| concert reviews firsthand, immediate, from the heart |
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08/08/2001
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Review written by: Mike Walsh (mwalsh45@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/09/01 07:31:24 ETThis was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show
I was lucky enough to get tickets through Ticketmaster (if you consider Ticketmaster's price gauging "convience charge" lucky) and was on my way to see TOOL. Security was a real bitch metal dectectors were set up and this slowed the getting in process enough that I missed some of King Crimson's set. What I did see was damn good, and it's true what they say they do play some "tricky shit." Our tickets were for the upper balcony and needless to say they were a ways from the stage. I however had heard that it was possible to upgrade to front row tickets simply by wearing the local radio station, KUFO's shirt. So I slapped on my shirt before the show in hopes of getting lucky. King Crimson ended thier set, house lights went up and before me I saw KUFO staff members. I walked up to them and simply pointed out that I was wearing a KUFo shirt. The lady told me "sit down while I make up my mind." In my seat I tried to keep my mind off what may or may not happen, trying not to jynx anything either way. after little while the lady came up to me and handed me 2 front row tickets. Talk about the coolest thing to ever happen. My friend and I ran down the stairs and took out place in paradise. After talking to our seat mates we found out we were amongst contest winners. To my immediate right was the man that pulled 120 pounds with his penis for his seat, and to his immediate right a women that suspended 8 pounds from her nipples. To my friend's left was a girl that managed to deep throat a dildo some 9 inches. At any rate I knew I was amongst good company to witness TOOL The Set List was a little something like this: The Grudge Stinkfist 46 & 2 Parabola Schism Eulogy Disposition Reflection --Break-- Sober Pushit (Slow Version...Fuck Yeah) Opiate Lateralus Yeah I think that's it, or close enought for governement work atleast. The entire night was amazing TOOL puts on a hell of show. Maynard didn't say a whole lot, a few "thank yous" and he did his joke about not repeating others. Danny was a monster behind his kit. Not mych else to say you can't really put these shows into words. .
Review written by: Anderson (arice@nwnexus.com) Review posted on: 08/09/01 07:38:03 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show
Portland-Arlene Schnitzer concert hall-this is where the symphony plays folks. King Crimson was everything and more. Incredible display of musicianship and artistry. Brilliant. They even played "Red". If you don't what this means, shame on you. Anyway, this was my first live Tool experience. I've been buying the records since "Undertow", but it was not until I heard "Pushit" from the Salival box that I became obsessed with seeing this band live. Well, tonite I got to see them from the 11th row-and every single fucking moment blew my hair back. There were some subtle sound problems for "The Grudge" and "Stinkfist", but then they got it dialed in. I'll probably screw this up but I'll try...this is out of order, by the way :) Grudge, stinkfist, parabola, 46 & 2, Eulogy, Opiate, Reflection, Pushit(yes!), Sober, Lateralus, Schism...ended with Lateralus, that I do know! It is kind of a blur. It was epic, I will tell you that. Maynard was pretty low key for the first half-and then the intermission hit, and he came back out in his shorts only. It was at this point that the body really started contorting and such. Every note he sang was spot on. The whole band was so tight. Adam is a trip- deadpan, the whole time-almost stoic. Anyway...Danny Carey, jeez, someone give that guy some drum lessons- huh? Shut up, I'm kidding. Justin-totally head down and focused for 2 hours. Great. Lets put it this way-I'm 30 yrs old, I've not only seen countless rock shows, but played them as well. I walked out of there tonite almost numb. I could not speak, and when I did all I could say was "wow". The visuals alone are enough to make you dizzy. Tool has put alot of thought into how the live music and the visuals go together-pay attention to that if you see the show. I walked away with an experience, not just a show (King Crimson included) Sight, sound, and energy blended into one sonic evening. Beautiful.
Review written by: Prince Argon (cpruitt@mailcity.com) Review posted on: 08/09/01 07:38:03 ET
This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show
Great show, same setlist as night 1 in Seattle, the Schnitz is almost a carbon copy of the Paramount in Seattle architecture wise, before the Non Conformists Oath by MJK he said, "Lets see how powerful a tool the Internet is".. I think he is reading these reviews! Dont LET ON!! - The Grudge - Stinkfist (Slightly Altered) - 46&2 - Parabola (No Parabol) - Schism - Eulogy (Very Intense) - Disposition/Reflection --INTERMISSION-- - Sober - Pushit (Slow) - Opiate - Lateralus Message to you who think that you cannot get tickets, scalpers are EVERYWHERE! If you REALLY want to see the show and dont mind spending $100 you can get in.. that is the benefit and the flaw.
