Summer 1998 Tour Reviews

Date: August 30


Review written by: josh (guitar1234@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 09/02/98 01:43:38 Well its been a few days since the Tool concert on Sunday and my ears are finally starting to recover. I barely here a ringing anymore. Well the line went pretty fast although you can see all of the Tool fans and that was kind of depressing. Then once we got inside we went to the floor which was almost empty. I figured everyone went to go see the Metallica show so it was going to be easy to get up to the front. After a short period of crowd entertaignment in which nothing funny happened yet people were laughing just because everyone else was laughing, the show started with maynard introducing the melvins as some grunge band. He had me fooled cause i do not know who the fuck the Melvins are until my friend told me that was them. After a 45 minute or so song they finally left and not a minute too soon. They were horrible. there was quite a bit of time before tool came on but when they did they busted out into cold and ugly with maynard dressed up as an evangelist. He hella looked like one also i was impressed. The vocals were not loud enough as they banged through some songs and soon something happened with the speakers apparently because then the vocals were not audible and when they were they were all screwed up. he stripped down to reveal a pair of breasts that look quite real and by then i had moved up in the crowd. after like 5 songs i was up to the second row. It was a lot less rough up there then where i previously was, which was around were all the big ass jocks would go around and fuck people up. So basically there was just moving in the crowd except for a few people who like punched me and shit for whatever reason. So eventually the show ended and i was pretty amazed. Everything was perfect except for the vocals. The version of stranglehold/swamp song/pushit/ was pretty tight though. I wished they played no quarter because they do a good version of that song. and i wished they had played like prison sex and pushit but it was still a great show. Next time i hope the vocals and sound will be better but it was still a great show. I am looking for a bootleg of it so if someone has it and wants to trade that or any other show just e-mail me. josh

Review written by: Greggorio (grimstad1@home.com) Review posted on: 09/01/98 20:24:31 my ears finnaly stopped ringing. so now I can safely say this was the best, I mean very best "Tool show" I have ever been too. I was first anointed on new years eve 95/96 oakland coliseum. my next blessing came on oct. 21 '96 then one week later on the 28th. The latter show was really mind blowing. no way could it be topped. Then this year we made a road trip to Hollywood on mar. 26th to see them play at the Palladium. We walked down sunset Blvd. to the show and on the way we passed the Green Jello loft. I knew this night would be electric. I was not dissapointed. My fourth show and they just keep getting better. so when we were getting ready for this my fifth show, I thought to myself do not expect this to continue. Holy Shit, was I wrong. Maynard is the incarnate of everything that makes a lyricist, vocalist, showman and shaman. If there is a God(which I doubt) I think Maynard is it. -but remember "believe in nothing" Greggorio, fellow Toolian

Review written by: Annette (eyethree.yahoo.com) Review posted on: 09/01/98 16:52:03 Well I went to my 4th Tool concert (the 3rd for the week) and it was great! It was the last show on the Aenima 98 tour too. If you didn't go you missed Tool's version of Stranglehold. You also missed the encore with three drummers. Danny, Primus old drummer, and the drummer for the Melvins. Afterwords I went to the bus like the show before when I got Maynard's hat and Adam and Justin's autographs. This time I got the entire bands autograph. They were so nice and there were only about four of us there talking to them. This has got to be the best week ever!

