concert reviews firsthand, immediate, from the heart
07/13/2002




Review written by: John (john_hite@hotmail.com)
Review posted on: 07/14/02 02:30:12 ET

This was this reviewer's 5th Tool show

Even better than last night's show in Oakland. Tool played Ticks and Leeches! I hope some audio finds it's way to deadohiosky.net! Nothing thrown at the band. Sacramento was awesome tonight!

Review written by: Stannic (drunvalo@mail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 02:39:32 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

that's it. go home. fuck off. go home.

Review written by: Slacker (peanut@t-3.cc) Review posted on: 07/14/02 02:55:35 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

Awesome show -wasn't impressed with Tomahawk (they went out of their way to continuously insult Sacramento) and their music is unrehearsed (to be polite). As for Tool, Maynard's voice was perfect, and the band was still tight. EXCELLENT choice of songs for the set list (missed hearing Aenima but worth it). Wish Danny hadn't felt the need to wear a crappy Laker's jersey...it took away from the show. Not a tour to miss all the same.

Review written by: BLP (blpflood@sbcglobal.net) Review posted on: 07/14/02 03:03:34 ET

This was this reviewer's 7th Tool show

Welp, another unbelievable show from these four. I was seated almost directly right of the stage, on Justin's side and behind Danny. I haven't ever had the chance to watch him play the drums from such a good vantage point in the 6 shows that I have seen before but tonight I got a very good look and he is a really special musician. He plays almost effortlessly and yet hard and emotionally charged at the same time... I don't remember if this is exactly the correct setlist and the order might be a little off, but I think it went like this: -Sober -ticks & leeches -the grudge -stinkfist -H. -the patient =) -parabola -opiate! -umm then i THINK is when they had thier intermission -disposition -reflection -triad -lateralus Maynard stood in the dark for the first 3 songs then came out and talked a little, he wore a bra and panties for most fo the show, at least all of teh 2nd half of it... thier performance musically was outstanding tonight, better than i have ever seen them... Adam has such style and unbelievable control of his sound, MORE THAN ANYTHING Tool seems to me to be the most emotionally powerful band to see live, the lights, the artwork and the vibe they send out just makes the atmosphere and envirenment so overwhelming. It puts you into a trance of sorts... i just feel lucky to be around during this time when i can go out and experience such a great show from a band that is hard not tog et raelly wrapped up in. Better go check them out on this tour it might (hoopefully not) but might be their last big tour for a while with Maynard probably going back in with APC for a while. Get your toll fix at a town near you!

Review written by: Master Reviewer (stew4062@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 03:06:18 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

TOOL SACRAMENTO SET LIST SOBER TICKS AND LEACHES THE GRUDGE STINKFIST H. SCHISM OPIATE EON BLUE APPOCOLYPSE THE PATIENT PARABOLA INTERMISSION DISPOSITION REFLECTION TRIAD LATERALUS GREAT SET. MAYNARD TALKED MORE THAN USUAL."SOMETIMES YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AND WHY YOU DO IT. BUT YOU GUYS REMIND US WHY. THANK YOU" SACRAMENTO TOOL FANS ARE THE BEST... THANX FELLAS..... J.

Review written by: Tool Junky (t00l_@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 03:15:53 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

I must first say THANK YOU SACRAMENTO, for behaving much better this time and making it a much more enjoyable experience than last time. You have matured greatly, but the moshing was still a little inappropriate. Anyway, I wanna say great setlist, although the missed a few songs I would have liked to hear. The visuals were utterly amazing, as was the sound quality compared to last time. I also enjoyed hearing Maynard speak more often. Gret Show Guys!!!

Review written by: Cody Howard (deadguyforreasonsunkown@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 03:28:06 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Hello all. i am back, it is 12:15, i am tired, my throat hurts like hell, and IM ALIVE. thank you so much tool for putting on the best show possible. first, ill start out by saying that i dug tomahawk, and ended up leaving the arena with their cd. i hated when all the closeminded people yelled at him for saying stuff about sacramento, but everything he said was true. i really liked their set. ok, now, onto tool. danny's new set looks awesome. They started off with sober, a great opener,.. then...guess what....they played....YES...THATS RIGHT....TICKS AND LEECHES!!!!!! i could not belive it. i guess they did it cause we sung along the whole time during sober. i thank the crowd for that, without a pretty much good crowd, they wouldn't have played that. ok. on to the grudge. great song,. the sheets fell and revealed alex grey's artwork behing them. IN MY EYES, HE'S THE BEST MODERN ARTIST IN THE WORLD. They then played what i think was a distorted version of flood, the intro only, then onto either jimmy or h. im not sure. Next was schism, i think. im still very blurry. they played the patient which was great, then they played...um...what was it again..OH YEAH...OPIATE!!!! THEY HAVENT PLAYED THAT, TO MY KNOWLEDGE... IN A YEAR OR TWO. SO THAT WAS GREAT. they also played the extended version of stinkfist, with the elvis lyric interlude. next was the water break with some cool sound and lighting effects. after a few minutes, they went into disposition, then onto reflection, then a short break and into triad with guest drummer Sasha( i think) he was awesome, oh, and so was Danny!!!! Next Maynard gave his thank you, positive speech, then on to lateralis. GREAT CLOSER!!!! he was very active throughout the whole show. After that, they got a HUGE standing ovation from the crowd, they stood and waved for quite a while, then gave the momentous group hug, then they waved some more, and threw out tons of drum sticks, paper and water bottles. to set some things straight, no, they did not play Aenima. Call me crazy but i think they DIDNT play it because we were such a good crowd, and in my opinion that song can sometimes be directed to jerk off fans and dickheads like the ones moshing, but there was no moshing going on, just some crowd surfing off and on. next, yes....maynard was in DRAG TONIGHT!!! he didnt' have his wig, but he had his blue stripe down his face, then he his black bra and his black speedo on too. Danny was wearing a lakers jersey...just in casse u were wondering. i do believe in alll honesty that this was one of their best shows they've ever had as a band. They put so much extra effort into their songs, and spiced it up a bit for us. Great visuals, art, lights. I appreciate what alex grey did for tool. Go out and buy his book for him will ya' Thank you so much tool. i will not try to describe everything you did because i could not nearly do it justice. i will not tell anyone about anything about what happened because i want to keep all this positive energy to myself. I love you so much tool, crew, staff and fans. Keep being you.

Review written by: LateralGrudge (LateralGrudge462@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 03:33:07 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show

Wow. After sitting and listening to Tool on CD and mp3 for what seems like forever, I've finally gotten to see them in concert. Let me say, nothing compares to it, at all. It was a complete and utter mind fuck, I was drown in the emotion and vibe I've been drawn to for so long now.

Review written by: chronox (chronox@resentment.org) Review posted on: 07/14/02 03:55:42 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

Review written by: John (john_hite@hotmail.com) [..original review snipped..] Nothing thrown at the band. * I thought I saw ONE vague object get hurled onstage; might have been a shoe, but not sure. Setlists have been posted, so I'll skip that. Lost track of it after stinkfist- a brilliant setlist nonetheless. My favorite experience; Opiate. That song turned me on to Tool back in '96, and words escape how I felt when they transitioned into it tonight. TV-2 and batboy, having never seen a concert at Arco, nor have they heard anything "Tool" absolutely loved the experience. Couldn't thank me enough for inviting them with me tonight, and to all the Tool masses out in the crowd tonight, (especially the ones near the box sears, section 111) thanks for knowing the words to ALL of the songs played tonight. Always, Tool will be one of THE best musical journeys anyone can ever embark on. See ya next show. chronox; --

Review written by: NeoAenima (neoaenima@kristinkreuk.net) Review posted on: 07/14/02 04:10:07 ET

This was this reviewer's 6 Tool show

First off, the setlists posted above are correct. There were some things missing though like the semi-Parabol intro to Parabola, the (-) ions before Stinkfist, and what I think was an attempt to trick the crowd by playing the intro to Pushit then falling right into Schism. And for the first time ever, I didn't hear Forty-Six & 2 or Aenima live =(. I guess it was a trade off for Opiate and Ticks and Leeches, but I'd much rather have the other two songs anytime. Oh wells.... Anyways, TOOL was awesome tonight!!!! Nice sound, clear vocals....although at first Danny's kit was way louder than everything else, but they fixed that up real quick. And finally, the Sac-Town crowd actually behaved tonight!!!! GA wasn't full of meatheads wanting to just mosh and throw shoes or glowsticks, and the floor was actually pretty tame....GOOD JOB!!!! Sure makes up for what happened last year. One thing I regret though was being out of reach of the falling "metallic confetti". Alex Greys' contribution to the set was awesome, and I loved the concept of adding some of the Sacred Mirrors as banners. The background paintings were very well done as well. Some things I noticed: * Mike Patton trying to provoke the crowd by dissing the Kings. Calling his bassist (who was wearing a Vlade Divac jersey) a "flopping motherfucker". Wearing a Kobe Bryant practice jersey. And making other comments, comments which kinda ticked me off because I'm a Kings fan. And as much respect as I HAD for him before....finding out that he supports such a team as the Lakers (who had to be helped by the NBA higher-ups to the Finals, at the Kings expense) makes me realize that he is just another blind follower of a cheap ass glam basketball team. 'Nuff said. And btw, Tomahawk sucked donkey balls. * Danny Carey wearing a Lakers jersey =(. I just hope it's an LA thing....I'd rather he wore a Clippers jersey. * MJK was pretty wary of the crowd at first, starting off with a plain "Sacramento eh?" You can hear in his voice though that there is/was still some bitterness left over. Makes me wonder what would've happened if the crowd started acting boorish again. Another thing I noticed, MJK actually keeps time while playing the guitar by tapping his right foot....I just thought that was cute. Hehehehe. And his platform had the same images as the white screens. He also went classic Maynard by wearing the black bra. =) ** "Maynardism" for this concert: "Sometimes we think about what we do and why we do it. But you guys remind us the reason why....thank you." ** For some reason, I felt like timing how long his shout was at the end of The Grudge. He clocked in at 15 seconds tonight. Maybe this can be something new that TOOL fans can do, like instead of taking shots....you can take 1 toke after every 5 seconds he lasts. How's that? =P Okay, that's about it from here. One of their better concerts, it would've been the best (at least for me) if it wasn't for the Sacramento bashing. Maybe it was just payback for what happened last time. Anyways, seems like everybody enjoyed themselves....so it was all good. *INXS: Anyone else notice those 2 VERY FINE brunettes who kept climbing the stairs in Section 107? Boyoyoyooiiinggg!!!! And to the guy who I helped with his "seating", good luck tomorrow with your Limp Bizkit (ICCKK!!!!) audition. Finally, speaking of that band, whoever was that guy wearing the "Fuck Fred Durst" shirt.....RIGHT ON!!!! Gahahahaha!!!! Till next time....thank you again TOOL for another great experience!!!!

