Review written by: Matt Wade (nihil@tamu.edu)
Review posted on: 08/18/98 04:13:41

Well I couldn't be up close for this concert until near the end due 
to my bad choice of attempting to sneak in w/ my friends regardless 
of the ticket I possessed and my subsequent expulsion and admittance 
refusal but I was close enough to hear all of it.  The most 
remarkable parts were the extra long, slightly softer intro to Pushit 
and the insertion of Opiate between the intro of Flood and Maynard's 
first verse.  It was a great show overall.  Since I missed it I saw 
'em in Houston the next night.






Review written by: ToOl PhAn (Me@see-you-auntie.com)
Review posted on: 08/15/98 05:17:02

This was the first tool concert I had ever been to but it was 
insentive to go and see them again. Maynard came out before the 
Melvins {he was dressed in "normal" clothes} and said,"How many 
inbred, drunken, closeminded red necked hicks are here?". About fifty 
people cheered and then Maynard said,"for all of you the exit is over 
there, for the rest of you thank you for putting up with them!" Then 
the Melvins came out for about 40 - 50 min and played the crappiest 
music I've heard come out of a speaker. After they finally left it 
was about 45 min before toll came out but I didnt care I had been 
there since 3 {gates opened at 7} and would have waited another 4 
hours if neccessary. Immeditly every one and thier mom came to see 
how close they could get to the stage and in the process crushed 
everyone already there. Then the band started to play and the crowd 
went into a frenzy. If you have never been in a mosh pit before try 
your hardest not to get pushed into one.{esspecially one with rowdy, 
drunken hicks}After Maynard finished "sober" I thought the crowd 
would calm down but it was the complete oppisite they all went 
fucking nuts with every little thing he did. After about an hour or 
two parts of my body i didnt even know i had hurt and i took up 
residence in a tree about 20 feet from the stage. The cops were 
everywhere and luckly they didnt see me. I think I had the best view 
out of the entire crowd. When they finished thier set Maynard said 
"Go home, turn off the T.V. and read a book then jerk off into a high 
powered fan." the crowd started chanting "tool, tool, tool, tool" 
Maynard said," Quit your whining." The crowd was going nuts now.He 
said "this is a song about water sports" then they played AEnima and 
the crowd was whipped into a frenzy and i saw people being taken to 
the already crowded E.M.S. unit that was there. But all in all it was 
a great show and my friends and I all agree that we would do it 
again. Except for my friend J.D. who waited too long to by his 
ticket. Oh well, maybe next time. 








Review written by: gaby (gabyrp@hotmail.com)
Review posted on: 08/12/98 15:47:32

this was the first time i saw tool live. i actually live in mexico 
but i love the band and i was dying to go. unfortunately i only got 
permission to go (im 16) the day before the concert, and it was 
already sold out. but i went with my cousin anyway and we stood 
outside for like an hour trying to get tickets. we finally did get 
them, at $40 and $50, which wasnt so bad considering some guys were 
selling them for $75 each. so we got in, and it didnt matter we didnt 
get to hear the melvins, cause apparently they were pretty bad, and 
tool hadnt started playing yet. they were great. there's no words to 
describe it. i remember how they just kept on saying "some kind of 
psychodelic experience" over and over. anyway. it was the coolest 
thing and i still cant believe i got to go. it has been the best 
concert i've ever gone to.






Review written by: Levi (deadinsiide_@hotmail.com)
Review posted on: 08/10/98 18:30:55


wow! it's been about 4 days since
i saw tool and i am still trying
to take it all in...
the show was absolutely amazing, 
maynard seemed to be taken over
by the music. his dancing w/ its
'seizure-like' movements were just
captivating. his voice was absolutely beautiful (as always)

it was my first time seeing them and the whole screen and visual thing i
thought was the most awesome. many times during the show i didn't know
whether to look @ the band or the screen. i had a pretty good spot
throughout the show, i was mostly toward the front and at one point i was
at the front row. my one complaint as i have read in other reviews of this
show, was the dumb idiots who only were looking to fight and to mosh. i
have no problem w / moshing as long as they don't ruin it for
others...there were some real tool fans there though, it seemed everyone
was hypnotized by the performance of third eye among others...all in all
it was the best show i have ever seen....