Review written by: NOW (b_mullins@rsvlonline.net) Review posted on: 09/01/98 04:19:06 Hello ToOl dudes. time for the summer ending tour review. Here goes in Sam Jose. Melvins again, hmm. One song was alright the rest was something from Stairway to Stardom, a Sactown gig with amateur musicians...Buzz woulda fit right in. People who can play music can't necessarily compose it; that's what I have learned. But some can. ToOl being a wonderful example. Before the Melvins came on they played some horrible techno music from a drum machine; I like techno, house, type music (avid Chemical Bros. fan) but this stuff was horrible, gave the style a bad name. It got booed in the waiting period before the show. ANYHOW after the Melvins came on ToOl went. Cold and Ugly etc...highlights of the show for myself : Stranglehold was awesome, a riff from Pushit was inserted which was used as an intro and bridge. Sober was fucking mind numbing, anthemic and incredible which i said earlier in my Reno review aug.19. anyhow there was a timothy leary video clip where he told people to break down barriers, etc, expand mind, etc. That's Leary and that's ToOl. Danny did some interesting drumming; it;s quite possible to confuse him for a 'living' drum machine, his sense of rhythm is unnerving...my brain couldn't even follow some of what he was doing...he's awesome. I've seen Neal Peart of Rush play, and I know some Jazz drummers- chic corea . Danny Carey can play with the best of 'em...drumhead. Anyhow Maynard went off on his religio kic that night, some dude next to me shouted 'your not a preacher your Satan!' the crowd was quiet while it absorbed this tidbit. I mulled it over and found it quite plausible. The crowd was great, not too violent just really, really packed in there, like uni-minded sardines, or sheep. Great. 3rd eye was intense, for a moment I descended into a more primitive, organic state. i got a soda during the song somehow and etched a 3rd eye with a plastic straw between my eyes...I also meditated Lotus-like during Opiate, which was my climactic religous experience for the last few months. I felt that all we were were just souls passing through, together now with Maynard and the boys as our guides and mediums... anyhow People give the fans a hard time on this Internet. just cuz your barely literate and can operate a computer doesn't mean your any better or smarter than that big drunk dude who almost smashed your face in with his flying elbows. Some people just enjoy music differently than others...and to all those who label others HWAP, watch out cuz odds are your one to- stick your finger up your own ass arrogant fuck. Use an original label; using their label makes you as much a sellout as they claim you are. Truly: All who come to see ToOl are blessed; and if you can walk out of a ToOl concert thinking otherwise, thinking that the fans sucked or the openers sucked or ToOl didn't play as 'good' or as 'much' as you wanted them to- all of you need a serious head check. Nothing on this Earth can compare to even a 'bad' ToOl show, so count your blessings you ungrateful fucks. Appreciate life as it is given to you. Thanx all. Can;t wait till the next album...next year... NOW No Other Way

Review written by: Pissed Off Pal (IHateStupidReviews@ToolFan.net) Review posted on: 09/01/98 03:59:16 This goes to the folks reviewing tonights show who say that the concert sucked...let me say this. You Guys Suck The Big One!!! Granted, the speaker problem was a drag but after awhile, the sound tech guys seemed to get things in order (either that, or my ears just went numb) and the rest of the show sounded pretty good. If Porn Star (orlandi@2xtreme.net) hadn't dropped out of middle school he might have learned how to COUNT. Not being a real bright guy, Mr. Star didn't think to scroll down the page and read the review by Joe Shmoe (chaka15@aol.com) which included a SETLIST detailing NOT 7 or 8 songs, but in fact, TEN SONGS. As far as the show being too short, I figure the band actually played a good ninety minutes, and while I would've loved more, that was enough to leave me satisfied. Or, for the sake of Mr. Star, I felt really really good. TOOL IS GOD!!!

Review written by: Mike Williams (daserde@ucla.edu) Review posted on: 09/01/98 03:15:22 Ok, i wish to ammend my review. I agree with you guys that the sound was very crappy. But one thing that i did notice was that despite the fact that the sound itself was crappy, you can actually see the talent that this band has. They are simply amazing, even if the sound itself is far from it. As far as the uneducated freaks that were there, i second that motion strongly. As i was walking up to the back of the line and was passing by so many who were simply, well, freaks, i couldnt believe that these weree the same people who were fans of Tool. Then i realized that most of them dont appreciate Tool for who they are, but simply as some hard music to thrash to. We are the gifted few who have the intellect and ability to comprehend the message that the Rev. is sending to us. We are the ones who will go home and think of that original thought and strive to not only have a single thought, but a miriad of others. We are the ones who will lead the race into the future and we are the ones with the balls to conflict with the status quo. I sometimes feel like i am alone in my quest for true knowledge, real thought and Truth, but i know that most of you reading this review are like me: seekers of Truth. Thanks for listening.

Review written by: Master Reviewer (flavorcountry@seeyouauntiemail.com) Review posted on: 08/31/98 23:20:47 THIS IS WHERE THE FLAVA IS !!!!! i wish the played their cover version of "baby got back" guess i went home dissapointed on that again but they did play that INXS song,so, i guess that makes up for it anyway, i will go now, and finish my bowl of quaker oat squares oh yeah, they also played the cover of puff daddy covering that police song, that really made me happy! goodnight, goodfight

Review written by: FuckUPussies (MattCore@webtv.com) Review posted on: 08/31/98 23:04:58 Thank you Tool for a great Revival. Tool always kicks ass. Let me start by saying I am from Fresno and while there are alot of assholes here there were no riots and no more fistfights than you find at your average show, but apparently there was alot of pu ssies that don't know that when you go to shows you might get pushed a little bit. Everyone quit crying. All the way around though San Jose was a better show. I love Stranglehold, too bad they didnt go into Swampsong like in L.A. earlier this year. Flood was a great way to end a great tour. I kept wishing I could be dying of cancer so I could be onstage to o, you guys are lucky. Anyways remember next time if you cant handle the pushing or the sound get some fucking earplugs and grab a fucking seat in the back but dont cry about it on the internet. Fucks. See you next time in front.

