| concert reviews firsthand, immediate, from the heart |
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08/14/2001
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Review written by: Kabir Akhtar (kabir@toolshed.down.net)This was this reviewer's 15th Tool show
Without rehashing everything I said in yesterday's review... "Yow!" Obviously the standout was "Pushit". The "Salival" version was on tap for tonight, featuring Aloke Dutta (Danny's drum teacher and tabla player extraordinaire) on tabla. The song was gliding along as always, when right in the middle, it turned into a tabla solo. After Aloke hammered away for a little while, the solo morphed into a fantastic Danny vs. Aloke dueling percussionist segment. The energy they built up as they went on was best represented by the rising excitement from the crowd, who at first didn't seem inspired by the tabla, but as it went on, volleying back and forth between the two drummers with increasing fervor ... well, let's just say "hoo boy" and get on with it. By the time the song ended, the place had gone nuts, wrapped up in what was going on before them. I don't know if you can fairly compare the "Salival" version of "Pushit" with "Pushit Classic" from Ænima - they are in many ways like conjoined twins. They bear a lot of the same features, but they are very different animals. The range of moods each conjures up, I think, goes a long way to showcasing how Tool is not a one-trick pony. That's really nice to see these days. One other thing I thought was really special about this night was that afterwards, I met a bunch of folks who knew toolshed and came up to say hello (one who walked over, introduced himself, and remarked that he saw me because he was checking out Paz from APC, and I was standing a little ways from her apparently). All of them were really cool - one of them backstage knew Adrian Belew, outstanding musician in KC (who has played with every awesome band you can name), and introduced us. She told him I was the one behind toolshed.down.net. He lights up and tells me that when KC found out they'd be touring with Tool, everyone told them to check out t.d.n. My mouth drops. He goes so far as to say "yeah, Bob and Trey check the tour reviews to see what the kids think of our show". In my head, the thought process goes "oh yes, good old Bob and Trey ... ROBERT FRIPP AND TREY GUNN ARE READING TOOLSHED?!??!?!!" I manage to stammer "you know, I don't normally get awestruck by star power ... but you ARE the man ... and that is really very cool." Someone took a picture of us, I don't know if my mouth was still hanging open at that point. It took a while to come down from that one. I nearly backed into a pole as we left later that night. I ultimately let out a "Yow!" and felt calmer about the whole thing. Thanks to Lauren for going with me again, thanks to Jack for buying half of my overpriced candy bar dinner, and thanks to Raphye for not complaining about the lack of room in the back seat on the way home. See y'all at the next one. 15 down ... who knows how many more to come.
Review written by: 1kingfish5 (1kingfish5@go.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 07:05:23 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show
I just got back from this concert. It did not get filmed..... LONG FUCKING STORY!!!!!!!!! On the 13th, I was caught at the fucking door...(DON'T FUCKING EVER DO THE HOOD TRICK AGAIN) I managed to sneak it in the 14th (put it where they won't touch) and I filmed 10 seconds until..."Either go to jail or come with me." GOOD NEWS, I got my camcorder back though. but this fucking concert was twice as good as the 13th. I was at the 13th, Orchestra, Row T, seat # doesn't matter to you! All I can say is....what a FUCKED UP SEAT. This was boring because nobody was fucking really into it after undertow. Forget the setlist, i'll try to remember...The Grude, Stinkfist, Prison Sex, Undertow, Disposition, Reflection,m Schism, Parabol, Parobola, Sober, Aenema, Lateralus. I'm missing a few.... 14th, Loge, ROW AA, BEST OF THE BEST! Ok, why was this show so much better? They fucking played EULOGY!!!!!! PUSHIT (15-20 minutes long)!!!! OPIATE!!!!!!!FUCKING 46 and 2!!!!!!!!! Setlist.... The Grudge (missed 1/2 of it while they took me into the office for a bit), stinkfist, 46 & 2, NOT IN ORDER NOW... Opiate, Sober, Lateralus, Parabola Pushit Eulogy Disposition Reflection What they didn't play??? Parabol, the fuck cares about this? The Patient, oh well...... and the most noticeable, ÆNEMA... Those were played on the 13th. Last word, I felt bored on the 13th for some reason but the 14th was the BEST CONCERT EVER!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, I tried my best to tape it....
Review written by: loop (LOOP_GNU@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 07:27:32 ET
This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show
Interesting story: the guy who was supposed to sell me my tickets instead decided to go (damn you iNVi) so I went hoping for the best. Got there at 3:30 or so, waited in line for a while. at 5:30 or about, I bout 2 tickets from a scalper. Then at 7:30, I see someone who bought from the same scalper, THE EXACT SAME TICKETS (same isle, row, section, etc)!!! We confront the Fake Ticket Seller with identical tickets and promptly receive a refund, no questions asked, heh. I get back into my space in line (which I left for 2 hours) and wait. At about 8:45, I hear "No more tickets" when there are about 10 people in front of me. We (2 of us) walk around the building searching for an entrance, and we come across someone who calls himself Z-Man (a big, tall, guy with all access passes). for 100 each, he temporarily gives us the passes and walks us into the orchestra section. We luckily picked the two seats no one else had, and enjoyed it. Oh and I almost forgot, best show EVER!!! Pushit (salival version) was outstanding, and the drumming between danny and Aloke Dutta (I believe) was unreal
Review written by: Ryan McEniry (antryan73@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 07:40:51 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show
Just got back from the best concert of my life. I had Orchestra Row T, seat 2, which was an aisle seat, it kicked ass! Alright, i got to the show with already high expectaions. By the way, in line, i heard a security guard was letting people in through the back door if you pay him. anyways, i get into the theater (not much counterfeit check), and sit down in my seats. i only had to wait about 10 minutes for King Crimson to come on. They play some tricky shit, but they were REALLY good. They even played Red. The crowd gives them a standing ovation and they get off. We wait, and finally the lights go out. Everyone stands up and the band comes on and goes straight into (in no order): the grudge stinkfist 46&2 parabola eulogy (FUCK YEA!!!) pushit (slow version) lateralus opiate disposition reflection sober (-) ions schism fucking great show. BTW, Fripp (forgot first name) from King Crimson played bongos on Pushit. Also, during Reflection, maynard was playing some kind of instrument/guitar looking thing. If anyone can clarify wat that was I'd be thankful. Maynard didn't talk too much, the only things that stick out are "we obviously ripped king crimson off" (lol), the non-conformist oath, and telling liars/cheaters/hollywood scumbags to fuck off. I found it different because the intermission was a lot earlier then it was on the other TOOL/King Crimson dates. Also, Maynard was in his boxer shorts instead of that big leather outfit. I disn't see Maynard too much at the show because only his silhouette appeared in front of the video screen. OVERALL 10/10
Review written by: George and Danny (bledfrustration@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 07:44:55 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show
'Just got back about an hour or so from an amazing performance by none other than TOOL. They played a great set (as did their openers King Crimson). We're kind of scratchy about the exact order of the songs, but we do remember which ones were played... The Grudge (Ions) Stinkfist Forty Six & Two Parabola Schism Eulogy Disposition Refelection (followed by intermission) Sober Pushit (slow version with Robert Fripp on bongos) Opiate Lateralus All in all a great show. During the King Crimson set, Danny sneaked in to play drums during one of their songs (it was great, he got a big pop for that). Maynard kept mostly dark so it was hard to see what he was wearing at first. Looked to be in an old diver's suit (or something resembling) with a blue paint streak from his chin to the back of his neck. After Schism he vanished only to return in nothing but hot pants for Eulogy. Robert Fripp was awesome during Pushit, eventually competeing friendly with Danny before the song kicked back in. Those are just some of the details. You'd have to see them for yourselves to even begin to understand the experience given to us by such beautiful music/art.