Review written by: ted (rfelix0008)
Review posted on: 08/10/98 17:44:02

well i didn't exactly see the show, unfortunately [major 
unfortunately], but i went w/ a friend to listen, and it was all it 
was cracked up to be!  Ive been a big tool fan since like 93 & STILL 
havent seen them live, but i figured this would be the closest i 
could get to the live TOOL experience.  we got to behind the gardens
[on the left of the stage] & there were a few other people there.  i 
got so pumped 'cause i could hear it REALLY good!  there was a gate 
there & someone else was fixing to jump it so i said "hold on, i'm 
gonna come too".  so i told my friend i would be right back & jumped 
over, went a little ways & there was some type of fence & some other 
people going down the hill there & i asked "are they getting y'all 
out of there"?  they said "yea, there's one cop coming this way" so 
we turned around & hopped back over & i was like "well, im staying 
right here, this is bad-ass!"  sure enough, a few minutes later a 
cop was on the other side of the gate telling us we were ok there, 
but not to come any farther.  anyways when we got there they were 
already on the "departed h-pushit thing".  i was freaking on how 
good they sounded.  i just wish i could have been closer for my 
hearing pleasure!  i was screaming my lungs out.  you may have heard 
me, cause when the crowd would go quiet i would howl @ the moon!






Review written by: Scott-PK (emevolpk4@aol.com)
Review posted on: 08/10/98 01:23:00

This was my 4th Tool Show in the last 3 years.  Material wise it was 
as good as the other 3.  One thing that angered me is that the crown 
there was the worst of any concert i have been to in my life.  All 
other shows have had half-intellegent people there to listen to the 
best music in the world.  This concert seemed to just have drunken 
jerks who wanted to mosh. what a waste of a ticket.  the melvins 
sucked once again but what else is new.  When the bald fat dude came 
out and announced Tool i was excited.  Adam came out with a new 
haircut that reminded me alot of Neve Cambell, Danny was in his 
usual normal looking self, Justin had grown hair since i saw them 
last august at Lolla, and maynard had a nice black lace bra and 
white face paint.  looked good. They opened up with Part of Me which 
i liked because i haven't heard that live before.  after that they 
played stinkfist with buzzo who didn't seem to be playing anything.  
i know how to play stinkfist and i was watching buzzo the whole time 
and he was NOT playing the song... if he was playing a lead or 
something you couldn't hear it... it may have been a cleaver play by 
tool to get the melvins over... i don't know.  then they played You 
Lied which makes me want to look more into Peach's music.  I don't 
remember what they played after that but i do remember that Pushit 
sounded great. That was the first time i heard that live and i loved 
it.  Also the opiate/flood combo was great.  i wish they would have 
played Jimmy because i have never heard it live and that is a great 
song and i wish they played prison sex because the extra live verse 
on that is amazing.  all in all another great concert.  Tool is 
still the best band on the planent- glad i saw them again.






Review written by: sven (tool3rdeye@yahoo.com)
Review posted on: 08/09/98 00:59:05