Review written by: Shane (ninja057@mail.com) Review posted on: 08/09/01 07:47:56 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show
the set list was the same as seattle, no complaints here. my brother and i both agree the englsh language has no word to describe the event we went to. a fantastic show by my favorite band. the music was near perfect, and the videos accompining the songs were fitting. adam's influence was very noticable. a lot of it was CG, which surprised me. of course 2000 people singing sober and opiate was insane. haha to all of you who went right along with the conformist bit. i was the one laughing really hard at you all. but at least you learned a lesson! if you havent seen tool live, wtf is wrong with you?! i would have paid mush more than the 55$ i did. get some tix from a scalper! anyone with bootlegs, please email me. thank you for a great show and great music maynard, adam, danny and justin. you have no peers.
Review written by: K[elly] (spiral.out@home.com) Review posted on: 08/09/01 08:19:13 ET
This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show
First off: Justin, it was a pleasure to meet you. Incredible performance... sensory overload. Parabola was the beginning of an emotional build up. During Schism I was trembling so hard I had trouble standing. "Between supposed lovers..." brought me to tears. The show was everything I expected and so much more. Thank you for the music and the memories.
Review written by: Dar From Salem (ddelaros@willamette.edu) Review posted on: 08/09/01 17:04:53 ET
This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show
Pretty damn good show, not the greatest I've seen from the band (that would go to the '94 Show at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds in Washington), but a memorable experience. One of the earlier commentors was right about the sound problem, which really detracted from the early part of the set (they re-occured during Pushit, but not as bad). The band was definitely tight, however, and Maynard was his usual enigmatic self on stage. I was glad to experience in a small theater, as opposed to the chaos of a arena show.
Review written by: alison (alisonrd@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/09/01 20:44:00 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show
Hey tool fans!! GUESS WHAT!?!?! Me and my boyfriend, frankie, sat FRONT ROW at this show!!! IT was beyond great. If there was ever any doubt in my mind of tool being my absolute favorite, it's gone now! We bought our tickets off of ebay for 249.50 for two tickets, i would have spent even more if necessary because it was way worth it to be less then ten feet away from TOOL!!! wow. i think we were sitting next to the guy that deepthroated 10 1/2, but i'm not sure. that first band did play some "tricky shit" and it turns out my dad remembers loving them from back in his college days! when tool was on i felt like hopping up on stage and running and hugging all of TOOL. too bad those damn security gaurds were in the way. they were the only people between me and the best band ever. i'll never forget this concert. by the way- don't you think they oughta make tank tops with tool dates on the back like the guys shirts!? oh well. if you guys were looking at the front row at all, i was third from the left (looking at the stage) in orchestra B with long blonde hair and my boyfriend had a hat on. too great. i still can't believe i was there and i was sitting front row. i finally feel like i have stories worth telling my grandchildren (assuming the speakers didn't fry my abilities to have kids lol, we were so close to them) !!! i love tool and can't wait to see them again. i wonder were they get people to be in their fucked up great videos. cya ~alison
Review written by: 1kingfish5 (1kingfish5@go.com) Review posted on: 08/09/01 21:13:00 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show
I am going to the tool show in Los Angeles. I will have it filmed with my sony 730 camcorder. if you are interested, let me know. I will probably start shipping august 20th
Review written by: Headcase (forsaken78@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/09/01 23:57:04 ET
This was this reviewer's 3 Tool show
I have been to church now three times. This experience was special because I met the Reverend.Not to get ahead of myself. Okay so King Crimson played well. There bassist impressed me the most but pardon me if I leave it at that. The sermon began just as I had seen them in Chicago May 17 with "The one, The ten." Maynard seemed energetic but poised so discreetly obvious in his leather get-up elevated by a small stage of his own while the bands twisted imagry,projected on two screens, melted into the ensemble. The set list was about the same excluding the addition of the Vulnerable Push It wich I also saw in Seattle 98. This time I heard it all with the clarity I could have imagined. If I did not know better I would swear Danny had eight or nine arms because the drum solo left me forgetting to breath. It also seemed as Maynard was slipping back into the gap right there onstage for all of us to witness. His emphisized movements, his voice and his words moved all who stood there in appreciation. At one point he asked The crowd to repeat after him. He then went on to say think for yourself wich every one repeated followed by three other mass afimations only to close with" Do not repeat what people tell you to say." Such