it would have done way better. I ain't to thrilled about Tomahawk.. overall the show was the best...im going to the next Chicago show (hopefully it will come around in another year)... i hope everyone enjoyed it as much as i did. hehe..and by the way.. it really came to a great close when my g/f actually listened to some fellow Tool fans and flashed most of the people in the parking lot as we were leaving the U.C.... that was awesome :) peace guys

Review written by: mike4mpalatine (snaykdc@aol.com) Review posted on: 09/10/02 04:59:20 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

amazing show, that was phenomenal, my 1st show was in chicago last year and that rocked also....BEST BAND EVER....not even a close competition......maynard wailed and was glad to see his throat seemed to be better.....danny once again perfected his shrine of a set....and adam and justin were breath taking to hear.........don't quite know how maynard does it so damn well cuz my throat was gone the next couple of days 'n i think i got some whiplash, and it's the best damn whiplash ever.....bwahahaha opening it up with SOBER made me not even care about the rest of the setlist though it still kicked ass........only hooker with a penis or ticks and leeches could have made me happier , and last year's chicago show was one of the best setlists ever but this show was just as bad ass....especially with the triad instrumental........that was GENIUS..........i enjoyed tomahawk and thought they were quite humurous, but hey that's just my opinion. but once again maynard stated my favorite quote of all time : 'think for yourself........question authority"........... ROCK ON mike

Review written by: ben (pandorarsemon@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 09/14/02 02:50:55 ET