Wow, where to start?  I just got back from San Antonio (I live in 
Biloxi, MS) after spending a week with my cousin (jay).  The day 
leading up to the concert was filled with nothing but anticipation
with the knowledge of the fact that we were going to be seeing Tool
in a matter of hours.  (S: "Hey, guess what?" J: "What?" S: "We're
seeing Tool." Repeat that every half hour or so.)  At around 6:30
we left for Sunken Gardens, not knowing what to expect of the 
venue.  We got there around 7:15 or so, and by the time we went in,
after debating for 15 minutes on whether or not we should risk 
bringing in jay's camera and my microcassette recorder.  We decided 
to go ahead and try to bring them in, assuring ourselves that if 
there were metal detectors and such, we could always just turn 
around and put them in the car.  So we were on our way in, and we 
hear this really heavy sounding guitar riff, and we were wondering 
if maybe a local band was opening for the melvins.  Sure enough, 
once we got in, we noticed buzz's ever prominent hair.  Tried to get 
up front enough before the main event came on, to some avail.  We 
ended up one row of people away from the stage by the time the 
melvins were done.  After about 30 minutes of waiting in the reeking 
heat of the thousands of people around of us, this big guy comes on 
and starts speaking in Spanish, the only recognizable words said: 
"mi cajones" and "TOOL!".  I knew the moment I had been waiting for 
was close at hand.  Just when I was about to move to the back, away 
from the sweaty masses, here comes the band, smiles on faces.  I 
laughed as Maynard tried to pull down the big guy's pants as he was 
leaving the stage.  They all continued to their respective 
instruments, then, as if in a dream sequence, they started to blast 
into "Part of Me".  I could just imagine all the people in the 
audience that night going "wait a minute, THIS ISNT STINKFIST!!" 
after part of me, they introduced a "king buzzo" to come play 
stinkfist with them, and I must admit, the heavy guitar sound was 
quite pleasing to the ear.  Right after that, it got rather hectic 
up front, and after getting kicked in the head twice by some combat 
boots of a crowdsurfer, I was ready for a change of scenery.  About 
the middle of "You Lied" (which was most excellent, btw), we headed 
towards the back, during which time I turned on my recorder.  I got 
the last minute or so of you lied, followed by a little maynard-ism: 
"We don't usually have this much room in front of the stage, we just 
heard there were a lot of homophobics here tonight...just wanted to 
keep a safe distance...what is a homophobic anyways?  Is that like a 
mormon?"  Next was Eulogy.  This song was so powerful live, I was 
completely blown away.  Right after this, Maynard starts with his 
between song chatter again, saying to the audience, "How many of you 
right now are experiencing an altered state of consciousness? 
(audience cheers) How can you be sure?"  Abruptly after that, an 
ominous voice came on, I was assuming it was Timothy Leary.  From my 
tape, I managed to decipher this much: "Think for yourself. Question 
Authority. Throughout human history, as our species has faced the 
frightening, terrorizing fact, that we do not know who we are, or 
where we're going in this ocean of chaos. It has been the 
authorities, the political, the religious, educational authorities 
who have attempted to, comfort us by giving us order. rules. 
regulations. Insoforth, forming our minds, and giving us their view 
of reality. To think for yourself you must question authority, and 
learn how to put yourself in a state of vulnerable openmindedness, 
a chaotic confused mindset to form yourself. Think for yourself. 
Question authority." Then it started to loop, fading into the 
hissing sound that opens "Third Eye".  I broke out in goosebumps. 
I swear, during that entire song, I was trembling, my hands spasming 
uncontrollably as I watched my favorite band masterfully lay out the 
most emotional song in my life to me.  And I got it on tape.  Right 
afterwards, they started to "jam", as in the 10 minute long intro to 
"Sober".  Now, don't get me wrong, I love it, but it could have been 
a bit more structured, and laid out to improve the sound, as it just 
seemed to drag on.  One thing I loved about it was how adam started 
to play the guitar part to sober an octave higher to fit in with the 
mood of the intro.  The two meshed perfectly.  Right after sober, 
maynard said "Earlier today, I asked the question how many 
open-minded, experimental, *COMPASSIONATE* people there were here 
today. (drunken crowd screams...sigh...) With that in mind, we're 
going to make a little departure on one of our songs, we're going 
to do it a little differently than we normally do...Close your eyes 
and follow...I'd like to dedicate this song to my son Devo."  I 
heard the first few opening notes of the slow pushit, and maynards 
beautiful voice intervened.  I swear, if I could relive any part of 
my life it would have been that night.  Never before have I felt 
this emotional, or this touched by music before.  All around me, 
where I was standing, there were these little 12, 13, 14 year olds 
whining about how this song was so slow, and how they wanted to hear 
"track 7 on �nima". I didnt care. I loved watching their faces as I 
raised my arms high into the air and sang along, so moved by the 
music, I could have been punched in the face, and not have felt it. 
Right afterwards, maynard had a remark that very well suited the 
situation. "Thank you for your patience." I laughed, and then sighed 
at the fact that it was all too real, the fact that many people paid 
their $25 just to jump around, get wasted, and yell for women to 
take their shirts off.  I didn't let it get to me, however. The next 
combo really excited me, as its something I have heard of, but never 
experienced.  The Opiate/Flood combination song.  I loved every 
second of it.  It sounded like it did on the "Sleep Forever" album, 
only with the extra power gained when hearing a song live. My tape 
cut off right at the end of Flood, oh well. Right afterwards, they 
all sat around the drum kit and talked for about 5 minutes while 
people continued to yell for more.  Mr. Keenan then proceeded to say 
"Quit your whining."  The band geared up for one more song: �nema. 
He said something about it being about watersports. When 
I saw them last year at lolla, I wasn't really "into" them as much 
as I am now.  They are my absolute favorite band now, and �nema was 
still just as powerful the 2nd time when mjk thrust his arms in the 
air and belted out "I'm praying for rain, and I'm praying for tidal 
waves."  It's like the orgasm of the song. Go see it live, and you'll
 understand what im saying here.  If any member of Tool is reading 
this I would like to tell them that they have made a deep impact on 
my life from just that one night, and I'd like to thank them.






Review written by: Kevin Stech (kstech@mail.utexas.edu)
Review posted on: 08/08/98 21:56:27