Review written by: Vincent C. (SOBER@netgate.net) Review posted on: 08/31/98 21:09:42 95% Satisfied. 5% What the fuck were those sound techs doing!? This show was extremly worthy of watching. Eventhough it rounded hella tweeks, drunk old fucks and soulless loosers. TOOL still managed to put on a way kik ass show. It defenitley made up for the halfass santa barbara show the day before. The sound was worser than eating a bowl of lard with a hair in it. Shouts out to that FUCKIN YUPPIE who gave me a smart ass remark when i kindly ask him to move his FUCKING IGNIT HEAD of his 2 or 3 inches so i can see the stage atleast. Other than that, This was one of the best TOOl shows that was held in my own home town S A N J O S E !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "Can you FEEL IT!!!"....MJK Vincent .C

Review written by: me (me@someplace.com) Review posted on: 08/31/98 19:20:43 Well I made the mistake of thinking that all the dumbfucks would be at the metallica show. I was wrong, alot of them were at Tool. I didn't wear my t.d.n shirt, because I didn't want to come of as "i got my tdn shirt, that means i'm better than you," so I didn't. Anyhoo, the melvins came out and proceeded to suck. Then Tool came out, Maynard was all dressed up and stuff. Does that guy ever blink when he is performing? During Eulogy(the second song), the left side speakers blew and ruined the show. Nothing but garbled noise came out of it for the rest of the night. The setlist has been listed and i won't waste time by posting it again. The crowd had a bunch of freaks, but what can you do? Surprisingly there was a real lack of body odor up front near the barricade. Even with the blown speakers, shitheads in the crowd with the glowsticks, and the like, it was still a good show. And to all you short dumbfucks, I will NOT apologize, nor will I move because you're shorter than me. So tool was good, it would have been better if the sound worked out.

Review written by: J.T. (jt@amotive.com) Review posted on: 08/31/98 17:13:43 First, my ear's are still ringing. This was the 3rd time I have seen Tool in the Bay Area and this was the worst. I was really disapointed. The crowd was typical: straight, white and uneducated. I am none of those three so I noticed it more. The thing I did enjoy was Maynard telling the crowd to have their own thought's, come up with their own ideas, that's more important than any education, Amen! The sound sucked, it was so garbled. I did enjoy 46&2, Sober, and Stranglehold. Cold and Ugly was junk. My dream is to hear Swamp Song again ....... I guess I'll have to wait. By the way, where do these DICKHEADS buy the glowsticks?

Review written by: T (noneof yourbusiness@nowhere) Review posted on: 08/31/98 17:05:06 This show sucked. I agree w/ PornStar (see review below)...I know I'm going to piss people off by saying it, but the show sucked...I've seen them 4 times...ok, not a phenomenal amount of times , but enough to make a comparison...saw them the night before in Santa Barbara...now THAT was a TOOL show! They were into it, the sound was great, they seemed to really enjoy being in SB...whereas in SJ they just seemed to want to get the show over and get the hell out of there...the sound sucked...I mean, OK, they're TOOL..so just seeing them live at all is a religious experience unto itself, but as far as Tool shows go, it could've been better, and was better in other stops on the tour (however, I've heard that the Fresno show sucked even worse, so I guess we can all be thankful that it wasn't that bad!)