Review written by: Darth Padawan (jreuben13@rocketmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 04:20:50 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Amazing... Simply floored. Last caugt a Tool set at '93 Lollapalooza. What a show. Being that this show coincided with my 30th b-day made it more of one of my 'Greatest Day of my Life' stories!! Thank you sir, may I have another? P.S. Go Lakers!

Review written by: erek (exocorp417@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 04:22:10 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

The concert tonight performed by TOOL was completely mind blowing. I had gone to another TOOL concert back in november but the visuals were not as nearly as rich nor explosive. The band introduced themselves with Sober, and assumingly, knowing TOOL, they would play the video "Sober," but they didn't, they played different visuals all together. All though I had kind of hoped to see the video "Sober," the alternative visuals were no short of amazing. The overall musical performance by the guys was awesome especially the "holy trinity": Disposition, Reflection, and Triad. Maynard's additional guitar playing created an extra depth as well as the accompying percussionist playing in unity with Danny during Triad. The visuals throughout the the show was originally fabricated, including the new backdrop designed by Alex Grey, 6 screens projecting the progression of a figure from a skeletal figure to a phosphoresence, explosive lights, and original visual displays during the songs. This show was definitely unlike any other event I have ever seen, and knowing TOOL, it is exactly like them to produce such magic. Maynard, Adam, Justin, and Danny seemed to be 4 different elements united to create perfect harmony. It was awesome how after the last song of the night, Lateralus, the guys came away from their instruments to join together in the middle of the stage and hug. TOOL performed, yet again, a wonderful, spiritually enriching, and mentally enhancing show. They also played Ticks and Leeches, to my surprise. Oh yeah, and Maynard's display of lingerie was also another unique addition. Thanks to the guys in Tool for what they do.

Review written by: Jeremie Jenkins (ICQ# 6583366) Review posted on: 07/14/02 04:31:30 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Before posting this review, I must say that the first Tool show I had seen prior to this one was in November, at Arco Arena as well. And, while it was still an amazing show, (definitely one of the better live performances I have seen), I found myself feeling like it "missed" something. Between the crazy ass Sacramento Tweakers hurling shoes and shit, and a performance that was definitely not all that... "in tune" with the crowd... it just seemed like there was more of Tool out there than I got at the show. "Well, there you have it... thanks for the shoes". This circumstance, however, put me in what I feel is a particularly special position in that it allowed me fee; truly, deeply, and intensly the pure power that the band can unleash when it wishes... and it made the commentary, obviously a direct reference to the last concert (Sometimes you think about what you do and why you do it. But you guys remind us why. Thank you.) feel particularly powerful... I mean, I guess I almost felt as if he was talking to me. I had always hoped that Maynard, Adam, Justin and Danny had chosen specifically to come back to Sacramento early in this next tour and rock the shit out of us. Jesus... I got all I could have wanted. So, given the sorts of more or less unique circumstances under which I had the opportunity to experience the show, I must say that what it comes down to basically is... everything you ever wanted from the CDs but couldn't have. We'll start with Sober. I'm standing in the crowd, having just escaped the security guard who tried to grab me after I jumped the rail on the left wing of arco facing the stage, and the lights go out. A dreamy music is playing out from the stage, and the pit was bathed in colors, while two skeletal images were shown on the screens. And then Sober starts. The crowd pressed, and I pushed my way forward... but from the beginning, after passing a joint around with some people, I just had this vibe that this show was going to be different than the last. Given that I'm about 5'10 and weigh something like 140lbs, I can sort of weasel my way through the crowd with relative ease, although I can't handle a pit well. But despite the insane press, I couldn't help but feel myself lost in the music, and really not giving a shit about the lack of air in my lungs or the incredible thirst which could be mentally acnowledged.. but only long enough to be discarded. At the November show, Tool played no songs before the Aenima album. Sober immediately caught the volatile Sacramento's attention, drew us in... and from that moment on, we were his. If only for a few hours. Ticks and Leaches followed, which was out of hand. I'll admit that I really didn't listen to the song often on the Lateralus album, (the screaming just isn't casually appealing to me) seeing it live was another story. This was an EXPERIENCE, a deep and powerful one... and without the images and the atmosphere, I can see why I lost the true power of the song while just listening to the CD. Next came The Grudge. This is the song that Tool chose to open with at the last Sac show, but it seemed to really fit in better at this point in the show for us. And was it good.. Maynard was in his bra by this time, and the crowd was flowing... Stinkfist, for me, was one of the highlights of the show. I mean... a PINNACLE... the song is playing, and then almost subconciously I register that... this isn't the Stinkfist I'm used to. And then Maynard is singing new lyrics, (Someone told me it was an Elvis song, I'm not sure on that one) and I just lost it. I almost began hallucinating I guess.. I don't know, I wish I could describe the emotion with words. I don't know how to do justice to the song, all I can say is that THIS is why you go to a Tool show. There is an entire world that the band can create at it's shows, and unless you go to one, you really can't understand how miraculous it is to hear a song evolve. H was a surprise, but what can I say? It was played perfectly, it's an amazingly great fucking song, and I loved it. Which brings us to... Schism. Schism, I have to say, was extremely fun, especially given that it's one of those songs I'm sick of hearing on the radio. The only time I've ever found it really appealing was before the album was released and in the context of said album, Lateralus. But given the setting, the power of the words recaptured me like it did before Lateralus was released and i first heard the single... and I'll appreciate it even more in the days to come. Schism is followed by.... OPIATE. this was awesome... I mean really, really awesome. From the moment the first note was struck, the crowd was hit with the impact of what was coming... and what followed was an awesome display that combined an enthusiastic, respectfull crowd with a singularly amazing performance. It was awesome. I mean, it really was. The most amazing thing I've ever witnessed occured during Eon Blue Apocalypse/The Patient. (My memory is a littled blurred here... It's just too much) we were standing, in the crowd, and then suddenly bathed in red light, and small flecks of something began falling from the sky. It was amazing to see the entire crowd just fascinated by these little plastic-looking flecks... the kind of thing you'd make wrapping-paper ribbon out of... just floating and reflecting. The experience really can't be related properly with words... but let's just say for those of us deeply enraptured in the show... chemically altered or otherwise... it was akin to a religious experience. Parabola was a great song, played perfectly... And then there was the intermission dealy. Some things I forgot: A bunch of baloons shaped like a virus suspended on stage by two fan looking things, Adam Jones' suit, and Danny Carrey's Laker's jersey (Which I found quite amusing). A word out to any of those idiots who actually let it piss them off: How fucking petty can you be, really? :P During Disposition I went back to sit with my girlfriend and my older brother in our seats (lower level, row T, section 101, seats 18,19 and 20) and enjoyed the rest of the show from there... which was visually and musically spectactular. Danny Carrey really established the fact that he has got to be the best drummer in the game for me during Triad and Lateralus, but the whole band is just so amazingly beautiful to behold at work.. Maynard's writhing synchronus to the music, his pure control of the fans... it's amazing to watch, anyhow. The show ended with Lateralus... we spiralled out. The images, the energy... everything just said "Dammit, there. We're all sorry about last time, but we made it up to you. We had fun tonight". None of what I have writtain above will really mean anything to anyone who saw the show... actually, it will probably look really bad in comparison because... absolutely nothing could really compare. I guess this review is really just for anyone who has yet to see a show but enjoys the music: If you thought the band was dope on the record, go to a show. Let your mind get blown away. You'll thank yourself for the experience... ultimately, anyways. Spiral Out Tool fans... and to those of you who didn't go to this show because you didn't like the last one, let me tell you... you missed out on what could have been the greatest muscal experience of your lives. -Jeremie Jenkins

Review written by: liz (lillybeth84@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 04:44:35 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

ok so this was my third time seeing tool my second time seeing them in sacramento and let me tell ya i was scared going back to that place...i think its the whole sac state drunk frat boy thing or something,,,,but yea shoe and glowstick throwing is just not appropriate at a concert... ok so yea...sorry im a little scatterbrained,,i had an amazing night...my ears are ringing ok so,,well they played H. need i say more... i hate picking favorites but that definetely is one of my favorites if not my absolute favorite,,,and this was the first time ive heard them play it live...wow was that amazing...it was like it was just me and the band in the room and everyone else didnt even exist. and they played the patient which i hadnt heard them play live and had been hoping they would for a while...amazing the visuals were so explosive,,,and the red glitter confetti was a nice touch;) i dont quite understand moshing to songs like the patient and lateralus...or any tool song really. ya know speaking of that....i would just like to say a little something to the moshheads out there,,,ya know girls like tool too and girls go to their concerts too and girls like to have floor tickets and dance to good music...but they dont like to be rammed into and pushed around and stepped on the whole night either. maybe take that into consideration next time please ok so back to the good stuff oh yea, it was nice to hear maynard talk some more this time...and it was nice that he had real positive things to say. oh and we got to see his boobies!!! well his bra,,,but still his boobies were underneath... adam sounded so good tonight...maybe its just me but he seemed right on it tonight. i really enjoyed the jamming with that one dude towards the end of the show too,,,especiallly with maynard playing guitar. i should probably write reviews the morning after so im not quite so retarded with what i say....oh well oh yea...if anybody out there is going to the L.A. show or any other of the california shows and wouldnt mind hanging out and giving a cool chickee a ride also you should email me and let me know about that...ive got gas money! in conclusion...on the offchance that tool actually might read this one day... thanks guys once again, experiences like that give me hope and fukkin keep me alive and sane,,so thanks for your energy liz

Review written by: hoop! (Hoop!@hoop!.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 05:01:50 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Setlist: Sober Ticks and Leeches The Grudge Stinkfist H. Schism Parabola Eon Blue Apocalypse The Patient Opiate Intermission Disposition Reflection Triad Lateralus Much better than last november. ummm, maynards voice had obviously had its rest. He nailed "just want......to rape you!!!!!" and definately went crazy during Tix. very sweet to see the group hug just like last time. it was funny to watch him spin in circles during the ending of Lateralus. A full two spins. Perfection. H was a pleasant surprise. Ticks was too. and so was opiate. oh and the Patient. maynard talked a lot more this time, which is nice. Its cool to have seen all these tool songs live. the only repeats were grudge, stinkfist, Shism, Parabola, and th trilogy featuring lateralus. no pushit this time, but hey we got it last time. (shrug shoulders) whatever. cant wait to see whats next. new Video? new Album? new DVD? new anything? -Hoop!