Review written by: Quadropheniac (getintheirmyson@earthlink.net) Review posted on: 08/15/01 08:10:40 ET
This was this reviewer's 6th Tool show
TOOL is more amazing than ever. They have come such a long way since my friend Doug Liming and I saw them play for a crowd of 100, in Tijuana, Mexico back in '95. I had a closer position that night, but row D seats for $300 was well worth it tonight. SET LIST: The Grudge Stinkfist 46 & two (Adam broke his low E string at the very end) Eulogy Schism Parabola (LIL bit of Parbol) Disposition Reflection --- Intermission --- (Stupid fag yells at Adam to play Opiate) Sober Pushit w/Robert Fripp Opiate Lateralus Maynard spoke the words heard from recent shows, about taking the experience with you and doing something positive with it. At one point during the show, told everyone to take the "non-conformist" oath. "Repeat after me", he said, "Be different, think different, question authority, don't repeat what other people say" every idiot that chimed in to copy him had shut up by the last line. He also said at one point, "all the cheating, assholes, thieve's and swindlers, please go fuck yourselves,..........we'll all watch" I chuckle almost everytime he speaks. It's an experience unmatched by any I've had in this century. I feel quite fortunate that I was able to see my favorite band in their prime because years from now, someday, kids will be getting into Tool albums for the first time, and will need to find someone old and grey if they want to know a first hand experience of what they are like live in concert. I remember asking old people what Zeppelin was like. Q
Review written by: mikeG (miketg@mediaone.net) Review posted on: 08/15/01 08:11:15 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show
ok, this was a terrific show..first off... fripp did not play the bongo, it was aloke or wahtever.. im still in awe. The setlist was a gem... maynard was a gem.. i got lots of pics... panoramic ones, hopefully they turn out.. if you want some just email me.. the ones that look good i will send after i scan them. i feel like a changed person...i cant even explain it...
Review written by: Nik Kannan (mkannan@adelphia.net) Review posted on: 08/15/01 08:32:55 ET
This was this reviewer's 1 Tool show
Quadropheniac , had it the closet but in order, the setlists reads: 1. The Grudge 2. Stinkfist 3. 46 & 2 4. Eulogy( was my favorite of the night) 5. Schism(maynard On guitar) 6. Parabola with shortened parabol 7. Disposition(With Maynard back on Guitar) 8. Reflections (adam plays for quite a while, going into INtermission.) 9.Intermission 10. Sober (Maynard now in his hotpants/undies) 11. Pushit Salival version (extended over 21 mintues, Robert Fripp guesting on guitar, and Master tabla artist, Alota Dukka) 12. Opiate (great Version) 13. Lateralus Was kind of bumed they didn't get to play Aenima, but came just wanting two songs, Pushit salival version, and Eulogy. And i am quite elated that i got them. The music tight as always. King Crimson was absolutly amazing, Probably one of the better, musical bands, of the rock and roll era. Can't wait until i get to do it again tomm, at San Diego. How you had as much fun as i had. Best concert i have been to.
Review written by: wicked_requiem (blackened_13@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 08:42:03 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show
Well, what can i say? The show was just fucking amazing. Everything surpassed my expectations, I was just in an awe during the whole concert. Well to start it off, King Crimson was awsome. Tool made a great choice by letting King Crimson join their tour. All of there songs were fucking great, people just sat there with amazement glaring in their eyes when they were playing. It's great to hear good bands that you never had before, especially live! After that, we had 20 minutes to digest what King Crimson had given to us, then the lights go out, people screaming, shadows walk on the stage then..... The fucking Grudge baby! Then literally i couldn't feel my knees for 20 minutes! i had to rock back and forth to know that they were still there. When they played eulogy, I just fell into a complete bliss, and really, I can't remember anything else after that. It's really good to see four people coming together doing what they love the most: Danny, ripping the shit out of the drumset, Justin, gliding his hands briskfully on his bass, Adam, moving his fingers a thousand times per second, and of course Maynard, with his famous moves, twitches and vocals that take you to another level. I wanna thank Tool for making great art and for the fans that were at the show for making the night so memorable!