The day of my second Tool show started at 11am.  Why on earth did I
have to wake up so early?  Two other guys and I were renting a car to
drive from Corpus Christi to San Antonio.  Turns out we got a minivan
to take up there.  Nice.  Anyway, we arrived at about 5pm and partied
in the parking lot with other concert goers, and decided to head on
in at 6pm sharp.  Gates open at 6, declared our tickets.  We walked
around Sunken Garden Theatre for a while, and each of us met people
we know from various places.  After a while the park started getting
packed.  It was hot, and steamy.  Just when crowd tension was
reaching a discomfort point, a deejay from 99.5 KISS took the stage
and did the gratuitous plugs for various events and services.  He
announced that Matchbox 20 was coming.  This announcement was met was
an uproar of booing.  It was great.  Then, Maynard took the stage.  
Any cracksmokers out there?  he asked the crowd.  Apathetic cheers. 
Didn t these people know who they were being addressed by?  I jumped
up and yelled that it was Maynard, and a few people took notice.  
How many openminded, intelligent, compassionate people are out
there?   Loud cheers.   How many inbred dipshit rednecks are out
there?   Cheers.   Well, while you re all leaving [referring to the
rednecks] we ll be watching the Melvins.   Then the Melvins took the
stage.  They were decent, but they goofed around too much and managed
to project quite a bit of noise into the crowd.  They were pissing
people off.  Finally their set ended, and they began setting up for
Tool.  During this period they were playing some pretty trippy audio
over the speakers.  There were voices talking about ketamine, dmt,
and nitrous oxide.  They were condoning and encouraging
experimentation with psychedelics and dissociatives.  It was like a
little lecture. It started getting dark, and Tool took the stage.
They came on quickly, and after a long wait it didn t really register
what was happening.  I must have looked like a total idiot, because I
just erupted,  Oh God!! Its them!!!  They didn t waste any time and
banged into the first song. I tried my very hardest to remember the
set, and I think I almost have it.  

Part of Me
Stinkfist (with Buzz)
You Lied (with Buzz)
Eulogy
Third Eye
Sober
H
Pushit
Opiate
Crawl Away
�nema

If anyone else saw the show or knows the set for sure, please tell
me.  Anyway, I have a fairly good memory, and I think that s about
it. Lots of neat little crowd interactions to tell about, though. 
Early on, Keenan said  Hello Texas.  We re playing San Antonio today,
Houston tomorrow, and then Dallas on Saturday.  I ll have a new
gender for each show.   Then, just before H,Maynard said  This song
is dedicated to my son, Devo.   Then they played an incredible
version of H, the likes of which I ll probably never hear again.  It
was amazing.  Also, at one point Maynard said,  Turn off your TV,
read a book, jack off into a high-power fan.   Uproar.   Just an
idea.   Later he commented that the moon looked like it was full.
Another riot.  Just before Opiate, I believe it was, they played a
loop on the speakers that said stuff like  Question authority  and 
think for yourself  and the like.  It was a good lead in.  Well
Justin was shirtless, Adam was pretty normal looking, so was Danny,
and Maynard had on some boxer-briefs and a bra with breasts, and the
white face paint. I also noticed that he had what looked like an  Ash
Wednesday mark  on his forehead. I can t remember when, but at some
point he asked,  Is anyone here in an altered state of mind?   I
think this was the loudest cheer of the night.  Maynard replied,  How
do you know?   Blew me away.  After Crawl Away, they said goodnight
and sat down on stage to the chant of  TOOL TOOL TOOL.    Quit
whining,  said Maynard.  Here, this song is about water sports.  
�nema.  They left the stage quickly, and that was a night.






Review written by: Kevin Beard (ktbkillerbee@yahoo.com)
Review posted on: 08/08/98 20:42:59

Well, this was my fourth tool show in the last six years and once again I
enjoyed the fuck out of it. I'll make my review short and sweet. The
acoustics at sunken gardens were surprisingly really good, but I must say
I like Tool the best when they are pla ying in a very small warehouse type
atmosphere that is pitch black inside (makes the visuals more vivid and
enjoyable), but it was cool the way the full moon set directly above the
stage. It kind of made it irie which is perfect for Tool. I also like Mayn
ard better when painted blue, purple, green, red or whatever fucking color
he chooses. This makes him stand out more and a bit more freaky. He really
needs to give the bra thing a break. Danny beat the fuck out of the drums
as ussual, but he was not thund ering loud as in previous shows. This may
be due to playing in an outside venue. I must say I also prefer the two
large screens used in the past more than the single rounded screen they
are using. The graphics were not near as cool as the ones used in the
 past either. My one and only other complaint is that they just don't play
long enough. Tool is the shit and they should do at the very least, a two
hour set. They did sound awesome and they gave us a taste of some new shit
which was bad to the bone. Mayn ard also seems happier and nicer to the
audience. Adam and Justin were bad ass also. Check them out, you won't be
sorry. Take something that is mind altering because as Maynard says ''I
would not want you any other way''. 