a kidder. I went with five friends. My friend Travis and Alison were two. During the show some anonymous worker gave Alison an aftershow pass wich she gave to her significant Travis. Travis is one of my only close Tool friends and he gave the pass to me selflessly. I hope for Karmic debt to be repayed to him soon! So I was allowed back onto the floor where about twenty other people waited. I was not sure of what was coming and tried to keep my hopes down. Pople were ushered back to some unknown land called "catering."I waited and then out came Maynard caring a hand full of choclate. he gave one to some 17 year old who most likely could'nt even name 3 Tool songs but yada yada. She ungratefully asked for an autograph and Maynard replied "next your going to want a frosty mug of beer." I approached Maynard and he gave me his choclate offering wich I accepted, but I did not let go of his hand right away. All I wanted to tell Maynard I told Him. "Thankyou," I muttered in an inaudible ocvtive as a result of sreaming along with him for the duration of the concert. He moved away after saying "your welcome." I did not get my point across so a few seconds later with all my remaing air I called him over again and I bent down so he could see what his art ment to me by pointing to the Tool pill tattooed on the back of my head. My hair may have been too long for him to see my scalp but I'm sure he saw the Opiate eye on the back of my neck. Either way Maynard says he did not tell me to do that. I said I know I did. Then it was over. The remaining occupants were lead out. At first I was mad. I wanted more Maynrd. Maybe a solid 120 seconds to ask where he found it all, or how he became the person he is or how he thought or or or... Then I realized maybe all I was to him was that Mr good bar choclate. if so it is okay. He resides in my every movement for he has shown me doors to places I had no idea exsisted. So who am I to ask for any more than that man has already handed me. SO Thankyou thankyou thankyou. Tool Fuckin Tool!!!
Review written by: Kevin (maynard_23us@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 08/10/01 19:14:55 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show
Tool Kicked Mother Fucking Ass! Holy Shit! This was the most incredible concert I have ever been to. The videos kicked ass too. Danny's drum kit was fucking awesome and he kicked ass. adam and justin were good. maynard put on one hell of a performance. My favorite song is Opiate and it was fucking unreal when they performed it live. Parabola kicked ass too and Schism, as always, fucking rocked.
Review written by: A Face in the Crowd (all_revelations@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/10/01 19:43:27 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show
First off, this was not only my first Tool concert, it was my first real concert (other than small punk/metal shows) ever. Needless to say, I was more than a little excited throughout the eleven hour car-ride up to Portland from Nowhereville, CA. After passing through a metal detector and getting frisked by a guard twice my size, my friend and I finally got a glimpse of the inside of the theater. My heart almost stopped dead- it was about half the size I thought it would be. Small enough that people in the very back could have seen Maynard's fingernails, and my friend had third row tickets. We took our seats, only to view the absolutely massive PA system which faced us- over 40 speakers each six by two feet, twelve of which lay in front of the stage, not five feet away from the front row. Realizing I was going to go deaf, my only hope was that the set didn't end before it happened, as I wanted to hear every last note. King Crimson came out and played for a while, and while there bassist was amazing and their sound was unique, I was there for Tool alone, as was everyone else in the theater. At last, after an eternity, it was time for the show to begin. And then the greatest band walked out onto the stage, not fifteen feet away. And EVERYONE was on their feet screaming and yelling and shaking the seats with their enthusiasm. I thought Crimson's set was loud, and I thought the crowd was extremely loud, but then Tool started the Grudge, and I realized that music on headphones would never ever be the same again. At first, the bass muddied everything enough that I could hear the opening guitar/drums, but as my hearing broke down and things got a tiny bit quieter, I began to pick out the other instruments. And then the kick drums hit, and the bass hit, and the guitar hit, and Maynard stomped and the lights slammed us just as the wall of sound compressed the air so much you could hardly breath and everyone I could see began to slam themselves at the same time and I couldn't even begin to understand what I was feeling. To hear music is one thing, but to have that same music MOVE you, physically and emotionally at the same time, and drive your chest in time to the beat is something else entirely. Tool was all I could hear and all I could see and all I ever wanted, and to watch these incredible musicians all kicking ass in their unique and beautiful ways at the same time was almost too much for me to handle. The rest of the concert was just as wonderful, but I'll never, EVER be able to experience something as powerful and absolutely fucking amazing as the first time I ever felt the greatest band in the world show me exactly what it is to truly play music.