Review written by: Mike Williams (daserde@ucla.edu) Review posted on: 08/31/98 16:41:00 Wow, that is all i can repeat over and over when i think about what i saw last night. That concert was simply incredible. Not only was it my first Tool concert ever, but it was actually my first concert, period. Tool took the stage at approximately 9:20, and while i cant quite remember the full set of songs they played, i do remember how incredibly well they played them. Dany Carey's drums were incredible, i would focus in on him and listen to him play and would stand in awe of his talent. I was happy to finally have seen Maynard though. I respect him very deeply and to see him in person, even from 100+ feet, was a special moment for me. His vocal talent is as apparent live as it is on CD, perhaps even moreso. The people that attended the concert were a very mixed group. To say the least. I wont go in to that for fear of offending someone out there. anyway, back to the music. Tool played for approximately 90 minutes or so, and god was it good. They played 46&2, Eulogy, Sober (god that was good), Stinkfist, and a few others that culminated at the end to play: Aenima. I have one way to describe this song. It was like god himself was playing up there. It was AMAZING. Throughout the night, the intensity kept growing and growing and growing, but Aenima topped it all off. The intensity was just unbearable. I sang along with Maynard all night, and attempted to do so for this one, but i stopped halfway through and just listened to them. Well, its not a particularly good review, but hey, im tired. Anyway, to finish it off. Tool is simply awesome. They are the Mozart of all vocal music.

Review written by: Porn Star (orlandi@2xtreme.net) Review posted on: 08/31/98 16:11:11 TOOL: SAN JOSE EVENT CENTER. I have seen TOOL 8 times, this was the WORST concert of theirs I have ever seen. first of all they only played about seven or eight songs. secondly, they wasted way too much time in the middle of the concert "buying time for mayNERD". they had way too many people coming onto the stage, playing with them and just being fucks in the way. from the time they came on the trebble was set way too high and it began to distort the sound from the begining.:-( then in the third song when they blew the speakers/amp what ever the hell that was sucked. the rest of the show was too distorted and horrible. the sound sucked, trebble=too high vocals=too distorted and the bass not quite dominant enough with the other two messed up. the drums were good although. A friend of mine I went with was really dissapointed because of the bootleg I gave him from the LA show in '96. he said the sound blew, and he had never seen tool before. he however did mention how he would like to see them at a good venue and it didnt ruin it for him but severely disappointed. the people at this show were a bunch of punks as well. there were a bunch of "racist, satanist fucks" tool never has expressed any type of behavior nor ideas of being either of these, im not sure where people got the idea of this type of thinking was tool, because it hasnt been up to this point. the warfield shows in the past have showed up a much better crowd. other than all that and the show being way too short with way too much wasted time between songs I guess then it was alright. if anyone has any comments to send me because of this please do so i would love to hear what you thought about the show. a devoted tool fan orlandi@2xtreme.net

Review written by: Joe Shmoe (chaka15@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/31/98 14:35:26 I would first like to dedicate the ringing that will be resident in my ears for the next week or so to the sound guys. I can't blame them: at the rate they're going they've probably lost most of their high-end hearing. Anyways, the Melvins were introduced by Maynard as Grunge Bucket- three brothers who at 15, 16, and 17 were the youngest group ever to tour with TOOL. Uh-huh. Their songs weren't bad, but then again songs comprised only about 6 minutes out of their 30 minute set. The rest was noise. In my humble opinion, feedback with drums thrown in. In go the ear plugs. Must conserve hearing for TOOL. Melvins leave, ear protection out, the lights go on and after another 30 minutes, TOOL. Ahhh, sweet ambient TOOL. Here's the setlist for anyone who might not want to scroll all the way down: Cold&Ugly Eulogy (Buzz comes out) Stinkfist* Stranglehold (Buzz leaves) Third Eye Danny solo/Intro to Sober Sober* 46&2* Aenima** (encore w/ Buzz and one of the guys from Primus who's name se me olvido) Opiate Flooooood* *:Ultra-mega extremely bad-ass (not that the rest of it wasn't) **:Oh yes. I guess I haven't said it yet, so I'll say it now: That had to be the most awesome concert ever. The pit had a few sadists in it, but not enough to make a dent in the awesomeness of the show. Maynard was not without his share of quips aimed at the crowd, but I'm not sure how even HE could have been serious. Maybe he was, I don't know, but he looked like he was having a great time. With all the power and energy in the place I'm surprised the roof didn't launch into orbit. Danny, Adam, and Justin just seemed to be doing what they had to do. And they did it well(<--UNDERSTATEMENT). I was screaming the lyrics at the top of my lungs (even while choking on my own blood) and so were most of the people near me. Except this one dude right in front of me who didn't seem to move the entire time. His girlfriend, too. I mean the ENTIRE time! I was about to start banging his head for him near the end but decided not to wake him from his trance or whatever it could have been. At least they left before the encore. But anyways, I was one of the guys wearing a plain black t-shirt, jeans, and boots. I know that describes a few hundred people there last night, but if anyone is going to UCSD (or not), please (PLEASE) do not be afraid to e-mail me. (and I don't think I saw Kabir, damn it. I was expecting some dude carrying a sign with bright green lettering. heh heh.) ---Joe