This was this reviewer's ist Tool show

this is a longy, but i swear, it feels just like sex . this is an essay i wrote for a college english class The gaping lotus experience The day was unforgiving and tedious, hours had passed by and hours still lay ahead. The sunlight seemed to be alive, scratching and tearing at my already sunburned skin, even more annoying than that customers seemed to become instantly retarded when crossing over into wally world, asking all kinds of questions to which I had one standard reply “inside”. I could have cared less about customer service, my anticipation had withered my patience, I was going to see tool in concert in a few hours, my first concert, and I was also adding shrooms to my arsenal of used drugs, “only five to go” I thought as I smiled to myself. The day progressed much the same until my shift ended, weary from the lost sleep and anticipation much of the previous excitement and the ting of fear I felt in my stomach had left me as I drove to meet my brother at his work. He strolled out of his work with a smile on his face looking very much as he always did, the all around appearance that he’s firmly planted in reality, a level headedness that I could never manage, and also something that subtly belies his overall appearance, coming out every now and then when his psyche is temporarily impaired. All ready late for the show and rush hour in its prime, we pushed his old accord as fast as the car ahead of us dictated. The slow traffic was working my already worn thin patience, so I decided to fill in the time and opened the baggie of dry twisted stalks and deformed caps, getting the fresh smell of something so horrendous it defies comparison. But the taste is when I really recoiled; it had bitterness and the revolting taste of mold all rolled into one chewy mushroom, which seemed to like my teeth more than my stomach. But the hour was drawing nigh, and from somewhere I found the staying power to down the whole baggie, hoping I hadn’t ignorantly misjudged the power of this mushroom. By the time we made it to the arena vast congregations of sinners already encompassed the building. Sinners was the first thing that came to my mind seeing two groups of godly protesters yelling at the evil onlookers to change their ways, flashing their bibles and reciting verses about their coming damnation. But the crowd didn’t seem to mind, the spectacle was entertaining, and after all that’s the reason we were here. As the church battled the heretics I began to feel hints of the shrooms taking effect, the building across the street reflected the setting sun off its windows, playing fanciful designs in my eyes, colors seemed to be more contrasted and brighter than I last noticed, and the yellers of god seemed weirdly out of context yet exactly were you would expect them, like giraffes among zebras who by some unnatural evolution were feeding off each other, fattening up their overflowing self-righteous egos. I almost pitied their futile bickering. Coming back from my African safari I realized I had lost my brother, who was already waiting in line for the metal detector, anxious to get inside and find his seat. Walking inside I could hear the cover band playing and I also noticed my mood had changed, euphoria was quietly bubbling in the pit of my stomach, rising and lower in my throat like a pleasant acid reflex. Looking around I was amazed to see hundreds of people moving and swarming around, busy bees making the mass consumer a success. People flowed around me, colors wisped past my eyes making distinctions impossible to discriminate. Trying to keep pace with my brother was an impossible task; my mind seemed to float off with thinking, making any undertaking impossible to concentrate on. As we entered the main arena I saw three parts to the stands, the upper, which was the largest, the middle, and the mosh pit. We had tickets for the middle, but most of the people were sitting up top, probably having something to do with the police roaming the middle part, so we decided to sit there until the show started. The cover band was playing some kind of harsh music that had nothing resembling a rhythm escape their annoying style, but the lead singer, dressed up as a New York cop, was certainly enthusiastic, he was jumping around the stage like his mind was warped in uncontrollable boughts of insanity. The stage itself was awesome; standing about ten feet above the floor it had two walls of speakers on either side that reached to the ceiling. In front of the speakers were two large projection screens, and directly in front of the stage on the back wall of the mosh pit area was the sound synthesizers and five large spotlights arranged in a circle. None of these resources (except the stage of course) were utilized on the cover band, for obvious reasons. Soon they were finished torturing our eardrums, and they exited the stage after a few words. I expected tool to come out soon after the cover band left, but that wasn’t the case. After twenty minuets of waiting (I had grown used to it by now) someone flipped the light switch and the arena went pitch black. Having crossed the borderline some time ago, this took me by surprise and I had to grab my chair for fear I would somehow fall into the blackness like Alice falling into wonderland. A few seconds later my eyes adjusted as well as my brain, and I realized the show was about to commence, and as I slowly made my way to my section I realized I was in worse condition then I had previously assessed, the darkness seemed to give my imagination ample ground to play in. The little lights that lined both sides of the stairway looked like a bright plane strip against a dark blue night and seemed endless, anything that I could see with the faint light was minutely moving at the microscopic level, giving the appearance that everything was emitting static. I tried to ignore this as I walked down the stairs, but my concentration was fluid as water, flowing from one thought to the next without any consent. When I got to my section, I found it was filled with people, and almost turning around I spotted a seat on the outside. Just as I got situated a bright spotlight turned on, it swinged to one corner of the stadium, hesitated, then turned to the middle. The crowd started booing; Maynard’s sense of humor was getting the best of them. As the light went off, the guitarist, hidden by the darkness, began the intro to stinkfist, and a single dim blue light focused on the guitarist, his outline barely visible. I could vaugly hear the guitar over the crowds roar, but as they quieted down, the guitar got louder and more distorted, and the solo light flickered in suit. As the intro reached its crescendo, it dropped off and the light went out, two seconds later all hell broke loose. The single light turned into a thousand streaming lights, attacking from all directions and blending into each other in colorful flashes, the bass was like sonic booms, shaking the whole stadium and cutting right through the center of me. This was more than I was prepared for; I reeled back into my seat from mental and physical shock, amazed at the entire scene. The lights weren’t only blending, but they seemed to linger, like someone was taking snapshots that slowly melted, making the effect that colors were on top of colors, transfusing and then receding. Maynard was behind a transparent screen, his silluiete dancing in an evil manner that seemed to harmonize the entire scene. The music was all around and inside me, the base sending waves of vibrations down my spine, the crowd felt like a giant machine whose cogs were in revolt, spare parts jumping, spinning, and flaying all over the place. I had never experienced music like this, I wasn’t just listening to it, I could feel it, I could hear it mentally and physically, the boundaries of mind and body temporarily annihilated. It was like hearing music for the first time. As the show progressed, my trip steadily climbed to a zenith. At about the third song it had turned on me. All six senses were acting as if they were one, I couldn’t tell if I was hearing something or if I was seeing or feeling it, they all processed with the same effect. I was also drifting in between absorbed unconscious thought and real-time. But I was brought out of my zone when suddenly the blue screen Maynard was behind exploded from the top and dropped down dragging an image with it. It had three faces; two faces that were facing the larger face in the middle and blended in with it. It was too many colors to state and was overwhelming in its sheer size. I couldn’t help but noticed the girl next to me thrashing about to the music, her arms forming solid lines as they moved in circles, slightly encompassing her before fading, she appeared oblivious to everything. Tool had released fog into the stadium, which made faces and weird symbols that became animated by the vibrant flashing lights on the stage behind them. With all my senses stolen and returned distorted, I couldn’t infer anything rational from my environment or myself, thinking had went on r&r and to take its place was the pure and unadulterated moment, only emotions and impulses filled my head My conciseness had been reduced to that of a dog. Paranoia was setting in; the frightening thought of becoming insane was a possibility. I had to get away from people and the relentless lights, so I went all the way to the top corner of the stadium and sat down in a corner with my head down. Closing my eyes only made things worse, horrifying images accompanied with inflated emotions made my stomach turn. As I Opened my eyes I became frightened that I had already become insane, I crossed the border line and I couldn’t return. I tried to remember where I lived or what I did yesterday but something was blocking it, short circuiting the electrical impulse before the information could make to the surface. Just as I was starting to panic my name came through, and I repeated it over and over in my head to try and keep an anchor in reality, of course this was futile. The vibrating ground made my already upset stomach turn and bubble, I felt giant air pockets form in my stomach and up my throat. I began to dry heave, welcoming anything that would get this poison out of me. Curled in the fetal position everything was pulsating with neon colors, I felt as if I was lost in Stephen kings imagination feebly trying to find something familiar in the surreal environment. In that moment I realized that it really was futile and I decided to stop fighting. I relaxed my muscles and tried to clear my mind as I stood up to take a seat nearby. When I sat down I felt a little bit of control return because I had gained some distance from the chaos. I focused on the light show and tried to get rid of my paranoia that for some reason wouldn’t leave. It worked slightly, but as I stared at the lights without even so much as a blink, I became entranced. Things slowed and became a bright spiral that blanketed my vision, all barriers were broken, the music flowed in a direct connection to my mind, my very essence, and in its wave’s wake it left an unmistakable imprint, its manifestation. As the rest of the evening drew to a close I realized I had been changed, it felt like some of the baggage I was carrying was dropped off somewhere. The threat of insanity somehow cleared my negitivness and put something fresh and new in its place.//this was tool in concert on july 23, fort worth