Review written by: William (asher_lev@mailexcite.com)
Review posted on: 08/08/98 13:35:09

As I entered Sunken Gardens, I didn't know what to expect from the crowd
and the bands playing. Weaving my way through the throngs of concert-goers
in black, I secured a spot to the far right of the stage. After what
seemed like ages, the Melvins took the stage. I wish they hadn't. I tried
to give the Melvins a chance because I had never heard their material
before. After hearing them live, I am glad that I'd never bought their
CD's. Their entire set seemed to be one sustained growl set to music, and
it s eemed like they didn't know how to put on a show, although there
-were- about five or six people who thoroughly enjoyed the Melvins. To
each his own, I suppose.  Tool came on at 8:30 p.m., to the anger of some
people around me. I thought Maynard would be dressed as an evangelist, but
he was wearing rather simple attire. Much has been said of Maynard's
sinful gyrations during songs, and this was quite evident throu ghout the
evening. He seemed really into the show, and it felt like he genuinely
wanted to make everyone happy.  "You Lied" was much better live than on
the Mp3's I've heard. It was quite moving, actually. "Sober" was even more
exciting live than I'd ever imagined. The entire crowd seemed very in
synch with the band, especially during Stinkfist and Sober. I guess wh at
I've heard about people seeing Tool for the music is true.  If there was a
blemish to the evening, it was witnessing two guys in front of me get into
a fight only minutes after hearing Maynard speak of open-mindedness and
compassion. In summation, the band played beautifully. Thank you to Tool
for putting on such a great show after being on the road for so long. And
thanks to the Melvins for helping Tool sound even better. 






Review written by: shadow (lasombra@ix.netcom.com)
Review posted on: 08/08/98 03:30:27

As always the show kicked ass.  This was my second Tool concert. I believe
Danny is the best drummer of any band playing today.  Maynard's voice is
sounding better than ever.  I think the best song was Third Eye.  The
Opiate/Flood combo was also very cool .  There were only four things that
sucked about this concert: 

1.  the Melvins
2.  Adam cut his hair
3.  it wasn't long enough ("It's not enough, I need more, nothing
seems to satisfy")  -- Stinkfist
4.  the Melvins

I can't wait for Tool to come back to town, and come out with a new album. 
Hopefully next time they will have a better opening act. 






Review written by: Salvador Huerta (LiiZARDkiN@aol.com)
Review posted on: 08/08/98 03:13:59

This was my first Tool show, it was the best experience of my
life, they put on a great fucking show, we smoked and big fat 
one during Pushit i think, but we were doing all sorts of shit
before that, so that made the concert priceless to me.
The highlight, to me, was Third eye, both what Manyard said before
and after is the side of Tool that not that many people know,
he said "how many of you are experiencing an altered state of
conciousness?"... the crowd went wild, then he said "how do 
you really know?"... suggesting that the concept of being open
minded and experiencing drugs to expand your mind is, yet,
pretty much misunderstood. But yet the response from the crowd
was good enough to put the band in a good mood and play a
departured and trippy version of pushit dedicated to Manyard's
son. Before they played it Manyard said something like "since
there's a lot of open minded, intelligent, experimenting and
compasionte people out there, we're gonna take a departure in
one of our songs"... that really moved me and made me feel so
alive... for all of you that are asuming i'm a weirdo as you 
read this, i recomend you turn off your tv, read a book and
smoke a joint... for those Manyard was referring to when he 
said the words i quoted, i recomend you go to a record store
and by a cd by a comedian featured in AENIMA called Bill Hicks
then you will truly understand and apreciate what this band is
all about...... getting back to the concert, Manyard's dancing
really hipnotized me, Tool is one of the only bands that can
unconciousely make you dance to a slow beat, and that screen
above the stage was a fair compliment to the whole concept of
the show... i really saw it as more of a performance and 
statement more than a concert, but thats just me...... by the
way, i do believe drugs have done good things for us, how 
can you not after watching Tool live???????????






Review written by: k browne (kbbsa@flash.net)
Review posted on: 08/08/98 01:19:43

this was my 4th tool concert and as the other reviews posted from 
this show indicate, it was the best yet.  i went into this show 
thinking that they would not impress me as much as when they were 
here last at the live oak civic center but they definitely pulled it 
off.  actually the melvins were not as dull as their prior openers.

the set list: (order is close)

1. part of me
2. stinkfist (with the melvins guy)
3. ?title- a melvins cover
4. eulogy (tim leary segue)
5. third eye
6. pushit
7. sober
8. flood
9. opiate
10. aenima

the weather was great.  it was nice to not have some bullshit radio 
dj intro tool (instead there was a nice spanish intro a la jane's 
addiction).  the sunken gardens was a cool venue, bigger than 
anyplace i've seen them but still great acoustics.  during third eye 
the full moon rose up over the stage...wow.  the video was great 
especially the cataract surgery.

tool, without question exhausted the pit. i can hardly wait for #5.






Review written by: Shahid (futant@mail.utexas.edu)
Review posted on: 08/08/98 01:03:52

Mostly everything has already been reviewed for this show already, so
I'll just touch on a few other notes... First of all a big fuck you 
to the cop who gave us a ticket for speeding in San Antonio, if it 
wasn't for your fat doughnut ass we would've made it from Corpus 
Christi to San Antonio in an hour... Anyways...