Review written by: Nick (NickYall@aol.com) Review posted on: 08/31/98 14:22:54 Great show, you could tell Maynard enjoyed himself a hell of a lot more than in Fresno when he just stood there all night. I would have preferred to hear h. one more time before the tour ended but that's okay. Did everyone hear Adam's amp just explode d uring Eulogy? Wow, that was weird. And also, in the five shows that I went to on this tour they never played Prison Sex. Hmm... Oh another thing, all the people that went to Fresno...do you have ANY idea what the hell that fuckin' idiot is talking abo ut who said that there were riots where the band memebers got rushed when they were onstage and fucked up? E-mail me please, because either I saw another band named Tool in Fresno and this guy saw the real Tool, or he dropped some serious bad acid before the show. What a dipshit. Well I suppose that's it for Tool touring for a while. Let's all be patient and wait for the new album. Until then, peace.

Review written by: *loreth* (chick) (baaa) Review posted on: 08/31/98 14:16:18 Last night was my 10th time seeing Tool. Couldn't have been better. They still captivate me. How could anyone get tired of Tool??? * This show was far better than the L.A shows back in March! Okay, I was stimulated (if you know what I mean) during the whole show so heres what I can recall of the setlist..No one correct me please so just let me think they played Hush (hehe). --in no specific order-- 1. Cold and Ugly 2. Eulogy 3. Straglehold 4. Stinkfist 5. Third Eye 6. Weird shit (sound technics) 7. Sober 8. AENEMA 9. 46&2 ___________________________ Extra licks "This is our last song, and becuz we're not a jukebox we'll do the one you're yelling at us." Which was Opiate. I'm still confused about the last one. It could be Swamp Song, Flood??? Someone tell me. When the show ended I lost my transportation person so I said fuck this I'm going to meet Adam! So I stood at the side gate with some people and waited for some of the guys to come out. We first spotted Justin and he ws incredibly sweet (very cute, too). I asked him if he was English or whatever cuz Maynard is a damn bullshiter and he's like "yeah, I'm English." Dude, then to make my night even more heavenly Mr. Carey comes out...Yeah the man, the myth, the legend - the unbelievably tall drummer from hell. It was a stupid question, but I asked him how long he had been drumming for and he's been doing it for 27 years, people!!! Our Rev. walked out ignoring the yells of "Maynard!!!" then hopped in the bus quickly. He was on that bus forever until he saw that his co-worker Adam Jones was in better spirit. Mr. Jones had came from the other gate he like walked by without me really seeing him until he got on the bus. He started staring at us thru the bus window then came out and walked up to us - then he's like "Whos all out here???" There were only like 4 of us...He made a comment about my Aenima CD saying "Wicked" (gonard's chick or whatever) on it then he signed the chicks ass. He has some very kick-ass shoes which he told us were Puma's..I wear them too be he has the newer edition of Pumas..While Adam was still signing stuff Danny and Maynard came back..Maynard's like "you guys look pretty pathetic out here so I decided to come over here and see whats going on.." I told him I liked his shirt and he just smiled..As he was walking away he said something like "thanks for coming; stay in school." I was beyond excited...Dude I just can't find the words but you know I think I'm tha shit now cuz the band signed my CD and a picture! I'am forever waiting for Tool's return back here or somewhere near, which won't be for a loooooooooooong time but I'm counting down the days until Tool show #11... Love, *loreth*

Review written by: Cera (disgustipated@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 08/31/98 13:26:07 Being in the front isn't all that it's cracked up to be... I have bruises on my boobs from being shoved by jerk-offs behind me into the stage barrier. However I did get a great view of the man himself as he proceeded to strip off the reverend outfit in an extremely provacative way. After shedding the costume he became the Maynard that we all know, flailing and thrusting about. It made the crowd go wild!!! People were pouring down over top of me as they reached their destination, only to be escorted away by one of the (at least) 15 security guards. All in all the show was all that I knew it would be and more (of course it was, it's Tool). However, I was a little disappointed with the Melvins, who had some difficulty starting and finishing a song. Instead, they played one long tune that lasted at least 45 minutes. Sorry if you didn't get to see the show, you missed a doozy!!! ~Cerabear