Review written by: Andee (bigmancrumbs@cs.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 05:15:20 ET

This was this reviewer's 10th Tool show

So, as it is said, all good things do come to an end. My three nights of Tool are over and while I'm sad I can't follow them further, tonights show reminded me why I've gone through all the effort these years to see them 10 times. At first, I was very upset they weren't going to play Flood, but that emotion lasted only a second when I realized we were going to be treated to Ticks & Leaches instead. It made the whole show come alive and stands out in my mind as one of the greatest Tool moments I've seen since the first time I saw them in 1997. I guess nothing else I say can really describe how wonderful these past three night have been. Me and my friends have logged in almost a thousand miles and over 10 hours on the road, but it's been three nights I'll never forget. For those of you around the country reading these review, know that you really are in for a special treat. The words we throw down on this webpage simply do NOT do justice to the visuals you will see with your own eyes. And to Sacramento . . . thank you for being such a great crowd and redeaming yourselves for the shoe throwing last year!!! You guys were wonderful and in my opinion, put Oakland to shame. It was an honor to drive to not only your city, but Bakersfield to see Tool with you! So until Tool reaches the west coast again (minimum two years?) I bid thee farewell. Until the next tour . . . thank you, good night.

Review written by: trevor (arnilious@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 05:22:56 ET

This was this reviewer's 20th Tool show

The setlist: Sober Ticks and Leeches The Grudge Ions Stinkfist(extended with caught in a trap lyrics) H Schism(extended) Parabola Eon Blue Apocalypse The Patient Opiate Short Break-----------> Dispostion Reflection Triad(with mystery geust) Lateralus Ya tonight was really really good. Tool kicked my ass again. Ticks and leeches was a huge highlight as well as Reflection and Triad. Danny was esspecially good tonight. Thank you for a postive experience. Oh ya Mike Patton was being extra annoying tonight. in between every song he talked about the NBA and made fun of the crowd, it was great.................people were getting really pissed. The crowd deserved it too. People need top open their minds and shut theirs mouths and just listen for a change. I think Patton summed up the problem pretty good. "I know we don't sound like the Deftones"--Mike Patton. Anyways one more show. See you in L.A.

Review written by: Michelle (Sickofmortalkings@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 05:28:18 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Nosebleed seats bedamned that was one great show. Maynard seemed to be in a great mood.. and it seemed that Sacramento was forgiven for it's throwing sins.. He seemed warm and thankful for our screaming bloody murder and that feels good considering I probably wont be able to speak in the morning :) That was a damn good Opiate. They keep getting better. Last time I saw them was in Memorial Auditorium in 98 and it seems (which was obvious from Laturalus) that they've grown so much... not that they werent awesome then. They opened with Sober, awesome way to start! The crowd was a statement in itself.. There were so many different kinds of people around me.. all together in one venue to see such an awesome band.. I think that's what Tool wants. I especially liked the screen he was standing on which was playing the same projections as the big screens up front. Basically I cant really critique each song because I was in a constant state of rapture from the moment they started playing.. I love this band, I love the guys, I love how they arent all about being stars. I respect and admire how maynard started the show in complete darkness and then warmed to the crowd, showing himself and becoming comfortable with us. It's as if he was saying .. Hey bastards, it's not all about me.. listen to the F*cking music.. Either that or he just didnt want to get hit by any wayward debris.. either way you gotta respect the man.. As always he was heavenly in a bra.. who was the extra drummer? am I just out of the loop? The opening band made me laugh.. I've never seen a band purposefully piss off so many people at once.. Anyway.. there's my two cents.. Tool - Spectacular Sacramento - Great crowd tonight. thanks, Michelle

Review written by: Clark (makave1io2@aol.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 05:55:55 ET

This was this reviewer's 5th Tool show

Wow! I think this is by far the best TOOL show I've been to. Setlist was something like: End Of Merkaba-->Sober TICKS AND LEECHES The Grudge (Flawless) Ext. Stinkfist (w/ additional lyrics by nardo) H. Schism Parabola Eon Blue Apocalypse-->The Patient OPIATE Intermission (AWESOME Light Show/Visuals) Disposition Reflection Triad (w/ Sasha) Lateralus Tool was perfect tonight. A very positive and mind- expanding experience was had by many tonight. I'm very glad they changed the set a little bit from the first two shows. Opiate was reallllll nice. Ticks was surprising and amazing. The sound was perfect; it was wayyy better than oakland and bakersfield. There were a few new additions to this show. Maynard was wearing a bra for one; the Parabola grape-like ball only stayed in the air during Parabola. The added lights during intermission really kicked ass. I had awesome seats. Maynard was very positive about the Sacramento crowd (I'm so glad we didn't have the asshole crowd we had last year, where dumbasses threw shoes...) Maynard talked to Adam a lot and smiled at him a lot as well. Justin was groovin' through the entire show...as was Danny. After Lateralus, Danny threw out loads of drum sticks, and everyone else threw other things into the crowd (namely water bottles). Maynard said he hopes to see Sacramento again in the very near future. He also nailed the vocals in Parabola extremely well. Maynard was the first to leave the stage, while adam, danny, and justin all waved to a standing and respectful crowd. This show will have me on a Tool high for a long time...Thanks once again Tool..You rule!....come back soon...

Review written by: Sean (missinbrain@aol.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 06:02:19 ET

This was this reviewer's 5th Tool show

I try so hard not to get my hopes up for any certain song, because every Tool song is good and I think they should play whatever the hell they want. But having said that, I am really excited they played Ticks and Leaches, Maynard utilized his singing voice a tad more than on the CD which gave it even more power. The best thing about this show is the positive vibe I felt from the whole experience. Maynard said something about "hoping we'd had a positive experience" at the show. That's what it's all about. I'm really happy the crowd in Sacto was so great this time. So many different ages and kinds of people there. Tool played perfect of course, and I think someone should check into this for me: I think Danny is an alien with six invisible arms....how does he do that? Someone let me know if you hear anything. My favorite Tool show I've ever seen. I really hope those four guys are proud. I wish I could tell them how much their music means to me. Rock on!

Review written by: Dan (CRAZYNUT7) Review posted on: 07/14/02 11:06:18 ET

This was this reviewer's 8th Tool show

Thank you Tool for playing Ticks and Leeches. That was sick as hell. Thank you Arco Arena for not throwing shoes and hitting the band and causing Maynard to not sing the end of 2 songs. The crowd was nearly almost halfway civilized this time. Whoever is reading this, I hope you were at this show, it was a damn good one.

Review written by: tooljoe (lana_thompson@prodigy.net) Review posted on: 07/14/02 12:06:37 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Well, I'll start off by saying that I was blown away as I was last year at Arco (although this time nobody threw anything and Maynard's microphone didn't break repeatedly). Also very visually stimulating. I loved the videos especially the one with the toilets and the green slime. It's come to my attention that the setlist has not been correctly posted. I only looked at the first several posts, however. Anyways here it is: Sober Ticks & Leeches The Grudge Stinkfist H. Schism Parabola Eon Blue Apocalypse The Patient Opiate (intermission) Disposition Reflection Triad Lateralus I know this is correct because I wrote them down as they played them at the concert. Quite an interesting list. As you can see they chose heavily from Lateralis playing every song from that album. Highlights were Ticks & Leeches (that's right!!), Sober, Stinkfist, Parabola ....... hell every song was a highlight! GREAT JOB TOOL !!!!!!!!!!! By the way can anyone tell me who came out and played drums during Triad? That guy was awesome!

Review written by: Vicki (tokeepmyself@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 12:54:24 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

completely in awe...put on a few pounds there Maynard and you grew a set of tits, oh wait those have always been detachable tits, my bad...i think that anybody who had previously liked Tool because they are hard, now realizes that they are inexplicably awesome musicians, each in their own way...a few extra words in StinkFist, though I'm not sure what they were, has left me wondering...dispostion, refection, and traid (did anyone time that shit?!) was truly spiritual, mix that with some deep meditation and you'll be on your way to a different level of consciousness and lucidity...until next time...

Review written by: Astounded (Tool_Parabol@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 13:07:52 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show

Tool, you take my breath away. Like it's been said by so many others who've posted their review here, it's impossible to recreate the experience the Sacramento fans recieved last night. It was my first show, and I went in there expecting a show I'd remember for the rest of my life, and I left with not a notion of disappointment. Thank you, to Tool and to the Sacramento fans, for coming together last night to create something so damn exciting and energetic that at times my legs felt weak. Ticks and Leeches, Opiate, H, The Patient.... all really made my day. The set, the visuals, and the music combined allowed for an experience unlike anything I have ever witnessed. I'll never forget the moment the during Opiate, right before Maynard screamed, "Jesus Christ why don't you come save my life now...", as the crowd quickly quieted in preparation for something huge... and Maynard and co. exploded in a instant and made all of us scream to the top of our lungs. So to any of you guys *thinking* about buying tickets to a future show on the tour, do it. I can firmly say it's the most well spent 50 dollars of my life. Good luck to Tool and co. on the future leg of the tour, keep rocking places like you did to Sacramento last night, and you'll show people that you are the dominant live band of our time.

Review written by: Darian (darian@cultofdarian.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 13:20:15 ET

This was this reviewer's 11th Tool show

Something special about it being the 11th show I've seen... third on this tour... (One more to go!) Setlist has been posted repeatedly... so on to the review... The show was better (IMHO) than Oakland, but not as good as Bakersfield... it seemed that they planned the Bako show as a place for the hardcore fans to travel to and weed out the idiots... and somehow I sort of felt that they directed "Ticks and Leeches" and "Opiate" to the Sacramento audience. After last year's horrid display of idiocy from the Sacramento fans, I was concerned about the crowd this time around... but it seemed to be okay, not nearly as bad as I expected... I hope that either the music finally touched them or that the idiots are just starting to die off...