From the other tool show reviews i read, i was expecting Maynard to 
come out in an evangelist outfit, but he just had on his fake tits 
and boxers...  He introduced the Melvins by saying, "OK, how many 
open-minded, compassionate people do we have here tonight?"  (Crowd 
screams) "OK, you'll get a chance to prove that later.  And how many 
ignorant, closed-minded, redneck fucks do we have here?" as Jeff 
posted earlier...  

When Maynard came onstage for tool's act, he pointed the Spock live 
long and prosper sign.  For those of you who don't know, that is the 
pointer and middle finger together at one side, and the ring and 
pinkie together on the other side... That would be cool if this 
became the tool "sign," heh.

The part I enjoyed the most was the Opiate/Flood combo.  This 
definently produced the most energy...  Everyone's been complaining 
that their favorite "radio song" wasn't played... Although I would've 
liked to have heard "H." the setlist was for true tool fans who could 
recognize the "non-radio" songs.  

Another thing I thaught was cool was this paper posted that said 
something like:  TOOL, you are in San Antonio, TX.  SOUND CHECK: 
MELVINS: 3:00, TOOL: 4:15.  NEXT STOP: HOUSTON, TX, BAND TRAVEL 
LENGTH: 220 miles, CREW TRAVEL LENGTH: 220 miles.  I was in reach to 
grab it, but for some reason I didn't.  






Review written by: nick (craig@onr.com)
Review posted on: 08/07/98 18:46:40

this was my first tool show, and needless to say it was
really, really amazing. but the highlight for me was
that i GOT TO FUCKING MEET MAYNARD JAMES KEENEAN!!!!
my ride to the show, a close family friend, bribed the security guard 
with a twenty (he was a nice guy)about two hours before the show
if he would take a note to the band that read: "hey! we have some
gifts for you guys! some DEVO stuff and some Star Trek stuff".
half an hour later, Frank, the security guard said the note had been 
delivered, and to come by after the show. AND WHAT DID MAYNARD DO 
WHEN HE GOT OUT ON STAGE?!?!? HE FUCKING GAVE THE MR. SPOCK "LIVE
LONG AND PROSPER" HAND SIGN!!!!  i'm guessing this is because he was 
the one that got my note. tool fucking rocked in the show. afterward, 
we almost got killed on our way out because of all the drunks 
screwing around. we went back out to the car and got my gifts for 
tool: a DEVO sticker from the original fan club thats twenty years 
old, a "Mr. Spock Sings Songs From Outer Space" record, and a "Royal 
Philharmonic performs Star Trek" record. then we went up to Frank, 
who led us up to the tour bus, WHERE MAYNARD WAS FUCKING WAITING FOR 
ME!!! he was already out of make-up and costume, sporting a t-shirt 
that said "free frances bean" (Kurt Cobain&Courntey Loves' daughter, 
who will be turning 6 Aug. 18). He was totally expressionless as i 
walked up to him, shaking his hand. I said "I am a big fan...you guys 
are really deep." he said "thank you." he had a very intimidating 
presence, but not in a scary way. 
"I brought you guyz a couple of trinkets" i said, and first pulled 
out the old, yet mint condition DEVO sticker. he took it in his hands 
and grinned ever so slightly. "thank you." he said. "Are you guyz 
trekkies?" i asked him, reaching back into my bag. "Oh 
yeah...definitely" he replied. I pulled out the records, "thought 
youmight like these then." his eyes widened and again he grinned a 
little. "Whoa...the Spock album!" he said. I like the artist HR Giger 
a lot, and happened to have one of his books with me. "Are you guyz 
into Giger?" i asked. "oh yes." he said. So i pulled out and gave him 
the book. i knew how touchy they are about autographs, but Maynard 
was happy to sign something for both me and my friend, who couldn't 
be there that night. He was so nice and polite, and not in the least 
bit condescending to me. I would have like to have met the other 
members, but this was satisfying enough...thanx maynard, you made my 
summer! enjoy the gifts!






Review written by: Ronin (ronin82@hotmail.com)
Review posted on: 08/07/98 17:48:24

This was my first TOOL concert, and I have to say that if it were 
not for all the drunken, stupid, stoned or otherwise maladjusted 
individuals it would have been a terrific show. This is the price we 
pay as fans, oh well. The best song of the set(I think)was the 
departure version of PushIt. Again confirming that Maynard is one of 
if not the best vocalist in years. Very moving that he devoted that 
song to his son, it made the experience that much more profound for 
me. I would gladly endure all the rigors of this or any venue just 
to hear that song done in the same manner. If you like any kind of 
music that moves you I highly recomend this band.






Review written by: superhorse (superhorse@cascade.net)
Review posted on: 08/07/98 13:32:53

i'd like to see the Kittens [a Canadian band] 
open for Tool.  that'd be interesting..