Review written by: FullOnTool (Crybabay@Aol.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 08:42:25 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show
Tonights show was just fucking mind blowing, everyone was excited, everyone was staring into the neon lights as they transformed into a more peaceful being. The band teased the crowd by playing the beginning of Prison Sex right before Opiate. and Mantra right before The Grudge. Danny is one of the best drummers maybe in this whole world, he was just amazing when making it seem so simple during Push It. And when they played 46&2 i nearly collapsed. Eulogy was unique it had a different sound this time and was stronger. Maynard as usual making figures and flexing into different positions in front of a screen, looking almost like a stick figure in his black mini-shorts without a shirt. Since i saw Ozzy's son on MTV Cribes wearing a Tool shirt i was not surprised to see him walking down to take his seat although it did feel kinda cool. I was also getting frustrated with having to move during the show so that people can return to their seats mosty it was this one taller man Say "excuse me" about three times and as he was passing right by me to go on intermission i find out its Billy Howerdale from A Perfect Circle i was quite stunned. It was the perfect combination of songs they chose for this setlist and i won't be posting it up since i'm not sure about the order they'll go in. Hopefully someone who does will. From reviews about yesterdays concert it seems to me people made a wise choice to go to the 14th show because there was a better setlist and the concert seemed so long yet it was about 11 when it ended. I hope someone taped this show for all those who could not attend.
Review written by: Sean (seanson1@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 08:46:10 ET
This was this reviewer's 7th Tool show
This show had so much more sustained energy than the previous night. Not that Monday's show was lackluster, and perhaps this was due to my new floor location, but the crowd seemed wiser, more alert and appreciative in a way the band deserves. Maynard was much more animated, Aloke Dutta's tabla exchange with Danny was a privilege to witness, and the set itself was more vibrant. By the way, Robe rt Fripp (from King Crimson) played guitar (not bongos) during the "intermission," and Aloke plays/played the TABLAS on Pushit. Maynard did the "I will not repeat what anyone else says" joke. I fell for it. He's clever, that guy. Triad tomorrow in SD.
Review written by: Savage (OhSoSavage2000@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 10:27:37 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show
The set list is posted, and as you can see, it fucking rocked! This was my first Tool concert and I'm glad I coughed up the extra dough to a shit swindeling ticket broker... Play by play (sort of)... 1.) Fuck downtown LA... 2.) Laughed my ass off when I saw guy in a TooL shirt throw a bottle at a yuppy fuck in a Lexus... 3.) Met some cool heads on the upper level of the parking sturcture... 4.) Drank beer, smoked smokes... 5.) Stumbled in... 6.) More beer... 7.) King Crimson was definitely cool... a little wierd, but cool... 8.) Pretty sure I saw Danny slip behind their rig... 9.) More beer, more smokes... 10.) TOOL!!!! And it was outfuckingstanding!!! I found myself either going nuts: singing along, playing the air drums and the air guitar, or simply stuck: completely amazed with what I was witnessing... Every song was incedible and played to the bone. As for the ones that stood out for me: The Grudge, Stinkfist, 46+2, Parabala, fucking Eulogy for christ's sake, Opiate... Aw screw it, they all kicked ass!!! You have no idea how bad I wanted to hear AEnima though, but I guess it wasn't ment to be... (Don't think that shit wasn't blasting from my car on the way home though)!!! I want to say Thank You to the guy next to me, who happened to hand me his binoculars just seconds before Danny played his solo in 46+2 (apparantly you didn't know what you were doing man). And a huge "Thank You" to Josh and Wendy, our parking lot drinking buddys, who Josh, treated us to Denny's after the show and Wendy, who got my sis and I a handfull of Tool stickers (she was cute too :) And last but not least, a giant "FUCK YOU" to the two fat bastards who kept slamming into my sis and I... Mezz Row L, yeah you, assholes!!! In all, it was an amazing show... I'm definitely looking forward to the arena tour...
Review written by: David (DjunPlyr5@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 11:41:06 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show
Ok guys, I don't need to say much about the set list or the show because everyone already knows it was PHENOMINAL. However, I do feel it should be clarified that number one they weren't FUCKING BONGOS, they were Tabla. A set of two drums native to India that most serious students spend the better part of forty years learning to master ( I'm not exagerating!) and number two the man playing is named Aloke Dutta. He is a renowned Tabla Master and happens to be Danny Carey's personal teacher of that instrument. Just thought due respect was in order
Review written by: billy (fireal9@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 15:25:26 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show
what can i say, not much, and i wont. the show was amazing, king crimson blew my mind away, you can really hear the influence thet they have had on tool. as for tool, everything i could have hoped for, i needed to hear pushit (salival) & eulogy for sure, and they came through beautifully. by far the best show ive ever seen, and imust give props to maynard on his cool dance moves, he really knows how to get the crowd into it. to best describe the show in 2 words, "beautifully mystical". thank you tool for keeping real music alive.
Review written by: giovanni (korndeftones69@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 15:55:22 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show
the entire night was amazing. king crimson were great. TOOL were simply excellent. if anyone has a copy of this show (video or audio) please email me. i'd love to have a copy of this show.
Review written by: Bottom Feeder (longascock@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 16:39:05 ET
This was this reviewer's 6th Tool show
This band never lets up. Fucking Solid. Had a band pass and sat front row. Unreal performances of Eulogy, Sober and Lateralus. I thought Danny Carey was going to break that kit at the climax of Lateralus. EULOGY. This is one of my favorites and was an absolute double breasted mattress smasher...again. The bottom end on Sober was enough to collapse your rib cage. Another great gig. Would have liked to have seen MJK hang out in front instead of sillhouette the entire time but I was close enough to see him. black painted stripe from the back of his head down his face to his chin. That's the 3rd time I've seen Pushit acoustic. It kicks ass but I'd like a leaded version one of these shows.