Review written by: nathan Lowe (n8modogger@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/10/01 23:08:49 ET
This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show
I'll keep it real simple. I just want to thank King Crimson and Tool for one of the most amazing shows I've ever been through.
Review written by: 1kingfish5 (1kingfish5@go.com) Review posted on: 08/11/01 07:13:23 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show
FOR THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE E-MAILED ME, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AGAIN!!!!! My inbox is empty and My address list is gone. I don't know what happened but it is all gone. alright, I am going to the tool show in Los Angeles. AUGUST 14th, I might film King Crimson if there are more requests. Sitting in the MEZZ section center. I will have it filmed with my JVC GR-DVM70U, not the 730. if you are interested, let me know. I will probably start shipping august 20th
Review written by: Chad (chadd456@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/11/01 07:42:49 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show
It didn't hit me that I was ging to ee TOOL. I had always thought it was an untouchable dream. Not until Maynard stepped on to his elevated stage like the pedistole he should always be placed on, I finally realized that I was looking at a the musical GOD himself. And after the show I couldn't belive what I had just seen. The sound of the instruments were flawless. And Maynard was undescribable. I will never see anything like i again. Unless ofcouse I have the oppurtunity tose TOOL again (which I will take). TOOL live is an experience that every fan needs. YOU DO NOT KNOW TOOL UNTIL YOU SEE THEIR SHOW!!!!!
Review written by: Larry (linkbeat@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/11/01 08:58:21 ET
This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show
This is my attempt at a review for the Portland OR, 8/8/01 show. Hopefully I can provide a slightly different angle on the show. The band was arranged in a pentagram fashion just like other shows, with the audience forming the fifth point. 5 being a signifigant number in the Lateralus album (time signature on many songs.) Maynard was in back, with Danny, and Justin and Adam were in front. I was disappointed with the lack of lighting on Maynard, but I have a feeling it was his intention. I've read reviews on other shows, and he is consistently OUT of the light. However, he stands in front of a monitor, so you see his outline very well. Hmmmm, metaphor for something here... out of the spotlight... unity... maybe. Maynard was VERY concious of his posture, and stance. Most of the show he wore what seemed to be a military uniform complete with stripes... but... all in black. I sat in row "O" in orchestra D so it was a little difficult to see, but I believe this is what he wore. It was my impression that he was making an artistic statement. I haven't quite figured out what though. His posture and stance was conducive to a military fashion. Feet sometimes shoulder width apart, parallel to shoulders. Sometimes feet together with feet pointing at a 45 degree angle, and sometimes with one foot in front of the other. This was on purpose, I could sense that. His arms were also put in places where you could sense the awareness of energy. It's amazing what one can change about their persona when performing in front of people. I used to play the snare drum in a drum and bugle corps, and I know first hand how much power one can communicate with simply posture and stance. After the intermission (not the song) he came back in usual Maynard fashion with only shorts on. Now he was moving to the music, and very part of it. Very much like when I saw TOOL in Boise in '98. Danny was in the zone. I could tell he was enjoying this show. He played very clean, and amazed me completely, and that's hard to do being that I'm such a critical drummer. He is a true inspiration to watch. If I could just spend a couple hours watching him play close up, I could learn sooo much. He has total limb to limb independance. It was cool finally figuring out how to play "Reflection" just by watching him. Justin, and Adam were themselves, very low key. I couldn't make out any sort of concious effort behind posture, or stance etc. They played as they usually do, focusing totally on the music. Great performance. The music was great. Unfortunately I can't compare an small indoor venue such as the Arlene Schintzer Concert Hall, to the awesome outdoor concert I saw in Boise. Nothing beats outdoors. The sound reflecting off the walls just distorts everything. I guess you just have to live with that. My brother and I drove from Boise to see this show. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Unfortunately my brother wasn't as entertained as he felt that he missed out on a lot of the meaning. I think that's the tough part about TOOL. The music is very hard for a lot of people to understand without investigating what the songs are about. He didn't catch the scarcasm in Opiate... missed what Eulogy meant... and didn't understand the video. If you didn't know what a song was about, you really wouldn't get further understanding by watching the video. You had to know what the songs were about in order to understand what the video meant. I kinda wish the videos would communicate more to the TOOL newbie. It's hard trying to convince people that "Prison Sex" isn't really about prison, or sex. :) I suppose if they really wanted to know, they would investigate on their own, like I did. The funniest part of the whole night, was when I exited out of the concert hall. I exited out the back, where all the tour busses were. Right smack in front of me was the "Church of Scientology" across the street from the concert hall. HAHAHA, I bet Maynard busted out laughing when he pulled up to the Schnitzer Hall. Some things aren't just a coincedence, this is one of those times I'm sure. I do have to say that for some reason, there were a lot of freaks at this show. I'm not sure that many of them really "get" what TOOL is trying to communicate. A lot of these guys were so pumped up on anger, and macho-ism, and standoff-ishness, that I had to chuckle. C'mon people, loosen your anger, and open your heart. Feel a one-ness with your fellow mankind. This is the place where you should start. Like Maynard said "Strive to be unique, strive to be different, do things that are POSITIVE!!!" Don't waste so much energy on pushing yourself away from others. Have some dignity, and self respect, but don't do it at the cost of being closed minded, and angry at other people. That is the phoniest form of self confidence I've ever witnessed. I'm glad that a mosh pit wasn't possible, however I'm if it had been, those same freaks would have started one. For heaven's sake, save it for a limp bizkit, or Korn show. Lame. Save the immature behavior for immature music. Enough of my ranting, and pointing my finger... They closed with Lateralus, and started the number by all meeting together at Danny's drums, and beginning the song. There really is importance in the small things TOOL does. It's the attention to detail that I think so many people miss, yet it makes up so much of what TOOL is about. Lateralus was awesome, and it served as a release of energy with the band members, AND the audience. WOW! I love that song sooo much. Unity, divinity, stretching out, growing, being positive. They truly are artists in their own field... and alone, in their own field. No other band compares. -Larry
Review written by: StellaS (skitchhead@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/12/01 06:08:04 ET
This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show
"Think for yourself Question Authority Strive to be different Strive to be unique Never repeat things other people say... ...oh well." I find this quote, the so-called "Non-conformist's Oath" Maynard had the audience repeat before "Opiate", a fitting was to open a review for this show. Why? Because I appreciated the fact that Maynard seemed to be mocking the overwhelming turn-out at the show of drunken a-holes who were so dumb they could only cheer moronically at the punchline, after stupidly falling for the joke. Had this show been anyone other than Tool, it would have been easily ruined by these screaming idiots. What with all the jackasses singing over Maynard, hooting and yelling during any remotely slow parts of the songs; and calling out for Maynard when they weren't, I nearly stood up on the back of my seat and screamed: "Shut the fuck up, there is more than one person in this BAND!" I probably would have, had I thought it would make any difference whatsoever and not gotten me kicked out by security. I felt like punching the guy in front of me in the back of the head when he had the audacity to yell for Maynard to get to the front of the stage (no disrespect to Maynard, but hey, it's a TOOL concert, not the Maynard James Keenan Show!) I regret missing the chance to post a review of the Eugene show I also went to, as that was a much more positive experience. Anyway, despite the screaming apemen and moronic assholes who all needed to dunk their heads in a bucket of - ce water and go listen to "Hooker with a Penis" again (this time more closely), I had a pretty good time. The whole day started off with a quite pleasant bang when, as I was taking the bus down to the Schnitz, I saw Adam Jones coming out of the 5th Avenue Suites Hotel. I got off the bus as quick as possible, having to wait two blocks because the damned bus driver couldn't stop at the freaking busstop she was just pulling out of, and tried running back to Washington. However, my pants decided to pop open (there's a snap in front where the button should be -- stupid pants) and nearly fall off. Fortunately, I managed to regain my composure somewhat by the time I got to 5th and Washington, and enjoy my uncharacteristically good luck. I talked to Adam a bit, who was walking somewhere in a westerly direction, got him to sign my cover of Aenima (forever ruining