Review written by: voltaic (voltaic.nospam@thcnet.nospam.net) Review posted on: 07/14/02 13:31:11 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

What can be said that hasn't been said already? Tool is by far one of the greatest bands of our time. This show was incredible. Thank you Maynard for coming back.

Review written by: enternamehere (enternamehere13@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 13:43:39 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

I have no idea what is wrong with these people posting about this show. I am guessing that about 95% of the audience had no clue as to who the members of Tomahawk were or what to expect of them. Tomahawk did not "suck donkey balls", nor did they suck anything for that matter. I missed buying the CD, but wish I had. A good choice for an opener, overall, and I don't understand you who are so closed-minded and cannot see the art in their music. TOOL was better than last time- as a general statement. They player better, seemed to connect with the crowd more, feed off the energy in the arena, and the artwork presented to the audience was incredible. An amazing show, and glad to hear Opiate. Fans were much *kinder* as well.

Review written by: mattman (mbireadymix@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 13:59:43 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

first off i gotta say how happy i am to have tool return to sac. the guys put on the most amazing show i have ever seen. the crowd had so much positve energy when tool was on stage ( nice change) i hope that anyone who can, gets out to see this tour. as far as tomahawk goes, i wonder why they would get up there and try to piss off most everyone in the crowd and then expect them to relax and enjoy the real talent.. thankfully everyone settled down before tool came on.

Review written by: LOZ (TOOLISTHEBEST@LOZ.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 14:23:33 ET

This was this reviewer's E' Tool show

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Review written by: Master Reviewer (johndoe@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 14:41:38 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show

Amazing show, tool was fucking awesome. Tomahawk sucked and luckily got booed off after they realized how bad they were. All the fun started when tool came out and made a great performance.

Review written by: Catacombs (implodedvoice@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 15:13:54 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

hey this was really good and far superior to the lastshow at the arco arena. i was impressed with all of the alex grey art that unrolled, though i was dissappointed the "Special" confetti was dropped in only one spot. ticks and leeches and opiate were the songs i wanted to hear when i went into the arena, and bless my stars, they played both. far out.

Review written by: Mundus (aenima476@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 15:26:47 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

The show last night at the Arco Arena was by far the best fucking show i have ever seen. I have seen them once before at the shoreline and they were incredible. I didnt think they could get any better but they did. They opened the show with Sober, which they executed perfectly. Awesome opener. They closed it with Lateralis as usual, which is still one of my favorite tool songs. Other highlights were The Grudge, Stinkfist, Schism, Parabola, and Dispostion/Reflection. The opening band Tomahawk was pretty good but the singer is an asshole and his jokes werent very funny. But Tool remains the best fucking band in the world and I hope they come again soon. Here's the setlist: Sober Ticks & Leeches The Grudge Stinkfist H. Schism Eon Blue Apocalypse The Patient Parabola Opiate Disposition Reflection Triad Lateralis

Review written by: embrace (spiraloutkeepgoing@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 15:26:56 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

Hey you! Read reviews already posted for your show to see if somebody already posted the setlist. welp... last night was fucken GREAT. setlist was awesome, finally got to see H live. i feel sorry for the people in front of me... cuz i jizzed all over their backs. the new visuals were breathtaking. there was so much to look at that one simply cant do it. anyway... no ones gonna read this anyway.. so im out. thank you tool, for forgiving sacramento fans and not cutting the set short.. as im from san jose and think that sacramento fans are dumbasses for throwing shit at you. its not your fault all they have there is basketball and cows.

Review written by: Adam (cooper9934@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 15:30:35 ET

This was this reviewer's 6th Tool show

READ THIS REVIEW- - - - - ->>TOOLARMY<< Well first off I think that tool went all out to make up for the last show in November. I saw them in Berekely and they blew me away. The last time they came to arco they seemed just like they were going through the motions, . . . like it was just another night. ON TOOLSHED the the following days people we talking about how MJK hates sacramento and he will never come back. THANK YOU !!!! The members of tool really showed us they were professionals. Many times throughout the show Manyard said thank you and told the fans of Sacremento that we were great. For most of the show I was three rows back so I could see up close what brilliant work the band did. . . AT the end of the show the band stayed on stage for five minutes just listing to the crowd and saying thank you. AT on point during PARABOLA Adam caught Manyard's eye pointed at the crowd and smiled - -then manyard smiled back and kind of shook his head. I remember at one point looking around at thousands of people taking the music of the four members of tool and responding to it in different ways. .. it was great For all of you real tool fans have you uncovered the secret of lateralus yet???? well we all know that tool loves pink floyd right. . . pink floyd had an album called dard side of the moon that went in sync with wizard of oz. well most of us have heard of that. WEll if you stard lateralus right when the MGM LION opens his mought the lateralus will go right along with the movie. Every song on the album goes with it SCARLET LETTERMAN = DORATHY need I say more MATARA is the tornado and schisim starts with it becomes color... . . . . .the weather actully changes when the spell is broken and in the field and it starts to snow. there are actully hundreds of parts i could tall about but that would ruin it for you. Email me if you have any doubts or questions . .. . but trust me no band could pull it off but tool. . . . why do you think lateralus took so long to come out!!!!!! Tool will live forever

Review written by: HH (email removed) Review posted on: 07/14/02 15:47:40 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

I have the sweat of about 80 different people dried on my skin. Last night was the closest I'm ever going to get to an orgy. A turbulent river of people audienced Tool last night. The Sac audience seemed tired from the heat. Maynard slowly disrobed during the performance, unveiling his usual concert attire: women's lingerie. Blame it on the heat. Adam sported a mechanic's jump suit. His stare still fixed and intense. Looking around I noticed certain members of the pit acknowledging the seven pointed star that hung in front of a spiraling orange pattern of eyes. The light rig also formed the seven pointed shape. During Lateralus, a mirrored ball drew some attention. “Black and white are…” The ball sparkled colorlessly. “Red and yellow then came to be” Red illuminated the lower half of the globe, yellow illuminating the “equator”. The other shows Tool shows I’ve experienced: Reno during the Aenima tour, and last year at Shoreline. My favorite moment from last night happened at the end when the band embraced. Thank you Tool. You’ve impacted my life in ways I can’t describe. HH.

Review written by: Some guy (youthinkthisworks@notlikely.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 15:57:06 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

The whole night was amazing - words can not describe. ...the place got so hyped as it went dark - and then the head appeared on the videa screens - circling into his third eye and out his mouth - man I got goosebumps. You could sense howl eager everyone was. Then Sober started - wow. That is the best moment time I ever had in a pit. Everyone just pumped up, singing along (*correctly* :p), letting their bodies flow. Unbelievable. Then the night got better. Thnx tool. PS - Not every guy with some muscle is a meat.

Review written by: Master Reviewer (none) Review posted on: 07/14/02 16:10:39 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show

Well, Tool was amazing and I was totally blown away buy their entire performance and the visuals. So much has been said about them and everything is right on, but I want to talk about the opening band. Tomakawk seemed very conceited. Not only were they bad musicians, but they were rude to the Sacramento audience for no reason. I really don't care about basketball, but they were completely out of line, going out of their way to insult us. "You think you're so fucking cool" is one that stands out to me. I'm sure that made him feel so good to be able to say something like that to thousands. But Tomahawk's performance really did not ruin the night for me at all. When Tool was onstage, you could feel the difference in attitude radiating, even from way back in the second to last row of the upper level. I won't even mention how much better Tool sounded... Anyways, Tomahawk needs to get rid of their Grudge.

Review written by: Alexa (mrsmankind@aol.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 16:27:51 ET

This was this reviewer's 6th Tool show

Both Oakland and Sacramento were incredible, though that is to be expected. It amazes me the seamless formula the band has devised for their live performances. Opening with Sober to engage certain fans and get it out of the way for others; playing slightly different set lists at each concerts, each time with a song that represents each stage of their career evolution; and ending with Disposition/Reflection/Triad and Lateralus allows for transcendance. I could not ask for a better set list. It also amazes me how gracious, friendly, and inspiring they are. With Maynard as a voicepiece, they seem to emanate a sense of goodwill and thanks. Especially when you compare them to the old days (or what I've heard about the old Opiate days, because I was a baby then). They have so totally evolved and progressed in their creativity and -- it seems -- their own lives. It gives me incredible amounts of hope. The lighting/set designs/artwork was more than I expected. Though I did hope before the show that a handful of the Sacred Mirrors might make an appearance...and they did! The lighting (which at concerts usually just annoys me) made a major impact. It really required two viewings for me to take it all in. I hope the images, words, music, and ideas presented have inpired thought and research in the people who have attended recent Tool concerts. Oh, and a tip for anyone reading this before attending a show: bring binoculars. If the dicks at the venue don't push you out too quickly after the show, it is worth it to take in the Grey artwork that remains suspended above the stage at the end. Thanks for reading! Enjoy

Review written by: Scott Wittenberg (dipthong2k@aol.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 16:34:08 ET

This was this reviewer's 6th Tool show

Alright, Ill make this short and sweet. First of all, the night started REALLY strong when they first played sober. EVERYONE in the entire place was singing along at the TOP of thier lungs.It was a really powerfull moment. I get chills just thinking about it now. And then right away, they busted straight into tickes and leeches!!! That was one of the most amazing tool moments I think ive ever witnessed. The whole place just went of the hook. Nobody could fucking beleive they were playing it!! Other than that, the show was tottally sic, WAY BETTER CROWD THAN OAKLAND!! Sorta missed aenema and flood, but was easily redeemed by ticks and leeches and opiate. I just hope they dont take TOO long to come back. Anyway, last night(and the night before) just further supported my theory that TOOL IS THE GREATEST ROCK BAND ON THE PLANET!!!!