Review written by: David (Radium0000@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 16:41:25 ET
This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show
The Wiltern was quite an interesting place to see Tool. I was sitting in the Mezzaine section, which is the second level of seats, and it provided me with a higher up and angled downward view of Tool and King Crimson's preformances. It seems like a cool perspective to see any band, but it was very great for this great show. I was very impressed with King Crimson's performance onstage. They don't move around very much, but they don't have to - their music capitvated me from the moment I found my seat and began to listen, until they left the stage. It took about half an hour for Tool to take the stage after King Crimson. The lights dimmed, the fans stood, our hearts beating, and the members of Tool slowly walked on to the dark stage while we screamed and cheered our brains out. Like I read in one of yesterday's reviews, three sharp hits of Danny's sticks and it starts - they bust out into the Grudge and I was thinking to myself, I've had to wait a long time, since Lollapalooza in '97 to see Tool again, and this is finally, actually it! Tool's setup onstage was different and rather unconventional, but it was nothing unexpected from such an unconventional band. Adam was in the front on the left and Justin was on the right. Danny and his immensely beautiful drummset was behind Adam on the right, and Maynard was on a small raised platform behind Adam on the left, with a small video screen just behind him. He was wearing his dark padded jumpsuit thing, and also had a thick black line painted down the middle of his face. A large video screen was behind the band also. Both screens displayed captivating artistic visuals that changed and went along with Tool's songs, occasionally playing parts of music videos. The movement of onstage lights was never that energetic. There were some lights pointed right at the crowd that lit up intensely, that looked almost like a burst of fire, when accenting certain crescendos of the music. The crowd was rather mellow, and the many seats unfortunately hindered interaction between fans, in my opinion. The crowd was very into it though. During certain parts you could hear and see almost everyone's body undulating with the drive of the music or singing along with Maynard. The highlights of Tool's performance in my opinion were these: First, the performance of the salival version of pushit. This featured (as I read in someone elses review) Robert Fripp playing some drums during the song with a solo section in the middle that ended up playing back and fourth between Danny and him, before the rest of the bandmates joined in to complete the rest of the song. Second, Eulogy. I love this song, and we all loved that Tool played it. It was awesome to hear this song again in concert. Third, I thought it was cool when Maynard went backstage for a bit and then came back out wearing only hotpants, as someone has aptly called them. Seeing him dance around barechested and barelegged made his seem all the more raw and exposed to all of us. It was great. Also I really enjoyed 46&2. It was almost wierd when Maynard picked up a guitar for Schism. It was hard to see what he was playing or if he was playing anything at all though I'm sure he must have been. The few things I would have liked: The Patient H Anema (I hope they will play today these at SDSU) I wish that I could have seen Maynard a little better. I noticed that there was no light specifically pointed on him but it was obvious that this was Tool's artistic choice of how to present themselves. Also I wish that certain members of the crowd would learn when to SHUT THE HELL UP. During quit parts of various songs, when I was attempting to listen and feel the vibe of the music, some dumb girl would attempt to immitate Maynard's long scream at the end of Eulogy, only she failed miserably and annoyed the hell out of everyone. At times, it is good to scream and show your support of the band but it is a musical performance and sometimes its nice to just listen. Overall it was a really good performance by Tool and King Crimson. Seeing and hearing Tool play live is a great experience, one that should not be missed by any Tool fan.
Review written by: Justin Wright (scraphouse@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 16:42:23 ET
This was this reviewer's 7th Tool show
I hate to be the one to say something negative, but this show was probably one of my least favorite times I've seen the band. Admittedly thieir were some great things--I mean hearing any of Tool's music live is amazing--and some standouts Aloke on tabla and the lateralus as a closing song, because of those reasons I left satisfied. But here are my gripes: In no particular order 1: Same setlist as in Seattle. That was probalby just bad luck on my part. All the new material is great--I mean truly excellent--but nothing beats the time I saw them open with Flood in San Diego. I wished I could have been at the 8/13 set list instead. 2: The sound. Acoustically the Wiltern had nothing on the Paramount in Seattle. King Crimson sounded great but the balance between the musicians for Tool was definitly off. A factor could have been. . . 3:My seat. The fucking very last row in the entire fucking theater! I was pissed to find out that's where my seat was when I bought it online, but hey, at least I was able to get one! 4:The crowd as a whole wasn't as excited as I would have expected. In Seattle, where I sat in the orchestra, they were loud as fuck, and really into everything. Last night in the Mezzanine, I just didn't feel the same energy from my fellow concert goers. 5:The visuals/animation, while very cool I found distracting. Though, I will admit that Adam and Justin really aren't _that_ exciting to watch. They sort of just stand there. 6: This one I hate too bring up, but I felt the same after the Seattle show. Overall the concert seemed too scripted. There wasn't any spontenaity that I could tell. Perhaps I screwd myself by reading others reveiws before seeing the show live myself, but the unexpected and the exchange between performer and audience it one of the great things about seeing a band live. Two bands that do this right are Built to Spill (Doug thanks the audience after every song), and Metallica (their over the top with their heavy metal posturing on stage--though it is cool to watch--and you can tell they love to give their fans a great show). Tool is my favorite band and I'd seem them everytime I could afford to. They are great musicians and play sooo well live. But overall, IMO this show was disappointing.
Review written by: tonedog (linamumlindrum@cs.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 17:25:58 ET
This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show
Piss! Suck! Crap! I couldn't get a ticket to tonight's show. But, I found this. Trey Gunn, the Crimson bass's, reviews of their and Tool's shows. http://www.treygunn.com/word/diariesparent.html Awesome reading!
Review written by: Internal Swordsman (smcrawford10@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 17:41:15 ET
This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show
The above review is embarrasing (by Justin). Maybe the resean the crowd seemed so quiet was because you were in the last fucking row. Yes, the sound at the Wiltern was only OK but I can think of much worse places, in Hollywood, to see TOOL. So stop your bitching! I did think the art deco style of the theatre was very nice and added to a very artistic night. Now for the show. KC was VERY good. I had never heard one song by them before but enjoyed every minute of their set. I was in the balcony, second row, and boy was this a good spot for this show. TOOL went fucking off. Best show I have seen in a very long time. I saw Pink Floyd in the Rose Bowl and thought that last nights visuals were even better. Great set list too. The only thing that was missing was the hanging naked people from Cochella Music Festival, but hey you can't get everything. Judging by what MJK said, it sounds like TOOL has some problems with the Hollywood peoplez. Not suprising. They do "think for themselves". All the thanks goes to TOOL for the best night I've had in a long, long time.