Review written by: Barry Manilow (bmanilow@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 08/31/98 12:15:15 4th time seeing Tool for me....still speechless. -Barry

Review written by: insolace (a.k.a. jesus) (insolace@geocities.com) Review posted on: 08/31/98 06:10:36 okay, the show started off with maynard in his sweats again (i'd read about last nights concert and was not fooled with the casual look) and appologized about the melvins not being able to attend, but instead we got to hear.... the melvins....(i guess he called them space monkey or something).... but they were interesting... i really wished they'd structure (i should talk, look at this review) their songs a little more though, a good ending or begining might actually turn their musical merry-go-round counter-clockwise... any-who, they jammed for a while... i ran into an ex-girlfriend (sidetracked here....hold on...[zap] [shift]) and the melvins ended... i usually dont indulge but i took a hit or two from a friends pipe because i figured i was going to get a contact so what the hell... anyways, i made my way to the front (or as close as i could get) and awaited tool to start... danny's kit was on the far left and i noticed he'd lost a few cymbals since i last saw him, i was also wondering if there was a drum in-between his 2 hi-toms and 2 floor-toms or whether that was his drum brain for the pads he uses... ultimately i guess it doesn't matter.... a bunch of people were making fun of one of the roadies who was most likely (i am judging via stereotypes here, but they usual come out correct) a butch lesbian... (shaved head, lots of piercings, very masuline, pretty and very friendly...) and i was kinda mad because it reminded me that we males need to grow up a little... i find most concerts to be sociological experiances so i usually have some little pearls of useless un-wisdom like that (as before mentioned i think it may have been my 'original' thought that maynard begged out of us)... so i secretly chanted the lesbian roadie on, cuz you know what? she's on stage and we aren't...heheh.. well tool came on... at it was cool...they had 2 'things' covered in sheets which i was hoping would be a) danny's drum teacher's stuff and b) a giant inflatable fetus. alas, neither came true... one was a typical tool wood gong painted funny, and the other was a raisable screen for their projected backdrop. alas, the fetus shall have to wait till next tour. :) so they played their cool ass songs... i was hoping for jerk-off, but i was very very happy to hear aenima and third eye (my fav song of theirs because its all about how people need to look within and change everything they see so that they can realise they'll never really see it in any one 'propper' way, therefore 'propper' cannot exist)... but instead people jumped up and down and moshed when (you guessed it) the music got hard, and they didn't when (you guessed it) the music got soft.... very sexual i think... hard/soft, up/down, in/out, elbow/face...er...that was later, when bouncy boy in front kept banging his ass into my groin... god damnit, don't 'dance' in the very front!!! oh well, i'm off on a tangent... i must make my peace with the overhead screen now... the concepts behind it are wonderfully synical... i work in a videostore so i have time to think cynically and i just LOVE whats going on... the prometheus man evolving with each nuclear flash, the gameboy guy ('do you know the meaning of life?') the naked women holding up previousley seen images of an eyeball being operated on, the siloute waving without a head and all these other wonderful things that i can't remember well enough to actually explain, but if you've seen them and you dont have a neck thicker than a 1000 year old oak tree then you get what i'm saying.... anyways, tool ended and played their lounge version of hooker with a penis, and it was hysterical... this chick spreading her legs and her vagina replaced with the singers mouth, it rocked... and yeah, stuf... well, i'll stop randomly jabbering now, but tool really rocked... the only thing that could have been better was the company... people think overpopulation is no big deal, but i saw soo many useless people at this concert who simply came because their buddies like moshing to loud music. obviousley this huge machine of a society that gives us good clothing and good medicine also gives us the most laziest people on the planet who have nothing better to do than press the nearest stimulator button to get a giggle (can we say 'jerry springer'?).... if people would stop looking to famous people for all their answers (even maynard) and just try to improve themselves the world would be cooler...but at least maynard (and the whole band for that matter) is selling something -I- think is a better message... -insolace