Review written by: Tomahawk (vhadyf0@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 16:51:07 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

I just wanted to take the time to talk about Tomahawk for a while. I could spend a much longer time talking about TOOL and their breathtaking performance, however, I know many people have already posted about it and it woudn't make much difference if one more guy like me told you the same thing everyone else did. On with the post. Even though I know most of those who went to the "Sacto" show had no idea who Mike Patton was (not to mention Tomahawk), I felt it was highly innappropriate to Boo him on and off stage. Many people took what he said way too personally even though most of what he said was true. It helps to take a step back and laugh every once in a while. As for Tomahawk's performance I did, along with the rest of you notice that their performance was a little sloppy and could have used a few more houurs of rehearsal. But I also thought Mike (lead singer) did a pretty good job considering all the equipment he had to work with. Thats all for now. _another face in the crowd_

Review written by: Ferenczy (Pollux95630@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 18:16:27 ET

This was this reviewer's 6th Tool show

Everytime I see Tool it's just as powerful if not more than the first time I saw them. I was worried that it would be another typical Sacramento concert crowd but everyone was well behaved and Maynard seemed to acknowledge the fact. I will say that Tomahawk's lead singer sure didn't boost his bands album sales in our area with his anti-Sacramento/anti- Kings commentary. I mean it's okay to wear the jersey and support your team, but when you act like a 5-year old immature bitch and taunt a crowd and belittle them, that's just begging to get your ass kicked. Other than that a perfect night and one of Tools most refined shows that I've seen....a true mindbender.

Review written by: Megan (dustyhar1@hotmai.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 19:29:57 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st! Tool show

What can I say? Tool again proved their genius tonight, and further provoked us to question ourselves and others: "How does a band who has already achieved perfection continue to improve?" They are by far THE single most stimulating, thought-provoking, and all-around BEST muscians out there today. I wish I could tell Tool how much I respect them and hold them in the highest esteem. They are generous, courteous, unselfish guys, whilst they have every reason to be egotistical and flaunt it like those lesser bands. They choose to go the mature, gracious route and do what they love (and definately us too): perform their music. They concentrate on and make the central focus their music, not themselves. They have such an impact on so many fans, me included, and it's absolutely breathtaking how they can affect myriads of people, worldwide! This was my first Tool show (I couldn't go to the last one due to being out of town at the time, much to my chagrin) and I went away without the slighest bit of disapointment. It was totally worth it, and those of you who didn't go, you missed out on the greatest musical demonstration you could ever experience. I am more so a Tool fan (was that even possible?!) after seeing that astounding and mind-blowing performace. Tomahawk: it's not very smart marketing to come onstage and try their best to piss off a crowd on purpose like that. Especially one as dedicated to their home team as we are (me included). And insulting and pushing his own bassist? They certainly couldn't expect to sell very many CD's to us after a disgusting act like he put on. I certainly wouldn't purchase one, now. We bought tickets, thus providing THEM with money and a job, don't you think he'd have some decency and be a little grateful? Don't get me wrong, I think the band has potential. If they come together more, they won't be too bad. But Mike needs to lessen his ego before they could hope to become anything bigger. Nevertheless, their performance really highlighted Tool's genius when they came onstage and relieved us of Tomahawk's discourteousness. Thank you Sacramento for being a behaved crowd this time, other than turning Arco into a smokebox (expected, though). Maybe this will evoke Tool to make a trip back here in the near future... Anyways, everything has been said already about the setlist and the superb songs played. Every last one of them were executed perfectly, and a better show could not possibly exist, ever. Only Tool could pull this off. The artwork, videos, and confettii heightened this positive experience. Talk about sensory overload! This show had it all. Except for contortionists. I also loved how they teased us to make us drool with pieces from other great songs of theirs like No Quarter (yes, it WAS there!) and Pushit. Danny MUST have 6 invisible arms; he is absolutely amazing! Words escaped me on describing the encounter; it's like none other. Tool is just too good for words. A good metaphor would be a fine wine: better with age. You don't just hear their music, you FEEL it too, with every fiber of your body, every last atom reverberates with the melodious expression of the harmony between Maynard, Danny, Adam, and Justin. This wasn't just a concert; this was an EXPERIENCE. THANK YOU Tool for allowing us to share with you your amazing talents and generously giving us this surreal experience to embrace forever. You are immortal. Think for yourself. Question authority. - Megan

Review written by: DaneboJones (DaneboJones@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 19:59:38 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

Well everyone has already said everything possible about the show One thing that I thought was very good about the show was that as the band was bowing and the fans were cheering, Maynard gave the audience devil horns. This sent the place nuts. Thanks tool.

Review written by: brian (bwigley@ucsd.edu) Review posted on: 07/14/02 20:16:23 ET

This was this reviewer's nth Tool show

I will write a detailed review of this show and the Oakland one after I see the LA one tonight... (yeah three shows total). But I did notice that Maynard has gained some weight, he has a gut now. It looked like they were having fun, Danny was smiling at Justin many times. Obviously Danny wore the Laker Jersey on purpose.. playing the the same arena that the Lakers beat the Kings in. The crowd was awesome, the floor was civilized this time. I was one person back from the rail right in the center. Brian

Review written by: No One Special (dont_bother@it_doesnt_work.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 21:11:04 ET

This was this reviewer's 5th Tool show

Some descripitons of tool already, so I won't add to it. 3 things: 1. Security was kewl (never thought I would say that). Had no probs with people smoking out, in general very polite. Even heard one older lady ticket taker remark that we were more civilized than the Janet Jackson concert :D 2. I died laughing at the end - the recorded robotic ending message was something like "Get the fuck up. Go home. Nothing to see here. Get your ass up" pretty funny. 3. Tomahawk a. Music was alright - they need to get cleaner. All the time Mike spent messing with the audio controls really distracts from the overall show - he needs to split those duties off. b. I did think the entrance was kewl (he wore a policeman's outfit and had on a gas mask) c. He did say "You think you're so fucking cool." , but lets remember the context. This was before he started Kings bashing. He had tried to get the crowd going - and they weren't having it. True some of it was because they weren't all that good, but he at least got you guys emotional.

Review written by: Amory (amoryb@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/14/02 21:33:01 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd? Tool show

This was my second Tool show, I went to Oakland for my first. Anyway, everyone's basically covered Tool rather well so I'd rather talk about Tomahawk real quickly. They were totally cool to the Oakland crowd but for some reason wanted to just piss off the Sac crowd. Cowbell comments and especially the whole Ribbing of the Kings (which I found hillarious myself...damn you guys take things so damn personal.) Anyway, there was too much feedback (and I'm sure it was just to rile up the crowd) but Stanier (ex-helmet drummer) was just on fire as usual. Him and Carey were the two that inspired me to take up drumming so seeing them both in one night was magical. Anyway, Tomahawk was much better in Oakland so if you are going to a future show, you may still want to check them out. Getting Aenema one night and Opiate the next was awesome. I didn't know if they would change the set list up because of the visuals but they did so that was cool. P.S., I went wasted to Oakland and Sober to Sacramento...I am still trying to decide which mind state was better.

Review written by: Chun (shiznit69@go.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 00:40:23 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd! Tool show

This was the most phenomenal show I have ever been to. The setlist was perfect. It took the crowd through ever emotion possible and at the end of the concert left us all emotionally drained but loving Tool even more. The artwork and sound and everything about the concert was perfect. The last show at Sac left a distaste that almost not make me want to come to this one, but I'm sure glad I came to this one. Amazing what can happen when jackass don't throw shoes at Maynard and piss him off. The moshing was alright except people were sometimes moshing at wrong times. And best of all Lots and Lots of great looking women there.

Review written by: Satan (suckmyasshole@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 01:17:35 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Tomahawk put on a bad show, musically. But I bought the CD simply because its Mike Patton, come on. The CD kicks much ass. They insulted the Kngs and the city of Sacramento numerous times which was funny as hell because I hate this town and basketball is dumb. Tool was amazing. They opened with sober which I hoped to hear last tour but they never played it, so I was stoked to hear it. Ticks and Leeches was awsome. I was a little bummed to not hear the Salival version of Pushit as some asshole threw a bottle of water at him and hit him in the head forcing him to stop singing right at my favorite part!..btw, if I find you I will rip your face off you bastard! The sets were awsome, the alex grey work rocked! That ball thing from the parabola video added a nice touch to the song. Maynard was a little more talkative to the crowd which was cool! I was shocked and delighted to hear Opiate! I got chills all over my body all throughout the set, it was awsome! They have raised the bar for all concerts that will ever take place again, I hope that even they can meet the challenge with the next tour...if the world doesnt end next year. LAter.

Review written by: Meghan (plaidhatter@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 02:29:29 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

To start off I'd like to say that the show was overall absolutely amazing. Every time I see TOOL they get better and more breath taking. Tomahawk on the other hand was disappointing to me. I really expected more from Mike Patton after such endevors as Faith No More, but what I got was a jumbled sound with awful feedback through the whole set. The feedback may or may not have been their fault but the point is it took away from the band, clouding my ability to listen to them with any seriousness. But I was impressed with how well Mr. Patton delt with the crowds pleas for him to get off the stage, he simply shrugged it off, made fun of them a little, and kept on playing. Handled like a true professional. :) After a mere 20 minute intermission TOOL came on and the next 2 hours were a mixture of audio and visual pleasure. The music speaks for itself, stunning as always, but it was the visuals that caught me off guard. The typical animations were played with their corresponding songs, but there was plenty of new stuff to tease the imagination. It was hard to decide which was more interesting, watching the band, or watching the two video screens above the stage. Trying for a happy balance seemed to be the best bet. I personally enjoyed the backdrop they had behind the stage for this show. Very hard to describe but I will try. In the middle was a woman's face and the style looked as if it were carved out of wood. On either side of her face were Romanesque faces in the style of that time period, they were positioned so they were a profile/extension of her face. And on either side of the centerpiece were two faces that looked as if they were screaming, in a more Mexican "Day of the Dead" skeleton style. Overall very cool looking. They continuously changed the look of the backdrop throughout the show by flashing lights and patterns across it creating some very cool effects. The show was amazing, and the whole experience was well worth my 3 hour drive from San Jose.

Review written by: Colby Blair (theresnogoodnamesleft@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 03:33:41 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st Tool show

This show was awsome. It was my first concert ever, but it doubt it will be topped, except by tool. Hey, everyone in the crowd, it would be nice if everyone could listen instead of see who can get the closest. And it ain't cool to butt rape people at the end of Lateralus; any song but the last one, it would be nice to get to concentrate. I won't even try to remember the setlist; it started with Sober, then I think Ticks and Leeches, which was awsome. During T+L, Maynard looked like he was singing from his megaphone straight into his pickups on his Jackson headless. Can anyone explain? They were all awsome, of course, Tool will never die. And I am not from Sac, so I thought Tomahawk kicked ass. Everyone booed them, but when they were playing, lots of people were still groven, with their fingers in the air. If you are offended by all the Kings shit he was dishing out, than that just proves his point... he didn't mean anything but to piss EVERYONE off. Even me when he dissed the Deftones, but the music was still good. It was awsome when he whipped out the CB radio and started fuckin with the Sec. Guards head, shoven it in his face! It was definatly worth the 24 hours of driving and flying. Stop what you are doing right now and go see them. Until next time, Tool's cool, stay in school, and keep smokin'.