Review written by: Me (me@you.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 18:52:53 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show
For Justing: Why the fuck do you go to a show to hear the crowd go crazy ? It's about the fucking music that is being played ... if you stopped looking around at all the people just listening to the music and enjoying the visuals you may have come home with something from the concert instead of your lame ass bitching. You were probably one of the dumb fucks that would yell during all the quiet parts of the set.
Review written by: Rebecca (Becbngwatr@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 19:15:23 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show
I did not make it into last night's show and am not complaining all that much cause I was lucky enough to catch the 13th. So, you ask yourself...why the hell are you posting? Well, I just wanted to make it clear to everyone what was going on last night. There were atleast 100 diehard fans scaling around the Wiltern trying to find anyway in. A gathering of kids actually hoping a huge wall and tried gunning it..but they all got snabbed. It was really sad...I think I saw one girl with a cardboard sign saying "I NEED ONE TICKET" running up and down the street panting and crying. Whatever it was...there was shady shady business going. People were trying to bribe the security guards and a few were successful. Some guy almost got me and my friend in through head of security but we didn't have 60 bucks for his (the head of security's....nice management wiltern) pocket so he dismissed us quite quickly after making us wait 45 minutes. It just bothers me that seeing last nights show came down to how much money I had in my pocket to bribe a dumb security guard who couldn't even fathom the passion that I, or any of the other people out there, have for TOOL. That's life I guess...but 46&2 would have been a fucking treat to say the least. I'm not bitter.....but I am curious if anyone visiting toolshed had a similar experience last night.
Review written by: magma (mimole7777@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 19:48:56 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show
A great concert. King Crimson definetly didn't perform at their best but it was enough to impress many people that didn't know their stuff. I liked their concert better when i saw them with their classic line-up from the 80's (Levin and Bruford). Please note that Robert Fripp doesn't play bongos - at least not professionally - and that bongo like instrument was a tabla, played by a hindu musician. Tool was great, having their musical world under pressure just like Crimson's. Amazing how these two bands live in their own musical environment without regards for age, era and cultural surroundings. And amazing like we could be part of that and enjoy them being themselves. Fripp, one of the founders of the modern guitar playing, shared the stage with tool, one of the fathers of the tomorrow's music. Yesterday, we witnessed music evolution at its purest form.
Review written by: trent (sinkwithme@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 20:03:26 ET
This was this reviewer's 7th Tool show
i was threatened to be kicked out for standing up!! i was front row of the lodge and everyone else around must have figured "cool, now i don't have to stand." but by god how can you sit through TOOL!?!?! i made it up to schism when a security guard gave me the option of sitting or leaving. he said it was a "rule" but people further down the row were standing up, but all the people behind them were standing as well. so that made it obvious bullshit. for the price i payed i should have been allowed to piss over the edge if i felt inclined. so unless your legs are broken (and you can't prop yourself up), not being able to stand during TOOL is like having your girlfriend say you can fuck her but you can't cum. either way, brilliant/beautiful show.
Review written by: Tim (sethsword@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 20:08:45 ET
This was this reviewer's 5th Tool show
Tool played at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. If you haven't been there, the Wiltern is an old building complete with decorated walls and stairways - not your typical place for a Tool show. However, it was the perfect venue for this show. A smaller and more intimate place so you could really experience the show. King Crimson opened up and they were unreal. Robert Fripp is certainly one of the most accomplished guitarists you'll ever see. Danny played with them near the end of their set. Tool's stage was something to behold. Danny's drum kit was set off to the right side, Justin's bass was in front of that, Adam's guitars were on the left, and Maynard appeared to have his own platform set up next to the drums. There was a small screen, about 7 feet tall from the floor up, set up behind this platform where Maynard would be. They came on stage one by one; Danny was wearing a basketball jersey that said Kansas, number 22. Justin was in a long sleeve black shirt and pants and Adam wore a long sleeve purple shirt and both Justin and Adam had hair below their ears and rarely showed their faces. Maynard: Well, Maynard walks out last and up on his platform. There's no lights on him and so all you see is his silhouette. Somehow, without seeing him in lights, he still commands amazing stage presence. A big screen drops down behind the band and begins to show mesmerizing imagery. The smaller screen behind Maynard lights up and now you see Maynard bending his knees, holding his mike out in front of him, and rocking back and forth on his feet. He has a slight hunchback look and he's wearing some kind of jumpsuit that has some glowing parts to it that look like a skeleton. He has you fixed on him and they start to play THE GRUDGE. The crowd roars their approval. The imagery on the screens was nonstop for the entire show and it was quite entertaining. Adam, with his film hobby, has put together some strange and bizarre scenes. Animated figures and sets and some models of humans crawling around etc. Tool goes into STINKFIST and then FORTY SIX & 2 which was incredible. Danny's drum playing was enough to motivate you to want to compete in the olypmics. There's still no spotlight on Maynard but you can see Danny real well and Justin and Adam play their guitars with their hair in their faces. It appears Tool wants you to watch the screens and listen...pay attention. Maynard gave thank you's to King Crimson for touring with them. He explained that Tool ripped them off by following their lead of putting the music first. They played PARABOL and PARABOLA and then went into SCHISM. After that Maynard left the stage and came back with nothing on but some black shorts. His head was shaved and painted blue in the middle. They go into EULOGY and we freak out 'cause that's one of our favorite songs. In fact, it's many Tool fans favorite as the entire theatre erupts when they start this song. Maynard rocks back and forth and moves in circles like a freak caught up by the music. During heavy hits of sound he jerks back like he was hit in the chest. Simply watching Maynard, without any light on him, was pure entertainment. Tool plays EULOGY to perfection and most of the crowd sings along. After that Maynard speaks about how not to give up and that art saves lives. And for you thieves, liars, cheaters, and scumbags to please go fuck yourself. They went into DISPOSITION and REFLECTION which had amazing imagery on the screens including some naked people - both sexes. There was an intermission of sorts with Adam playing with Robert Fripp. They came out of that with SOBER and then PUSHIT - the long slow version from Salival with a bongo drums (or Tabla) solo by Aloke Dutta - Danny's instructor. This was certainly one of the highlights of the evening. Pushit was a real piece of art work and Adam's guitar solo during this song was nothing short of brilliant. Maynard asks if you've been paying attention and asks the crowd to repeat after him and say the non-conformist oath which went something like this: "Think for yourself, question authority, don't repeat what other people say". They then started to play OPIATE and the crowd went nuts. Maynard really let loose during this song. He was dancing very erratically and spinning in circles and jerking violently. OPIATE fucking rocked! After that Maynard said thanks for coming and to please take this experience and remember it, take it home with you and create something positive. A totally cool statement. They then closed with LATERALUS which was one of the bes t numbers of the evening. Leaving the theatre you know you've just witnessed one of the best shows you'll ever see. The musicianship of these four guys is superb. If you've been a Tool fan for a long time then you can see how they've matured as musicians - they're so tight and they take their music seriously. Some people paid over $300 for their tickets and that was cheap. We wish they had played ÆNEMA but that's okay, the show was way more than we anticipated. Basically we were blown away and we can't wait for the Arena tour.