the optics, but hey, it's a good cause), and toddled off to the Schnitz. I got there in time to meet up with my friends Stephanie and Jizmo who, after Stephanie repeatedly told me she hated me, decided the whole incident was good karma for my buying Jizmo her ticket. It was then decided we go back to their apparent hotel (can you say stalkers?), where we spent three and a half fruitless hours. Not to say we didn't find ways of entertaining ourselves. For instance, there was the "There's _______!" game, in which random passerby were declared to be either Danny, Justin, Adam, or Maynard in disguise. Bald men, women, and small children (on account of their being, y'know....short) were Maynard; for some reason, the crazy hobo votes went to Justin; and this obese guy we kept seeing was Danny. Why the fat man? Because we came up with a theory that that man wasn't actually fat, but Danny had his legs curled up in what appeared to be the stomach, and what appeared to be the legs were really just animatronic. Actually, as a result of this game, we did meet this interesting (for lack of a better word) Hare Krishna. See, as soon as he came up to us to sell his little books or whatever, I asked him if he was Maynard -- on account of the bald head, of course -- and he said "no", but then started talking about how he'd seen Tool a couple times before, and met Danny & Adam, and how maybe he should, like, go in and talk philosohpy with the band. It was pretty funny -- but then he tried to sell us books anyway. At 6:30 we head back to the Schnitz, via Pioneer Courthouse Square. I saw my sister's friend, Homer Jackass, but he was being a dick. At the Schnitz, they had set up a walk-through metal detector much like they have a the airport (quite a change from the little hand-held ones in Eugene), only this one was so sensitive the little piece of metal on Jizmo's elastic hair tie kept setting the damn thing off! Finally, we were in and about to see what would be Jizmo's first Tool show (and mine too, if it hadn't been for them playing Eugene). I ran into Shawn from Eugene long enough to give him a hug, then took off after Stephanie and Jizmo. I found them at the T-shirt stand, and also found that the shirts were $33, a dollar more than in Eugene (can't say Tool doesn't know how to [milk their fans] make money)! We decided to find our seats -- with Stephanie avoiding her dress circle, $125-scalper price seats for orchestra level -- and I had the insight to buy ear plugs (okay, I'm 16, and after four years and well over a hundred concerts, I'm going deaf in my left ear, so if you think I'm a pussy, you can fuck off!). We snagged pretty good seats, but partway through King Crimson's set (who, by the way, I thought would have been really cool, had they just kept out the vocals) the rightful owners showed up and we had to move across the aisle. Of course, Coast-to-Coast Security being full of the dickholes it iis, the a-hole security guard couldn't mind his own damn business and told us to go to our real seats. Okay, it's not like we're hurting anybody sitting in empty spots, and hey, if the people who the seats belong to show up: we'll move! The guy was just being another a-hole security guard on a power trip. We moved back about eight rows to another cluster of empty seats. It was kind of disgusting how many people didn't show up for King Crimson's set, and I believe Maynard said something about hoping we'd had the insight to catch their performance. I actually saw Danny watching the set from the soundboard, althought it took Jozmo a lot of convincing to believe me. Some drunk couple sat down next to us just before Tool's set, and the stink of vodka emanating from the woman -- still highly pungent to Jizmo and I, who were three and four seats down -- must have been a foreshadowing of how most of the audience would turn out to be that night. But then Tool came one, and it was good. I managed to hop forward two rows as "The Grudge" started, and Maynard looked damned funny shaking his fist during "Wear the Grudge like a crown....desperate to control....unable to forgive...." He was wearing something leather and different than the Eugene show, but who fucking cares about clothes! When "Parabola" came on after "Forty-six + 2", I knew the setlist was going to be different than the previous show I'd seen and I got to start hoping for some favorites. Ater "Schism", during which I could Maynard's guitar part much clearer than in Eugene, I was rewarded with Maynard pulling out his weird little megaphone-sounding thing (excuse me for being ignorant) and the opening bit of "Eulogy" starting. That song has been, and remains one of their greatest. "The "Goodbye..." scream at the end alone: ach! Indescribable. From there came "Disposition/Reflection", and, although it was beautiful, I was seriously getting pissed off at the screaming apemen. I mean, Adam's outro for "Reflection" is just truly entrancing, and these bastards kept yelling "Maynard! Maynard!" during it. Do you think they could be any RUDER?! The band