Review written by: michæl (unlearn1@pacbell.net) Review posted on: 07/15/02 04:03:40 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

ok this was truly an amazing show. my first time on teh floor at any show ever!!! anyway being on teh floor made the show so much more intense. somethign about fighting for your life that just brings teh show to life.(i wasnt moshing i was just being swept around in the crowd) oh and to make teh night even better i got one of danny's drumsticks. i am also really glad sacremento behaved this time around cause last year i went to the shoreline show right after the sacto show and the band was obviously pissed and they dont deserve that they are just people like me and you. it was also awesome seeing h. which is honestly the song that i love the most. ok im outta here, keep in mind TOOL is the best band to ever grace earth.

Review written by: Kristy Kamrar (Eulogy090@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 04:08:38 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show

It was perfect. Maynard is an awesome performer, and everyone should go see them. I, for one, can die happy now : )

Review written by: James (jstraigh@calpoly.edu) Review posted on: 07/15/02 07:00:48 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

Having seen Tool at Lollapalooza(97), San Jose State, Shorline, and Arco (most recently) I would have to say that Tool put on one of, if not the most impressive, intense, shows seen to date . Anyone who was there, or anyone who has read the set list knows that Tool performed 'Ticks & Leeches'. Never have I heard them (Maynard, Danny, Justin, Adam) manifest this song outside of the studio. Needless to say, it was an experience. Maynards vocals were the cleanest I had heard, and Danny (as always) was on hit. Although I had seen Tool on the Lateralus tour at Shorline, this show was quite unique. As always, the video was essentially indescribable. Also, this show featured an incredible holographic backdrop, a red shower for The Patient, 5 banners depicting the transition from bone to light, and some new video footage. These images, be that as they may, created some nice third eye candy. Along with an extended version of Stinkfist (which was excellent), my favorite performences were Opiate, Triad, The Patient, H (singing: "I am too connected to you, to slip away, fade away..."), and of course, the last song of the set, Lateralus (featuring the Maynard two-step). Finally, Arco erupted as the band members embreced at center stage. Maynard had hoped that the enegry from the show, from Tool's music, would lead to positive and forward progress. If anything, the fans at Arco were forced to think (as they walked mostly silently out of the arena), which showed me that some degree of progress was achieved by everyone there.

Review written by: Me (you@rule.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 11:48:22 ET

This was this reviewer's 15th Tool show

That was the funniest shit listening to all the Kings fans whine at Mike Patton. Then Danny tops it off by wearing a full Lakers uniforn. Lighten up people. Did anyone catch Maynard change the lyrics to an Elvis song. Suspicious Minds ? If you are going to see them on this tour, you better be prepared to get your mind blown. Go Lakers !

Review written by: Misty (tool2deftones2@aol.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 12:40:10 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

This was an awesome show. Way fucking better than the last Sacramento Show. The fans were in control this time. Maynard came out in like leather pants and jacket, then took the jacket off to reveal a black bra and some big tits. Then, near the end, he came out from back stage in just the bra and some panties and I could see his ass crack hanging out. HA HA HA AWESOME CONCERT!!! I love TOOL

Review written by: Danny Jones-Keenan (Keenan@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 13:26:19 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th? Tool show

Well, just to reiterate what many other perceptive viewers observed about saturdays show, the opening band was a complete disgrace. Although I don't know if I would say they sucked donkey balls, they sucked huge sweaty puss-filled fucking lice ridden elephant balls! Anyone who says "fuck tool" before a tool show is out of their fucking mind! Enduring their sappy, uninspired and totally unoriginal set was truly one of the most difficult challenges I have ever had to face. But enough of this place that is so negative and blind and cynical - TOOL WAS UNBE-FUCKING-LIEVABLE!!!!!! Justin was rocking, Adam was ripping it up, Maynard was in perfect form and Danny Carey was off the hook. The set list was spectacular, the back drops were mind-blowing and the sound was unparalleled. Rock on gentlemen - spiral out...

Review written by: Adam (cooper9934@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 13:50:50 ET

This was this reviewer's 6th? Tool show

I WENT TO A TOMAHAWK SHOW AND STUCK AROUND FOR TOOL!!!!!!!!! Well not really but i was pretty lucky to see two of my favorite bands at once. Tomahawk come out to GOD HATES A COWARD -- during the first three songs it seems like Mike Pattons rig was not working correctly but he got it together. All of you who did not like tomahawk GET A FUCKING CLUE - -- the music is not for everyone and true PATTON fans want to keep it like that. Why do you think that he come out and pissed the crowd off. Who cares - - -I would do the same think in L.A. if we won. If you were one of the few people who understood his unique music try FANTOMAS - -they opened for tool on the last tour. They are a little less mainstream them Tomahawk. BUt if you have an open mind to music give them a try. PATTON IS A GENIUS. . ... .and the band is really really talanted. At one point someone in the crowd yelled out something to patton - - he responded by saying something like he is a geek and spends to much time on the internet clapping his hands. .. . but then he looked back at he and said I love ya brother keep it going. .. or some think close to that. .. . I just thought that was cool. .. . Just so SACRAMENTO fans know - -- TOMAHAWK was just trying to get under your skin. . . .reading the reviews above it looking like it worked. .. . Oh what was danny wearing again. . . . ha ha. . . .Tomahawk it great. .. . . thank you

Review written by: toolahawk (calynk@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 14:03:58 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

Man, all I have to say is, for an audience of a band that professes the teachings of Leary (i.e. "think for yourself, question authority..) You chumps, for the most part can't get over your selves and think on a little bit wider plane. Basketball is a lame sport and being defensive and angry over something that is so entirely irrelevant is stupid. Booing Tool's opening band is boring. I realize you guys are basically jealous because Tomahawk is opening for them and Mike patton is pfriends with tool and you are not. But you guys ar elame

Review written by: SasZ_T00L_Junkie (maynards_wife@tool.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 14:10:25 ET

This was this reviewer's 8th Tool show

Once again, it was a fabulous show. Exactly right on and tight as hell. I think I even wept slightly when the show was over. Also- Thanx to the meat-heads & jocks... for only slightly fucking up the vibe with their ridiculous behavior.

Review written by: NV (chino333@lycos.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 14:33:05 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

I saw Tool this saturday in Sacramento CA. they absolutley blew me away. I took my girlfriend (who is just starting to listen to rock) and once the show was over, her jaw just dropped. The quality was that of a studio recording only 10x better at least. If you have a chance please see Tool this summer, you will truely regret missing them, trust me. Tomahawk on the other hand... well lets just say i lost all respect for mike patton. when he wasnt getting every ones full attention he threw a fit and started "dissing" sacramento and all the people who lived there. his use of the synthesizer (for his voice) was way overused and abused. the repetition was incredible, I never thought any experienced musician would be that uncreative. once their set was over, they finally got the applause they sought. but dont let Tomahawk detour you away from tool. i would have endured a celine dion concert just to see them again!

Review written by: Greg (gdembeck@comcast.net) Review posted on: 07/15/02 14:53:37 ET

I don't think Mike Patton really cares about album sales. He has enough of an audience to know that he can piss of Sacramento if he wants. Plus I don't think he really cares about offending anyone. In England he urinated on a photographer at one of Tomahawk's shows. So... ...Tomahawk is an awesome BAND, and I'm talking about the MUSIC... Just expect thrash/punk/alt-rock sorta... that's the JESUS LIZARD guitarist...the MELVINS bassist...and HELMET drummer... great bands, remember them???? Fucking idiots, Tomahawk rules.

Review written by: Michael (culdesac81@aol.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 15:32:01 ET

This was this reviewer's 5th Tool show

Tomahawk was awesome...Patton once again never lets me down. Those of you who say you "lost respect" for patton because of what he said...UHHH, HAVE U EVER SEEN A MIKE PATTON SHOW???? He ALWAYS talks shit no matter where he is. It's always been a part of his show (especially for big venues)...he said himself he gets off on the booing...don't know why but he is one of the most eccentric mofo's out there...I was laughin my ass off the whole time because i knew he was going to say something about Sac and then when i heard the crowd taking it personal i just laughed even more because u took it to the heart...WAHHHHH.....PATTON RULES! And everyone else has posted about tool so there isn't really anything else to post except for the fact they once again rocked the house.

Review written by: Greg ... Again (gdembeck@comcast.net) Review posted on: 07/15/02 15:38:24 ET

I think it's funny that Tool fans can completely miss the message their favorite band is conveying and be so narrow minded all the time. Before you try and find something wrong with Tomahawk, try to find something right about them. Thank you again.

Review written by: Mr. Bungle (lazzzznate@aol.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 17:32:02 ET

This was this reviewer's 5th Tool show

Mike Patton is pure genius!! Tomahawk kicks so much ass! If you didnt "get it" - Keep it to yourself... GO LAKERS!!! (why are Sacto fans so sensitive??)

Review written by: Master Reviewer (eskimo_95678@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 17:32:11 ET

This was this reviewer's 9th Tool show

TOOL OWNED! thats all i can say about that, they were in- freaking-credible! so yeah moving along. Patton is not a genius. those of you patton supporters have become tools...not like the band but like the midless sheep you are. the only reason he went off on sacto is because the crowd didnt like them from the get go. their set up was horrible. the feedback became predictable, they could stand to practice a LOT more. everything they played was beyond repetitve. Patton just threw a rockstar tantrum once people stopped paying attention to him. its quite pathetic that 30- some year old man could act so childish but whatever, hes onstage not me so he can do want he wants. oh and by the way to the people who say "have you ever been to a mike patton show before? he gets off on pissing people off!" well no i havent been to a mike patton show but i have been to a FAITH NO MORE show and saw MR BUNGLE, but never mike patton alone so i have no idea what he does. In 1988 when i saw faith no more open up for billy idol, he was extremely curtious so thats unfair to say hes always like that. he actually sand the NESTLE commercial for an interlude. mr bungle got booed off stage, not because mike patton opened his mouth but because nobody liked the group. They opened for system of a down BTW. he didnt have a chance to say a word to the crowd for fear of getting hit with the wave of flying bottles.