Review written by: Niraj (nvora55@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 21:06:23 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show
Hi, everyone here has already posted anything that could be siad about this concert. Simply Amazing! i've been a Tool fan for 5 years. As a Drummer and tabla player I must say that there is no better, more intricately composed, compilation of rock music than that of TOOL. I never in my dreams thought i would get in to that concert. I couldn't find a ticket at a price I could afford. But by some miricle. I found a friend who worked at the wiltern, and got me in just in time to see the whole TOOL set. I could never thank anyone more. The salvial version of PUSH IT, after hearing that whole 15 minute piece i could've died a happy man. How lucky was I to be at their best show of the tour. What topped off this show for me was that The two persons sitting next to me on my right were none other than the two persons in the SCHISM video. I am still in bit of shock, but i can honestly say that I have never felt more content and full of joy in my whole life than for those 3 hours watching TOOL.
Review written by: Steve (pissdrunxataris@juno.com) Review posted on: 08/15/01 23:31:56 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show
Upon knowing about this show I was very doubtful of getting tickets. Nonetheless I woke up on that day on July 14, got at to the ticketmaster and low and behold no one was there. So for sure I was first in line. So I sat there waiting for time to pass being it was 5:30 in the morning. Around 9:30 or so a line started but that didn't matter I was first. Around 10:00 my friend Jessica shows up and takes her place in line. Time moved extremely slowly. I tried not to think of the possibilities of not getting tickets. I missed the Aenima tour and never knew about Coachella. Time still refused to move then I was greeted by my good pal Adrienne. It was our plan to go to this show but she did not make it because of her Dad (He does not know what he just did by not allowing her to go to this show) Around 11:49 we were allowed to go inside people paying with cash went first. I was up and asked for the show on the 14th. Two tickets were printed for Jessica and I. Upon receiving the tickets I began to realize that Im actually going. Sadly for the other people in line those were the only two tickets printedit had sold out in seconds. The sense of accomplishment and sorrow for the others was a weird feeling indeed. I get home and look at my ticket part of me is realizing that I am going the other part wouldn't allow me to believe it. August 14th finally arrived. And we departed around 4:00 got there around 5:00. We found our place in line. Thankfully a skyscraper blocked the sun out so it wasn't that hot. While waiting in line we were entertained by a variety of hobos talking about fisting one armed transsexual boy friends. Around 6:00 staff separated the line from people who had tickets from people who didn't. Finally they started to herd us in and the pat down wasn't that bad. I get in then I immediately bought a tour shirt. After a restroom visit we find our seats and we were very close. 7:30 comes around and King Crimson hits the stage. Very good musicians I was glad they were not booed off the stage like every other opening act for Tool. It's obvious that King Crimson influenced Tool a whole lot. About half way through KC's set I lost all sense of time. Did anyone notice Justin in the back? Danny came out and took over drums for KC's last song. That was very surprisngAfter that the roadies take over and clear KC's equipment and start to set up Tool's. It took probably ten people to roll out Danny's new set. The tarp was removed and the crowed witnessed his gold kit. Then Adams two Les Paul's were sound checked and so was Justin's bass both sounded good and Adams guitar is a beauty. Next Maynard's podium was set up with the screen behind it. At this point people got up and out to go get drinks and pee I guess. I also went out to get a drink from the fountain. Sadly people were outside talking and hanging out during KC's set. Once again people filled up the theatre. Then the big screen was lowered. Lights went down, people erupted with cheers. At this point I start to realize my dream of seeing Tool live was coming full circle. Then the monk like chants echo out from the speakers then the Lateralus eyes show up on both the small and big screen then the band comes out one by one. Danny takes his place at the drums Justin picks up his bass Adam walks across to the right side and picks up his guitar then Maynard comes out last paces around and takes a few drinks from his water bottle. For this night Maynard wore the same leather outfit with a black strip painted down his face. The position Maynard took before the beginning of the first song was as if he was about to tackle someone bobbing back and forth. Then Danny starts the 3 clicks of his sticksclick, click, click (might not be in order) The Grudge- What an opener such an intense and amazing song. You can tell the band was on the top of their game the bass rumbled through your body, the guitar didn't drown out the other instrument, and Danny's bass drums hurt! But Maynards's voice was drowned out for this song a little, still this song was plenty awesome. The peaks and valleys of this songs soundscape is amazing and is so much better live. The scream although not as long as the CD was still intense and incredible. Maynard started to bend backwards looking up for the last few seconds. How he stomped his foot to the beat was cool its like he caused the ripple that went through my body. A very good song fit for the opener and judging from the immediate roar from the crowd a very well received song. The roar starts to die down out from Adams guitar comes the guitar feedback and wail Stinkfist- This song went off to my knowledge not one body was still a sea of bobbing heads. By this time the sound people fixed the whole drowning out of the voice. I got up on the chair in front of me for this one by this time I was taken in by the music (I was later asked to get back down) The way Maynard moved during this song was so weird and hypnotizing. There were also some new lyrics added to this song which were to my best knowledge: white lines, running through my mind this was repeated a couple of times and there were some more drumming for Danny. The crowd was liking it the song comes to an end more cheers. 