did their intermission, then came back on for "Sober", with Maynard down to those shorts things. Naturally, Stephanie, Jizmo and I were all delighted to see him in his skivvies, but hey. Actually, one of the cool visuals during "Sober"didn't come from the screem, which had its incredibly disturbing torture vid going, but from the shadows. The Schnitz, as well as the Keller Auditorium (where I saw APC earlier this year), has a great way of projecting and distorting shadows; and at one point during "Sober", Justin's shadow against the right wall was just monsterous. However, by the end of "Sober", I must admit that I was doubled over laughing. With Maynard's punching the air and flailing in time to the drums, I just couldn't help it. He "dances" like he's being beaten up by the music. But then "Pushit" came on. And it was the slow version. And it...was...just...beautiful. At that point, for that song, I wouldn't and couldn't care about any of the people around me who were being so rude. That song, that version is, in my opinion, their best. And although it it so terribly sad, it's absolutely beautiful. I just felt lost inside it, happy to be hearing it, yet almost -- almost -- crying. When it was over, after I snapped out of my daze, Maynard said something about "the power of Tool on the internet," then the afforementioned "Oath of the Nonconformist." From there they played "Opiate". Fitting, naturally. I still think that Maynard changing the lyrics from "What you need is someone strong to guide you..." to "What you need is someone stong to USE you..." was another stab at the audience. Of course, the most entertaining moment of the night came at the end of this song, with Maynard wiggling his butt and shaking his hips like only a woman should, then struggling to pull his sagging shorts up. I didn't know if I should've found that sexual or just hi-fucking-larious. They finished the set grouped around Danny's drums for the beginning of "Lateralus", which despite the screaming apemen was another moment of bliss. However, "Aenema" was sorely missed. I hate to say that, since it's a single, but it's just a GOOD song. Other than that, my only complaint about the set list was that the only Undertow song that got played was "Sober". Well, by the time we got out ot the Schnitz, Stephanie and Jizmo were hopping mad about the screaming apemen. We threaded our way through the milling crowd, making sheep noises which some retards actually answered, only further infuriating the two. They ended up leaving early in a huff. I went back behind the Shnitz and parked myself on the sidewalk because, 1) I had nothing to do, and 2) Hey, I have a habit of waiting for bands after shows. It's paid off before and it paid off this time as well. Even though Maynard poked his head out the back door briefly, long enough to be spotted for just a second, he escaped out a side door. But then, almost two hours after the show, at 12:45 in the morning, patience got its reward and Danny came out to say hi to the formidably smaller group of fans. At first, he refused to sign anything without a purple pen (take this as a warning to take those toolband.com newsletters seriously people), but I pulled through, digging one out of my sizeable pen collection I keep in one of my pants pockets. I did, however, have to argue with him a bit over whether it was blue or purple, but a security guard with a flashlight settled that and I became hero of the ten minutes, for what it's worth, a.k.a. "The girl with the purple pen." I didn't get home till about 2:15, but I did make sure to call Stephanie and Jozmo and chide them for not kicking around longer. --Stella S.
Review written by: mudshark (sam@turtlemountain.com) Review posted on: 08/13/01 21:40:26 ET
This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show
OK, now I know what Nazi Germany was like. Never in my nearly 25 years of concert going have I had my civil liberties trampled like they were in Portland. Yes the show was great, but it's probably the last big rock show I'll see. It was obvious to me that security had broken the spirit of the crowd before the show even started. Also, it was not possible to get in in time to see King Crimson due to the extreme security. Maybe I'm just getting old, but it saddens me to see the younger generation accepting this type of security as the wave of the future. Did I mention that the show was great?
Review written by: tim (kostim@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 08/14/01 03:54:19 ET
This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show
Saw Tool for the first time the night before. The set list was not as good, but the performance was better. The crowd in Portland was a lot more respectful than the Seattle crowd. It seemed like everyone in Seattle thought they were Maynard, while everyone in Portland intently watched every movement in near silence during the songs in order to be able to hear and experience all that Tool is live. For me, it was worth the 4 hour drive in traffice just to hear 46&2 and Eulogy.