Review written by: Josh (Mulletcrazy69@Hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 21:43:10 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Wow, what a show! First off tomahawk was ok. I really liked the fact that mike patton started making the crowd pumped up by dissing kings fans. Enough about that, TOOL was awesome. I Really enjoyed the list of songs they played. I was a little dissapointed that they didn't play anemia and 46&2, and prision sex! I soon forgot about that when they played ticks and leeches and opiate. Wow they played those songs perfectly! I really enjoyed sober, the patient, Lateralus, and parabol. I dont know who was playing the drums with daney during reflection. but whoever he was he did and awesome job. The crowd really got into it after that! As far as the crowd they were great. I was there last november during the imfamous "Shoe" incident. i only saw one thing fly on stage and that might have been a shoe, I am unsure. Also their new set/backdrop was awesome. A lot better than last november. I hope they come back to Sacto because i will be in line for tickets. On a Last note, i have to agree with manyard when he said..."Sacramento TOOL fans are the Best!"

Review written by: Bryan Biasca (TheSlaytanicDisciple@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/15/02 21:47:18 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show

My Concert Review for TOOL @ The Arco Arena In Sacramento Holy SHIT!!!! Talk about a Fuckin Show. TOOL surpassed every show i have ever seen in my life, and I thought that nothing could Beat SLAYER. TOOL Was every thing i thought it would be and more. The Set List was killer. I love the way they started the show with a little journey inside of our selves and then went right into SOBER. I am so glad that i didnt go to the Oakland show because i heard that they didn't play Ticks and Leeches. Every song was played to perfection and maynards voice is incredible. Danny Carrey is perhaps the best Drummer In the World. Adam Jones is a genius on guitar (I have a new Guitar Idol), Justins bass solos where amazing. They played all of the right songs. The Screens were Awesome and the Stage Set was Breath taking. The way the lighting was set up created a whole other world. For those 2 and a half-to- 3 hours its like i was in a whole other world. They are truly the Greatest Band to ever Grace the Stage. I can take all of my other Concert Experiances and shuve them all together and they still wouldn't beat this show. This show was enough to turn a die-hard SLAYER fan into a full fledged TOOL HEAD. The Energy/Soul/Heart/Sweat that they put into their set Surpassed anything that I have ever seen in my entire life. The whole way that they tied their unique music with rare ahh-inspiring art just truly proves how genuis this band is. These men aren't just musicians they are ARTISTS. The amount of Talent that this band has is Amazing and Scary. I Feel very Fortunate to have seen this Show and I will never Forget It. TOOLS performance proved to me that the Life of Rock and Roll that todays bands are playing out dont mean shit. Just because you can pick up a guitar and play a riff, or scream into a mic dosen't mean that you are a musician In order to be a musician you must go deeper and i know that now, In order to be a musician you must be an Artsist, Because MUSIC is ART. Thank you for the Experiance of a lifetime.

Review written by: Master Reviewer (sde@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 07/16/02 01:28:35 ET

This was this reviewer's 13 Tool show

Hey you! Read reviews already posted for your show to see if somebody already posted the setlist. What a show! I met the band tonight and made a site: http://liquidjoesmelvins.homestead.com/buzz.html

Review written by: Jared (nemo913@aol.com) Review posted on: 07/16/02 02:29:31 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

Hello, WOW! Ive never danced that way before! It was the most exstatic trance. It would be very difficult to come anywhere close to a description of that most beautiful moment that I shared with Tool and the people in Arco Arena that night, So I'd just like to say thank you. Thank you Tool, so much, your music has moved my body, opened my mind, and has helped me discover who I am. Thank you to the awesome people that were at Arco Arena. Thank you to the beautiful people that danced with me WOW i know you two were feeling it! Thank you to my friends Tim #1, Tim #3, Caitlynn, Brandon, Tara, Josh, Cory, and Jamie who all made the journey with me from Salem, Oregon I love you all so much, that was a vacation of all vacations. Inlak'ch, Nameste love Jared P.S. thank you to the security gueard who searched my girlfriend and didnt find that bag of mushrooms :)

Review written by: Namffoh Cire (zostrianos447@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 07/16/02 03:25:53 ET

This was this reviewer's 12th Tool show

Each time I go see TOOL live it is like a communion with greatness. Three words ON THE MONEY. The music, the art, the humbleness of the band. They really have come a long way since the days of opening for the likes of Rollins and Primus. Better and better each time. The Parabola video was breathtaking. If you have an opportunity to see TOOL live, do not pass it up for anything.

Review written by: Clinton (clitoris@dissolvedgirl.net) Review posted on: 07/16/02 04:40:31 ET

This was this reviewer's 4th Tool show

this was such an amazing show! mike called me a geek...it was kind of embarassing, he was like "look at that geek!" and i was like errrr..... lol oh well, tool was grand. i met a lot of awesome people while waiting in the pit line, i'm the guy from texas, email me if you met me, adios!

Review written by: Mr. Bungle (lazzzznate@aol.com) Review posted on: 07/16/02 12:28:47 ET

This was this reviewer's 5 Tool show

For all you Sacto peeps who got pissed when Patton dissed the Kings... Did you hear what he did in LA? He wore a cop uniform and said: "I hear you guys love cops down here in Inglewood" (for those who dont know - some cops just got caught beating up a guy in inglewood last week) So yes, he was just trying to aggrevate you Kings fans - dont take it so personally...

Review written by: Entheogenic (tool7001@earthlink.net) Review posted on: 07/16/02 13:19:45 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

my second tool show...amazing...

Review written by: Jacob (itscallingme@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 07/16/02 17:48:10 ET

This was this reviewer's 7th Tool show

I flew from Ohio and drove from southern California (860 miles round trip) to see this show. It was worth every dollar and every hour. All I have to say is ticks and leeches. I saw them 3 times last year and never heard it. That song live was enough. I was on the floor and let me say it was way more pissed off than Bakersfield. I loved ever second of that show except for Tomahawk, they fucking suck. Can't wait to see TooL in Cleveland and Cinncinati and to scream out you fucking suck to Tomahawk again. I Loved my trip to California, you guys rock and you girls are hot! -Peace-

Review written by: Nate D (ZehKern@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/16/02 17:52:12 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Well, I was only a few feet from the band, and they were on. Danny grew quite a fan club in the front rows, and he showed them the reason he deserves all the attention that he gets. Maynard was positive and in great tune. Ticks and Leeches kicked my ass, I had no clue they could play it so well! H was amazing, truly one of Tool's best songs, and it looked like the whole band was really into it. Triad was amazing, when they busted out it really moved the air around. The ender was great, Maynard talking about positive movements before they played Lateralus, which was preformed with more stregnth than at the previous Sac show I was at. The people in the crowd were ok for the most part, but there was no water for people in the pit.

Review written by: Heidi (i46and2@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 07/16/02 17:57:37 ET

This was this reviewer's 13th Tool show

Since I have only posted one review prior to this and have been to many shows in-between I have taken the liberty of making this one quite thorough. As a result it is extremely long so my warnings are…skip it if you don’t wish to hear me delve into more than just a review of the concert. Feel free to contact me if you wish to comment (positively and/or negatively so long as your remarks are intelligent and well founded; my yahoo account doesn’t have a lot of extra space (smile) (i46and2@yahoo.com is the address). Here is my review…I hope you enjoy it: Rock and roll has always been a religious experience for me because there is nothing more beautiful in this world to me than great music. Few artists, however, have actually been up to the daunting task of uniting spirituality and rock in their performances. Perhaps this is what makes TOOL so remarkable. The lyrics combined with the musical stimulant (s)…(obviously there are numerological references that entice the brain to think more deeply; a 22 second scream is an impossibility by most accounts and certainly stimulates thought at the very least on the basest of levels.) that lead one to experience, if Sober, something more beautiful than any drug could ever offer. I have seen them 3 times under the influence of various things and 10 times sober so I hope you know I am only suggesting you be sober for your own great experience and not to be pompous in any way (smile) If you’ve ever heard the statement “high on life” and given a little chuckle I know exactly where you are coming from… since these last three shows, however, I have realized that this is exactly the gift they are offering you. TOOL’s music could easily be passed off under the ubiquitous label of "New Age Music" simply because of all the spiritual references that are found within their songs. Maynard’s snake-like movement, reminiscent of the Kundalini, and Danny’s humanly impossible drumming alone tend to send you into a whirl of lateral eye movement trying to view both at the same time…then you add in Adam’s amazing guitar texturing and art show (which he has managed to do simultaneously by using screens) and Justin’s intense base playing all of which send you into utter shock from the beauty. These 3 shows certainly caused me to “…embrace my desire to feel the rhythm, to feel connected, enough to step aside and weep like a widow, to feel inspired, to fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain, to swing on the spiral of our divinity and still be a human.” The remainder of my review will touch on these very topics and so I have labeled each as such: “Embrace my desire to feel the rhythm” is apparent because I went to the concert completely sober (as I have often) just so I could intensely feel the entirety of the experience without any anesthetization (smile) The culmination of my TOOL experiences has brought me to the realization that being sober gives you the opportunity to feel everything more acutely…their shows are the pinnacle of this “feeling” experience (smile). “To feel connected” was certainly achieved by attending the pre-show picnic (which really is just waiting in line for most of the day in order to secure those bone crunching spots in the front J). This gathering offered my partner and I the chance to meet with several amazing people who love TOOL with an equal zest. There was street art composed of bananas and doughnuts, free sandwiches and chips and Rock-Med who kept us hydrated and well slathered in sunscreen. There were generous individuals who shared their umbrellas to protect us from the sun (Chris, Avi, Halley, Tyler, etc.), there was a mother and son team (Nora and Clinton) who turned out to be two fabulous individuals with beautiful spirits and Dave who obviously enjoyed his first TOOL experience on his birthday and more wonderful people that I, unfortunately, failed to catch their names…a pre-TOOL revelry that I will cherish for a lifetime! “Weeping like a widow” occurred during several songs where just knowing that I was witnessing miracles…Danny playing Opiate (which, by the way, is really humanly impossible, tee hee), Maynard singing like an angel all the while contorting his body in beautifully rhythmic motions, Adam playing the most amazing riffs while merely standing with a small smile and barely moving, and Justin’s evocative baseline compelling you to “feel it move upon my [your] skin”. Aside from all this the song “Parabola” which amazed me because even the little pernicious little elbowing twits in the audience seemed to be celebrating their “chance to be alive and breathing” and the song “Reflection” which puts me into a sacred trance just hearing it on my stereo and easily causes one to weep when witnessed live (smile). “To feel inspired”…when Maynard encourages us to take our experience (good, bad or indifferent) and create something positive I think that it would be wonderful if everyone could stop and listen for a moment so that everyone could actually hear this. Since the last tour (when my partner and I saw them in Berkley twice, LA twice and San Diego once) when he began delivering this message I have been inspired to send out more positive energy in everything I do…whatever energy you send out there is what you get in this world so I feel it is better to send out positive energy exclusively if at all possible (smile) Just Sunday, after seeing them on Saturday night, I had the opportunity to adhere to these instructions by giving $3 of gas to an individual who was planning on paying the gas attendant with pennies…two other people followed suit and this poor kid was able to leave the station with $9 of gas and a couple of dollars worth of pennies…$3 is such a small price to pay for the great feeling that this experience gave me just seeing those other people smile when he left thanking them profusely (smile). “To fathom the power”…obvious (wink). “To witness the beauty”…need I say more? “To bathe in the fountain”…aside from the sweat drenched state I was in at the end of the show (just kidding of course). The fountain, in my opinion, is the splendor of witnessing a TOOL show…there is no need to search for the “fountain of youth” or the fountain with pennies at the bottom; my wishes have already come true (BIG HUGE SMILE) Even though being munched by hundreds of fans isn’t the most comfortable way to view a show, one still got the impression that the show had ended much too soon. It was a satisfying and stimulating exploration of rock and spirituality; time well spent in the “church of rock and roll”… “To swing on the spiral and still be a human”…this one is more difficult. When you come to the realization that we are “all one mind” and that we are “capable of all that’s imagined and all conceivable” then it is very difficult to return to work on Monday morning and “still be a human” J I found that the only way to endure this was to force my hoarse voice to relay the positive message that TOOL has imparted thus encouraging everyone at work to follow suit. I certainly hope that there will be many more “geeks (my favorite kind of people…another big smile)” from my company joining us at the next show…until then, Spiral out….Keep Going! H