46 and 2- Great song even better live. The lights were on Justin for the beginning of this song. The crowd was really into this song also. Maynard's voice was great in this one to my belief nothing new was added and nothing was changed just how it is like on the CD. But the highlight of this song is Danny's drum solo. Damn this man did not miss a beat and to see him do it live was jaw dropping. A well performed song. Parabola-No Parabol here. There was an improvised shorter version of it. The guitar swell kicks in and the song Parabola begins. People around me were moving to this one but during the guitar solo Adam sounded a little muddled still though the song live sounds good especially the "alive" before the second verse Justin's bass sounded the best on this song. The song comes to an end with the familiar riff. Schism- For this song Maynard was playing? A guitar. Any way the first notes were greeted with cheers. After that it was all Justin. I have to admit this song is not all that on CD but live it just sounded so much better. Overall good song. Song comes to an end Maynard disappears off stage Eulogy- Maynard comes back with another mic (?) in his hand and nothing but black speedos. Then starts the opening sound of Eulogy, which Maynard did with the other mic. By this time u can hear all the instruments well. The "goodbye!" nearing the closing of the song was incredible. Right after that there was an added drum solo breakdown thing performed wonderfully by Danny. Maynard moved like a man possessed during this song. Disposition/Reflection- I loved this combo. But I have to admit only a few people were getting in this maybe because of its slow moving tempo. It was Trance like live swaying back and forth with the music. For the most part I watched Danny's drumming. Adam played the ending riff for about 5 minutes leading into the intermission where Robert Fripp of KC played some of his Soundscape material. Intermission- This comes to an end and with out me noticing the band has came back on stage and they started the extended intro into. Sober- Damn! The crowd loved this song (probably because of the radio) but either way this song kicked ass all the "Jesus Christ's and Mother Marys" give me chills down the spine. This song just sounded more evil live. As usual during this song Maynard got into his little schizoid dance stomping shaking and what not. Things slow down and another figure appears out of the shadows Pushit (Comfortable, Vulnerable version)- IT WAS NOT ROBERT FRIPP ON BONGOS IT WAS ALUKE DOTTA ON TABLA! Any way I was so glad to here this version of Pushit. The whole ambient, tabla, calm before the storm sound is amazing. Maynard's vocal was top notch on this one. Half way through there was a Tabla solo done amazingly by Aluke that got good cheers after that Danny started doing Tabla on his set which was programmed into it. Then there was a tabla battle between Aluke and Danny this was incredible back and forth but before I know both tablas had merged and the song had picked up again. The line "there's no love in fear" was delivered perfectly with "fear" held and stretched out. Opiate- This song to me was the best performed song of the night everyone sang along the band was into it. Especially Maynard this guy rocked out to this song it was fun watching him. Not much to say about this song but damn was it good the "rape you!" was done so well that I asked my self where does this man get it from? Towards the end Maynard was going into head bang overdrive. The whole band gathers around Danny's set Lateralus- The last song. The band gathered around Danny's set for the beginning of this. Which was a great thing to see. Before Adam came in with the riff they all returned to their spots and from there the song exploded! I liked how the guitar fades out leaving the rumbling of Justin's bass in this song. Danny's drumming again was amazing. Adam's solo was great. Maynard's vocals where intense especially the closing moments starting with "with my feet upon the ground" from there it was truly a spiral. "Spiral out keep going" at this point Maynard was twirling around. "Keep going" I did keep going swinging on the spiral till the end. The song closes out. Fucking amazing! The band comes to the front and is greeted with applause by everyone in attendance. Maynard threw out candy (?) Danny threw out his sticks and Frisbees and Adam threw a Frisbee also Justin just waved. Then they exited. The show has come to an end. After that everything was a blur I don't remember much just that I bought another shirt and came home and slept. The visuals were great everything was in sync with the music truly hypnotizing and Maynard being shilloetted by the smaller screen was cool to watch. Images ranged from worms with faces, flashing and spinning scared geometry, naked women wrestling underwater, more naked women getting attacked by a mechanical tail, headless man waving, dirty toilets, faceless skulls, a eye getting poked and a lot more things I just cant remember. Here are some things Maynard said to the crowd -Thank You -Something about touring with KC because u don't know where your going if you don't know where you've been and he said that they ripped off KC -Don't give up art saves lives -All the cheating, assholes, thieves and swindlers, cling- ons please go fuck yourselves,.......... We'll all watch" - Before Opiate he says lets see if you've been paying attention and gives the Non-conformists oath "Repeat after me", he said, "Be different, think different, question authority, don't repeat what other people say" everyone laughed nervously except me -Before Lateralus he said "Whatever your feeling right now weather it be bad good negative positive insulting whatever it is...take it back home take this feeling and with it in the next week or so turn it into something positive" After this night it's obvious why they are the best thing going in music. Four talented musicians and artists. Not one person out shines the other. I am grateful to see such an amazing band while in their prime. People say things happen for a reason these four men met because the reason was TOOL. We all should be thankful of the art these guys share with us even if u hate them there's no denying their talent and passion and extremely professional approach of making music. There weren't explosions or pyro. The guitarists and bassists didn't jump up and down like rabbits and the singer didn't curse his brains out about how much his life sucks In the age of crap and shit music it's refreshing to have a band like TOOL do what they do. It is true art does save lives. Once again I am eternally grateful for TOOL helping to shape the person that I am today. I screamed I yelled I sang I cheered. It was the best day of my life. Most amazing thing I ever experienced physically, emotionally, visually, sonically, spiritually. If you can please see them u won't regret it.
Review written by: MikeG (miketg@mediaone.net) Review posted on: 08/16/01 20:24:44 ET
This was this reviewer's 1 Tool show
For everone who asked for pictures of the show, from my post earlier, i dropped them off to be developed yesterday and they should be back today or tomorrow =) ill try to fulfill the like 100 emails i got for these pictures ASAP
Review written by: Tool SUX!!!!!! (fuck_you@tool_sux.com) Review posted on: 08/16/01 23:04:45 ET
This was this reviewer's 0st? Tool show
ok..... fuck tool and fuck you!!!! tickets were impossible to get and they didn't play enough shows..... they don't look like they will be on the west coast again, so all i have to say is fuck you tool!!!! i will burn all of your cd's tonight and will never listen to your fucked up music..... obtw, most of you tool fans are a bunch of fucking pieces of shit..... !!!!!!