Review written by: =VoiD= (Sp0rK@ix.netcom.com) Review posted on: 08/31/98 05:24:35 welcome to san jose.. land of the psuedo hip hop wanna b's... i went and saw TOOL in LA this past march and everytime i see one of these people in there baggy jeans, pretty boy printed shirt, and slicked back hair it just makes me laugh me @ss off.. they sing along word for word to nema and they don't see the humor in it.. but oh well let them pay there hard earned money to hear the rev. make fun of them... anyway... TOOL not much can be said that hasn't been said before.. they are one of the greats ever, and anychance to see them is worth your last $20.. and Marlow.. you got it right on.. TOOL has a way of taking you and healing your soul and for the hour and change you feel a general sense of peace.. don't know what it is about them, they have found somthing in there style and tone that can take a human and lift that person to a diff plane of existence.. and i've seen TOOL 3 times and i will give my last dollar again to hear them.. Marlow man i'm right with you.. to all you that weren't there you missed a great show.. if you don't count the SHITTY sound board at SJS.. seeing Tim "Herb" again was great.. but for the 3rd show this tour i have not heard bottom and am getting kinda "urked".. but it will just make the next show all that much sweeter.. the only good thing about this tour ending is that Buzz will no longer be ruining a tool song.. i had to sit through the melvins twice in LA and i purposly missed them tonight.. may the melvins never play with TOOL again.. and praise the rev. maynard, rev. danny, rev. adam, and justin " the mute "....

Review written by: Marlow (rockabye1@juno.com) Review posted on: 08/31/98 04:17:36 Hello to my tool brothers and sisters out there. If anyone is curious, I was the kid near the front with the phattie red cordurouys... Hmmm Where do I begin...I am going to rely on other reviewers to post the set list okay? Cool...I just got home from the last Tool show of summer tour ten minutes ago. Gosh. I don't think there are words for what I am feeling at the moment. It would be helpful if I conjured up some of those "original thoughts" that Maynard spoke so eloquently about. I think I will have to settle for words slightly more mundane. Well first off, let me explain why Tool is my favorite of all bands. (There are so many out there who make the same claim... god, howz that for mundane...?)I relish the unity, the Human closeness, physical and spiritual... I love it so much. Tonight I made countless friends who I will most likely never see again, which is kind of sad. The challenge is being able to think and exist and make associations/realizations in the present tense. All those ephemeral human encounters I had tonight were so beautiful. I think if my mindset were not focused intently on taking in present events as they occurred, tonight's show might have been less intense and cleansing. It's kind of paradoxical trying to relate something to you all which is now just a memory. Past tense just doesn't do the job. Oh well...Let me just say that tonight's show was the most brutal Tool show I have ever been to. When Tool took the stage and kicked it off with a killer rendition of "Cold and Ugly" I was about three human-widths away from the barracades, and needless to say, I was struggling to keep my lungs inflated so that my ribcage wasn't crushed. I think my sternum is bruised... (again!!!)Breaths were short and insufficient for the exertion required to keep me up there close where I wish I could have stayed. I made it through "H." and then my body said "ENOUGH!!!" so I retreated and tried my skills in the mosh pits (The whole standing room was a pit basically...) as I moved back to safer territory. By the time I got my water, Tool was in the middle of their cover tune, I forget the name, but it fucking rocked. The endorphines then suddenly hit me and I just collapsed in the hallway and started sobbing with joy as Maynard's voice exploded over the godliness occurring on that stage. I didn't much care if I made a spectacle of myself, sprawled in a fetal position crying my eyes out as people passed me by...I am glad I had the courage to let go. Crying is the perfect tool...I was deeply, deeply touched tonight... in ways that escape plausible definition. I am not a religious person, but tonight's show was for me a religious experience. I guess that's the only way of putting it... Well that's my stream of consciousness for now. I am glad I still had the energy to draft this tonight... I want to say "hi" to all my new Toolfriends... Sid... my partner in crime... I hope your fuking digital camera worked out for you... To Josh, my schoolmate... Good seeing you mutherfucker. Foothill College bites my... To Joe my young friend...you got balls kid... To Pat(?)... thanks for the hit... Love your glass piece... I think that covers it. If anyone remembers who I am, drop me an email, I would love to hear from you... Sweet dreams... P.S. Buzz from the Melvins must have put on like fifty pounds since I saw them in March in L.A.!!! WHOA!!! Must be the sic-ass catering... (:

Review written by: B. Weed (summerstime@yahoo.com) Review posted on: 08/31/98 03:49:49 This was my second time seeing Tool...it will NOT be my last! Volume- wise, I think they gave the Who a run for their money. My ears are bleeding! But that's OK, I can always get more. I was extremely happy to hear Stranglehold...a song by the Motor City Madman, said Maynard, second only to Can't You Hear Me Knocking in the all time best rock song list. What a blast. Once again, Third Eye totally rocked, and I'm so glad they played it, but I'd have to say that this time, 46&2 was the best song of the evening. Absolutely flawless in its perfection. I was sort of bummed that I didn't get to hear the new slow version of Pushit, hell any version of Pushit would've done, but there was lots of great music and I can't say that I'm disappointed. Danney Carey, YOU ARE THE MAN!!! Maynard was quite animated compared to last year and I really liked it. Can I get an Amen! Can I get some sleep? Will my ears ever stop ringing? Do I give a shit? Hell no! I just saw TOOL!!! On the way down there, we passed a lot of folks heading to Shoreline to see Metallica and cranked the Tool up really really loud. I could swear I saw a look of envy on some of their faces. I'm sure Metallica put on a great show (2.5 hrs, I'm told) like they always do, but Tool is something special, not to be missed. Ever! Not even for Metallica. Personally, I thought the Melvins were pretty neat, considering I'd never heard them before, although the first song sounded familiar, but now that I think of it, I'm almost sure that was an Alice Cooper song. Whatever! I didn't hear anyone booing the Melvins as was reported of other shows and though the pit looked violent as fuck -- one guy broke his leg, I swear -- it wasn't out of control. The cops were pretty laid back, some of them even watched the show (I'd love to know what they thought of it) and I didn't see any fights. I noticed Maynard was a bit flat a couple of times but so what! I heard Adam come in a bit too soon once as well but that's life. Otherwise, they were tight! Here's my take: Go back to '72 and '73 when Led Zeppelin was in its heyday and touring often, and that's where Tool is now. They are in their prime. This is the time to see them, not ten years from now, when they're old and gray, like me. Great to hear the stuff from Opiate. I think this show was better than Lollapalooza last year in Concord, even though that show rocked as well. I just like indoor shows better, that's all. And Gaylord, you are one crazy dude. Love that review.

Review written by: Big B (bozolw@ix.netcom.com) Review posted on: 08/31/98 03:36:08 The mother fucking shit!! Thats all I can say about it. The last one I went to, they played all the songs off of the new album, but this one kicked ass. I was able to hear sober and opiate, the rest of the time I was dodging fists and flying bodies. THE MOTHER FUCKING SHIT!!!!!!!

Review written by: D a v e (pirofalo@bigfoot.com) Review posted on: 08/31/98 02:46:11 Awesome... Last time I saw Tool, I had to sit through Snoop; this time I had to watch the Melvins...coulda been worse, I s'pose... Anyway, on with the obligatory setlist (maybe in order...maybe missed something...) Cold and Ugly Eulogy Stinkfist Stranglehold Third Eye Sober 46 and 2 nima (encore) Opiate Flood Can't wait for the new stuff...

Review written by: Princess Die (Princess_Diana@fuckyou.com) Review posted on: 08/31/98 00:59:30 whoever wrote that last one was DE BOMB!!!!.....funny funny funny..my sides hurt...

Review written by: Gaylord (...) Review posted on: 08/31/98 00:44:57 WHOA BOY!!! It sure is hard typing from the mosh pit, but my trusty new IBM Thinkpad can take it. (Fuck Yeah :->) Oops... a guy with bleached-spikey hair and a Korn shirt just elbowed my monitor. Oh well, at least I can recognize him in the crowd if there are permanent damages. So far the set list is "Baby, I love your way" "I can't help falling in love" "Hooker with a Penis" "Wanna be my bitch?" "Opiate" "Be my baby tonight" (ghetto booty remix with Buzz) "nima" "Body lika' M.F." (extended hard-on intro) The show might end fairly shortly. (Good thing seeing as my batteries are running low.) I think Maynard really got into "wanna be my bitch" because he took his clothes off in the middle of the song. I think Adam is playing the banjo tonight because it sounds real twangy. Danny seems to be flashing "blood" signs behind his new set of bongos. Justin looks mighty fine at his stand-up bass. Maynard started to smoke a jay on stage after asking if we "motherfuckers" were "pumped to have a kick-ass time, dude". I quickly replied "I am Maynard, I am." Then someone threw him another fat marijuana cigarette which he consumed despite carcinogenic side-effects which are said to cause cancer I hear. I heard snoop-dogg and his posse were going to show up to sing "46+2" with the M-dogg. (Just a rumor.) I guess Maynard just flashed the Babylon-5 sign. That meand I gotta go cause my mom is waiting for me. (Fuck that bitch.) Gaylord "a.k.a." The Lord [I have never read such a wacky review. -- Kabir]