Review written by: John Fausone (thanatosis@crapmail.com) Review posted on: 07/16/02 19:03:45 ET

This was this reviewer's 8th Tool show

Ok...so this show was great for me for different reasons than just a good set. As some of you may know, Camella (Adam's wife) has relinquished her position as the person that controls the video displays to Breck, a very cool guy who I happened to work with at a Tool show in 1998 (I was volunteer help.). After that show, he was very nice and introduced me to Danny Carey. Anyhow, at this show, I got his attention, introduced myself, and was invited to come hang out with him in the area where the lights, sound and video are all controlled. I also met Shelly, Justin's girlfriend, who is a very nice (and very pretty) lady. I ended up hanging out in that area throughout the entire show, no heads in the way, no Neanderthalesque people to deal with, just a clear view of tool and chit-chat with a few people. It was a very cool show. If any of the people that I met during the show or after the show read this, feel free to drop me a line at the above email address. See you at the SLC show (possibly)

Review written by: toolum (bcecil@umich.edu) Review posted on: 07/16/02 19:11:24 ET

This was this reviewer's 5th Tool show

these gentleman cant disappoint. this show seemed dialed in and might have been one of the sweetest setlists ever. they tossed opiate in to the mirth of the fans, and the version of triad with the guest drummer was fucking silly. made my night. speaking of the fans, i have to say i usually wanna put a lot of them in comas, but this crowd seemed pretty decent. im coming from my 4 other shows being in the detroit area, so maybe that explains it all. tight lights and visuals, esp. during parabola and triad. this tour would put anyone on their ass, fan or not, i think. another treat was h, which is always nice in concert with the fans helping out with their i dont minds. adam acually got a little animated at one point and his leg moved to the sick polyryhthmic beats they have. he was like a stone but flawless. danny just makes me wanna learn the drums. when i recognized his beat from triad it was a moment, but then it just kept getting better when adam and justin tore into it. oh man, just another tight show in a string of them. for anybody reading, thanks for tagging along.

Review written by: Dustin (dustin@chickenman.com) Review posted on: 07/16/02 21:05:27 ET

This was this reviewer's 6th Tool show

Don't know if anyone will get down this far, but a couple of things that I didn't see in the reviews. Stinkfist had both extentions Schism's bridge was extended with string stretching similar to Prison Sex Opiate's bridge was longer than usual (Somebody seemed to mess up) Maynard's platform did not have the projection on it until The Patient (the song is unbelievable live) And as usual Triad was different than any other time I've seen it performed

Review written by: apocalypticflood (apocalypticflood@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 07/17/02 03:00:21 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

Well, this show was better than the other one I saw. (SHORELINE IN MOUNTAINVIEW IS A HORRIBLE HORRIBLE VENUE. TOOL NEEDS TO COME TO THE COMPAQ CENTER IN SAN JOSE.) Before Tool came on, I had an intersting conversation with a drunken 30 sumthin year old, on how Tool writes about the distruction of relationships. We also talked about how it came to be that we both got 2 tickets, but he payed $100, and I payed $90, tho I was in the row below him. =/ y's Tool charging so much? The show was awsome. Everything I expected it to be. And i had a better experience being sober this time, then numb and bored last time. And how the hell did they make the ball cluster spin like that?? My only complaint is not being able to get on the floor. After watching many people rush past the guards, I was discouraged. QUESTION FOR YOU ALL. WHAT PROGRAMS ARE USED TO MAKE TOOLS GRAPHICS? email me if u kno where i might find out.... apocalypticflood@yahoo.com

Review written by: adam (macdaddy501@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 07/17/02 14:51:42 ET

This was this reviewer's 2nd Tool show

TOOL IS GOD!!!! This was the greatest show on earth, much better than the oakland show, more energy from both the crowd and maynard. Set list has already been posted, a great one at that. Danny played perfectaly as always he is the best drummer. Opiate was absolutely amazing so was ticks and leeches but i definatly missed aenima from the set list as it put so muich energy into the crowd the night before. Lateralis was good closer but the show lost momentum after the intermission. Should have left parabol/parabola for after intermission. Maynard was wearing his drag without the wig. This was a show that cannot be summed up in a review you have to go experience it for yourself. It was nothing short of a religious experience and i hope they come around again before maynard starts with APC. Thanks TOOL you fucken rock.

Review written by: colin knows best (billycorgantool@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 07/17/02 22:25:26 ET

This was this reviewer's yes Tool show

i was shocked at tool fans(the real ones that were there anyway not the white trash folks that just listen to theyre local rock stations and think they are cool)but everyone booing mike patton?what the hell was that?you people are supposed to be open minded.seeing them before tool was like an orgsm before the big climax,now i know what women feel like.SHAME ON ALL OF YOOU AND GO LISTEN TO SOME FANTOMAS!!!!!!!

Review written by: Miranda (miss_miranda77@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/18/02 18:17:34 ET

This was this reviewer's 1st? Tool show

this was my first tool show and it completely blew my mind. the entire band was amazing. does anyone know who the guy was that played percussion sometime during the middle of the show? anyways - the artwork was phenominal and i can't wait to see another tool show.

Review written by: MR. TIDS (flxmstr@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 07/19/02 20:59:06 ET

This was this reviewer's 8th Tool show

Do I have to tell anyone that this was another bad ass Tool show?? Hell no…that’s a given. I was fortunate enough to hear Tick & Leeches for the second time, pretty cool when they’ve only played it like four times. The extended Stinkfist is great when I hear people keep singing when they hit the bridge to the extended part and then they all start looking around in confusion. Nice touch guys. H. once again was mesmerizing and when Justin pounded out the beginning of Opiate I went nuts. Fuck……every one of their songs was amazing. While these guys are incredibly talented musicians, they are also phenomenal artists as well. The visuals they create for their shows coupled with the music makes for a total sensory overload. Most bands don’t know dick about art or incorporating that into a show, Tool makes it look easy. All the band members are great at what they do, but Danny stands out most to me because I play the drums too. His beats are so complex, the odd time signatures really take some skill to pull off. I don’t know how the hell he plays the part in Lateralus when Maynard sings “…feel the rhythm to, feel connected to,…”. It sounds like each one of his hands and feet are on a different time signature. Lars Ulrich used to be my favorite drummer, but that changed after seeing him turn into a pussy by laying down beats that my friends 5 yr. old could play with one hand (ex. I Disappear from MI2 soundtrack). I was so happy when Lateralus came out and Danny continued to push the complexity of his drumming. If you don’t play drums yourself, you may not notice all the little accents he does on the ride, hi-hats, or all over the place. Shit, take a look at his kit, I wouldn’t know what the hell to do with half his shit. If you haven’t picked up a copy of Salival, you obviously should……when you do, listen to Merkaba and see if you can follow along with his beats. Fuckin amazing…….really makes me wish I would have pursued drumming back in high school, I might not suck as bad now. So ends another tour for me, the 1,600 mile drive from Seattle and back was way worth this show and the one in Oakland. I’m really glad I made the trip since unfortunately they aren’t coming to Seattle on this tour. But since we got treated to the King Crimson tour last fall, I’m hoping they’ll be back with something like that again. Thanks be to Tool, hope to see you guys soon….. Spiral out……

Review written by: auntie (LJ eleven @aol.com) Review posted on: 07/19/02 21:17:52 ET

This was this reviewer's 3rd Tool show

Well, I must say that the sound was a lot better at Arco than it was in Bakersfield. Ticks and Leeches really made my night, it was unbelievable. My favorite song was Stinkfist, though. That song sounds great every time I hear it. Maynard threw in the Elvis lyrics mid-song, awesome. Opiate got the biggest crowd response, though I preferred Aenema like in Bakersfield a lot more. I had a great time chatting with fellow Tool fans sitting by me. Set list -Sober -Ticks and Leeches -The Grudge -Stinkfist -H. -Schism -Parabola -EBA -The Patient -Opiate -Disposition -Reflection -Triad -Lateralis Hopefully I'll get the chance to see Tool again soon, and my advice to those of you who were'nt pleased with last years tour like I've read in the past, this show is a great one, definitely worth going to. I went to Shoreline last fall, and thought it was nowhere near what I saw last week