Review written by: John Tresente (jt@yiddles.net) Review posted on: 08/17/01 07:14:21 ET
This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show
the show was amazing. king crimson was great even though i came in not expecting much from them. but i was wrong, they put on a extraordinary preformance. very talented muscians. the set lists are pretty exact on previous postings... maynard came out painted and in some type of leather suit (which he later strips down into underwear during the set). adam was dressed very nicely, a purple dress shirt, slacks, and some dress shoes. justin was wearing a casual suit?? or some type of casual formal wear, with his face hidden behind moppy long hair. danny wore shorts and a kansas basketball jersey. the stage set up was perfect...maynard on a small stage riser and behind him a projection screen where te various images and artwork were projected. adjacent to him was danny and his killer drumset (which sounded awsome). both maynard and dannys risers were in the back and slanted diagnolly...adam and justin in the front... maynard helped out on guitars, he used a small electric guitar with no conventional tuning knobs. i believe he helped out on 'reflection' and another song i can't remember...robert fripp did join to play some soundsscape material after disposition, and remained out there for about 5 minute swhile the band took a short intermission. then the band reenters the stage and plays sober (which was great). the tabla master aloke dutta joined them for "pushit," which was so amazing. he played solo during the middle of the song, while the band just sat down and watched in amazement during his solo...after the end of the song, he hugs each member of the band and leaves with the audiances warm applause... the band closes with "lateralus," and danny completely plays out during the song...he's definantly one of the best rock drummers ever...his kit (made out of melted down cymbals) sounded so powerful and translucent.... i was however, disapointed that they didnt play "aenima" (being my first LA show), i would have liked to hear "the patient." but, i did think seeing the second LA date, that the band would be tired and not put on a the better preformance...but it wasent like that...they gave it %100 and always, always put on a phenominal show, always something to remember. definantly the best band ever from my generation and genre. i would highly recommend seeing them...while you still can.
Review written by: mostresticator (kasimir@malevich.com) Review posted on: 08/17/01 20:29:44 ET
This was this reviewer's 6th Tool show
i can't believe i got intwo tonites show. its a loooong stroy that has a happy end. i woke up, angry as usual...just like fred from the bizkit. i was angry at a lot of things, but mostly cuz i didnt have a tic. i had looked to reviews and some had said that a tic may not be necessary for entrance. i called my friend a loser and then asked him if he could drive us to the show. when we get there, we get in line. tool heads are the greatest. they know what its like to be real. we talked about a lot of things with our new line buddyies. we were all hittin the vicious triple headed hydra pretty hard, if you know what i mean. my friend actually passed out so deep i couldn't wake hime up. i left him there on the sidewalk after a while. we had a lot of fun making fun of people who are different than us, it made the time go faster. its just like maynerd says: "fuck all your lexus', fuck all you clones, fuck all you richie-bitch nuclear families." everthing maynerd says, i listen. he is so awesome. i couldn't wait to see his serpentine writhing, jiggling, and dancing. i finally found someone to sell me a tic for the show. i paid only $150 for one tic, so i conseidered my self luckily. finally we get inside. king criimson start playing their music, if you could call it that. it was so boring. why would tool have them play? they sucked, i kept yelling at them to start rocking or get ooff the stage. i think their retarded guitarist heard me, cuz he looke d really discouraged. its not myy fault that his solo albums suck. let's just say adrian belew me. after what seemed like a prog rock eternity, king crimson ended their set. after a while tool took their places on stage. i was ready to get rocked, so hard, and so deep. i couldn't really see maynard to well for a while. the music was good. i don't have laterals or aenema cuz i think tool reached perfection at undertow and opiate. i liked the songs i didn't know, but they need some more energey. when i go see a tool show, i want to be rocked. finally, they played sober. i was screaming and yelling for maynerd the whole time. he took off his clothes and was just in shorts. it was pretty obvious that maynerd ad some extra weight swingin between his legs. i'm finally starting to see what all the fuss on the hidden track on salival is all about. some guys were on stage playing stuff with tool. that was so annoying. just let tool rock. don't bother them while they are rocking. when they're on stage, they don't need to be bothered. there job is to rock out, not be bothered by some small french or asian guy playing these little pussy drums. danny has a big set, he doesn't need any help. just leet him rock out. i air drummed and played air guitar for all of sober, cuz i know it and me and my friend can play it as well as tool. we practice it all the time. i know all the drum and guitar cords. tthey played opiate which is all about the rock, let me tell you. it was a great way to end the shhow. except they ended with some stupid new song. it was boring and a bad way to end. at least play prisoner sex or sweat. when are tool going to realize whut we want to hear? the old stuff, dude, the stuff that rocks. see u at next tool's shows. rock out. kas.
Review written by: Chris (alwaysforevernow@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/18/01 23:08:59 ET
This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show
Most people didn't seem to notice that the "intermission" was Robert Fripp playing his very cool soundscapes material. Everyone was screaming and yelling and being loud and disrespectful while he was playing for them. I thought it was awesome how they weaved the end of his piece into Sober but unfortunately I couldn't hear most of it since the angry young man standing in the aisle behind me kept yelling "Maynard!!" I guess that's the only band member's name he knew. Tool did rock hard enough to drown him out most of the time though. I wish King Crimson had played a few more old songs in their set but Frame By Frame was terrific. Especially when Danny came in to play the end. The whole Tool set was great and I was pleasantly surprised to hear the Salival version of Pushitt. And I could see the whole mezzanine section shaking to the beat during Stinkfist. That was something! Great show.
Review written by: Cary (sitinthemilk@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/19/01 04:03:38 ET
This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show
I came out L.A. from Minnesota to see this show. I sat in the upper deck and paid $360 for 2 tickets. It was well worth it. I t was the best concert I've seen. Everything about the concert has already been stated here, so i won't go into details. Everyone who said this was a sensational show was correct, everyone who said it wasn't, is an asshole.