Review written by: Brad (bpohner@aol.com)
Review posted on: 08/07/98 12:33:26

This was my 3rd Tool experience and probably the best show yet. Sunken
Gardens was a kickass venue for this show. Just as Tool was taking the
stage, the full moon was rising behind them and the veiw of the
surroundings was enough to take your breath away.  The Gothic facades on
either side of the stage were cleverly lit to almost appear as a "gate"
for the stage... a porthole for Tool to emerge from. When they took the
stage the crowd went crazy, and it was clear from that moment on that the
MJK had total command of the San Antonio crowd. 

"Third Eye" was the stand-out song of the night. Lot's of energy and
emotion in that song. "Stinkfest" was another and really got the crowd
going. The accoustics at Sunken Gardens was superb and combined with the
very talented sound guys that work with th e band, made for one of the
best sounding shows in recent memory. The only let down was that Tool
didn't play "Jimmy" or "46&2" as the venue and sound were so good, that
the evening just didn't seem complete without one or the other. Oh well,
I'm sure tha t it's tough for a band with as much material as Tool to
decide which songs to play! 

The San Antonio crowd was totally cool. Having drove up from Corpus
expecting caios and bodies flying everyplace, the crowd was well behaved
and just getting off to the music. Sure, there was the usual morons
roaming around the pits, but most everyone was there for the show and were
the friendly, non-violent types. 

Put it all together, and you have one of the most memorable concerts of a
lifetime. Tip of the hat to Tool, the sound guys, Sunken Garden's
management, and the weatherman.... 






Review written by: Mr. Bill (bill_hamersly@udscorp.com)
Review posted on: 08/07/98 10:57:09

When you see Tool, it's easy to just focus on Maynard, but you owe it to
yourself to watch all the members so you can marvel at their precision and
sheer unadulterated brilliance. The setlist was the same as the Knoxville
show 3 days before, except they o pened with Part Of Me and played Aenema
as an encore.  Stunning.  If you have a chance to see them, don't even
THINK about not going. A couple of Maynard observations - he was carrying
his son Devo around backstage before the show (what a cute kid!), and he
came out to introduce the Melvins wearing a T-shirt that said "Free
Frances Bean".  If that name doesn't ring a bell, Kurt and Courtney's
daughter is named Frances Bean Cobain (she looked like a bean to Kurt when
they had an ultrasound test during the pregnancy).  Guess we shouldn't
look for Tool to tour with Hole any time soon... 







Review written by: jeff (Cessaro@aol.com)
Review posted on: 08/07/98 10:36:36

Well, for the third time, TOOL never ceases to amaze me.  A friend and I
drove from Dallas to see the show and it was worth every mile.  The
Melvins opened, and I have read many reviews that said they weren't all
that great, but I went in with open ears a nd, well, they really weren't
very good.  I tried my hardest to get into it, but I just couldn't do it. 
I think Buzz's hair is the best part of their live performance.  TOOL went
on about 8:30, which was much earlier than I expected.  Maynard was in his
padded bra, boxers, and some really kick ass clogs.  Danny was in his
usual T-shirt and shorts.  I almost didn't recognize Justin because he's
got hair now.  And Adam's pour soul was in a long sleeved shirt, as if it
wasn't 5 million degrees outside.  The y sounded great.  I don't need to
mention Danny's drumming, it's above and beyond anyone else's.  Justin
seemed a lot more relaxed since I saw them last at Lollapalooza.  Adam's
guitar had a much heavier sound than I remember from past shows.  It was
grea t.  And the Reverend's voice, how, I don't understand, just gets
stronger and stronger every time I see them.  I just don't think it's
humanly possible for that man to miss a note. Some highlights of the show,
for me, were, You Lied, Pushit, My Third Eye, and the Opiate/Flood combo. 
The only thing that would have made this show more enjoyable would have
been a crowd more intent on watching the show, than seeing how many noses
they could break.  I think I'm going to start the "TOOL in seated venues
only" campaign. My favorite Maynard-isms of this show:(Not word for word,
but you'll get the point).

(Introducing the Melvins) "OK, how many open-minded, compassionate people
do we have here tonight?"  (Crowd screams) "OK, you'll get a chance to
prove that later.  And how many ignorant, closed-minded, redneck fucks do
we have here?"  (Unfortunately, the crowd screams again).  "OK, while
you're leaving, we'll enjoy the Melvins." 

"Turn off your TV's, read a book, and jack off into a high powered fan. 
Just a suggestion." 

"I usually only have this much space between the stage and the crowd, but
I heard there are a lot of homophobic people here, so I had to have some
more room.  What is a homophobic person anyway?  Would that be like a
Mormon?" 

I'll be at the Dallas show on Saturday.

jeff






Review written by: J Schutz (schutz@stic.net)
Review posted on: 08/07/98 02:48:25

I like tool alot.  They are my favorite band. I have seen tool 
perform before and I have to say that the previous shows were better 
when it came to the songs played and the length of the set.  Thats 
the part that disappointed me about this show.  The show lasted less 
than 1 1/2 hours.  It ended at 10:15, why not stay out and play more 
songs???  I really expected at least a 2 hour set, but, oh well.

1. Part of Me
2. Stinkfist
3. ???
4. Eulogy
5. Third Eye
6. Opiate
7. [Intolerance]??
8. Sober
9. Pushit
10. Aenima

If this is wrong, please, someone correct me.  As far as the third 
song goes, I really have no clue if it was a cover, or a new song 
(new album???  Heyyyyyy!).  The lead singer for the Melvins played 
the guitar on Stinkfist and the third song.  It was kind of weird 
watching tool perform with three guitarists, let alone having five 
people on stage.  I am VERY tired and I cannot remember what that 
other song (*7) was.   

I guess that ten songs isn't that bad of show, it didn't seem like 10 
songs, but then again, each of them lasted 8-15 minutes.  

I just REALLY wanted to hear 46&2, and Hooker with a Penis.  Prison 
Sex was another one I really wanted to hear, but I didn't expect to 
hear that one, so I didn't really get my hopes up.  

Before they played "pushit" Maynard said "We're gonna take a 
departure in this song...we're gonna sing it differently than we 
usually do, so close just close your eyes and depart with us."  Or 
something like that.  That was an understatement.  The words were 
sang in pretty much the same order, but at first the way he sang it 
was sort of mellow.  The music was *VERY* mellow, until the very end 
of the song it ended normally.  

After they sang Pushit, Maynard waved and said "goodnight". Then the 
band all got together and sat down in front of the drum set and were 
drinking their water and talking.  Everyone was going crazy wanting 
them to start up again.  Finally, they did.  Maynard got up went to 
the mic and said "Stop whining". Then they proceeded.

I guess overall, I really enjoyed the show.  Maynard was alot more 
into the music than I have ever seen and they sounded great.  Now I 
just have to wait another year or two to see them again.






Review written by: ... (kudzu1@geocitiesl.com)
Review posted on: 08/07/98 02:45:08

I almost fell asleep while the melvins played, but the lead singer 
managed to redeem himself when he helped play stinkfist.  Tool put on 
a great show.  everyone i talked to said this is the best or one of 
the best concerts they've ever been to.  It's definately my favorite, 
even if my ribs are killing me.  He did a new version of Pushit 
dedicated to his son.  I really liked it, but, most of the people 
around me were upset that they couldn't mosh very well to it.  It was 
a really trippy show, and i really liked it, but I'm upset they 
didn't play H.  i know it was released as a single to readio 
stations, so therefore they should play it(besides, it's my favorite 
song.)

As for visuals..it was just plain weird.  Which is good.  From the 
odd things being showed on the screen, to Maynards outfit..weird.  He 
had the same skull painted on his face that Chapel(a comic book 
character..maybe he was following something else, but thats what it 
was to me) has, a bra, and boxers(and he claimed that he'd be a 
different gender at each show for the next few days.)  Weird.






Review written by: S (smora@flash.net)
Review posted on: 08/07/98 00:46:09

Well what can I say?  That was my first concert and it kicked
ass! I'm still in shock! It was hard and intense from the
moment TOOL came out until they got off the stage.  When I 
was in the pit this one guy got his nose broken and was 
bleeding everywhere.  It was fucking cool!  The Melvins 
opened up for TOOL and damn did they suck!!! I was in the 
front center when TOOL came out.  As soon as the music
started this huge pit got going.  It rocked!!!  It was the 
most fucking bad ass experience of my life!!!  I can't wait 
for them to come back again!!! Their new album is going to 
kick ass!!!






Review written by: Dominic Barrios (hated@hempseed.com)
Review posted on: 08/06/98 23:19:50

well, i am here, before the show has ended. You see, I took it upon 
my self to wait till the last minute to buy a ticket. First mistake, 
becuase they sold out quite fast. Then today, I took it upon myself 
again to just go to the show and sit on a certain hill where you have 
a great view of the show. Second mistake, becuase I wasn't the only 
one and it didn't take long for the cops to show up, telling us to 
get off the hill. SO i went to the entrance and sat near the door, 
listening to every song. Third mistake, becuase that just made me 
want to get into the action so much that i just had to leave. I 
couldn't take the anticipation, the not knowing of what was going on, 
what maynard was doing and all the beautiful little things that are 
TOOL live. Which brings me to my plea to anyone reading this 
review... PLEASE if you taped the san antonio show on video or 
cassette PLEASE get back to me. I want to know how this show was, i 
am a very devoted fan, and I would love to hear how the show would 
have finished or possibly see the show. E-mail me at: 
hated@hempseed.com

set list until i left:
1.Part of me
2.Stinkfist(with cool intermission)
3.new song that was great(slow and long)
4.eulogy
5.third eye