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Derek, Doug and I went. Before the show, I was talking with Doug, and trying to tell him who the opening act was. The band was Tomahawk, but I couldn't remember who the vocalist was, or what band he'd been in. At about their second song, Doug turned to me and said, "that guy acts like a second-rate Mike Patton!" I shrugged, but didn't ask who that was, or why I should know that name. He said the same thing to Derek, but added "of Faith No More." I said, "that is Mike Patton!" I had previously seen Faith No More and disliked them, and this time Patton seemed to be jumping around and singing even more idiotically than he had before.
Tool, on the other hand, is great. The band is amazing. Such complex music. Singer, guitarist, bassist, drummer. The singer occasionally played guitar.The interplay between the guitar and bass was very cool. They don't harmonize, they sometimes play together and sometimes play separately but it always works. The drumming is great too. I can't put my finger on what he does, but he doesn't sound quite like anyone else. The three instruments overlap so much, especially the bass sounds. Even watching them, it was hard to see who was playing what. And the singer has a unique style for a "metal" band - he sings. Often at the top of his lungs. In tune. And he doesn't always sing exactly on the beat. It implies a pattern at a different level.
One of the band's themes, at least in their imagery, is transcendence. Their main message is, "think for yourself," but there seems to be an implication that doing so can get you to another level. After the show Doug asked me how the show made me feel. He said the emotion he felt was anger. I said it was more simply aggression. Most people would only pick up on the negativity given off by most metal bands, but I don't see as much of it in Tool. I'll admit I don't feel a lot of positivity either, but in the end, their direction gives me hope. Their negativity is directed. It is derision of the mindless automatons that make up so much of our society. So the aim is a positive one. I'm not a big fan of doing bad things for good results (the ends do not justify the means), but what it comes down to is a feeling of hope, since my eyes have been opened and my disgust urges me to act.
But back to the show...
Three were video screens high, alongside the stage, with Tool's unique brand of video. Mystical and ominous. Other than that, they didn't have much of a visual theme. Was there a giant inflatable... construction floating over the stage at some point? Have you noticed how bad my memory is?
Maynard is an odd character. I want to know what he had on his face. He was wearing some kind of uniform - all black with a badge, and stripes on the seams of his trousers. He had something black down the middle of his face. I don't know if it was paint, or some kind of leather mask. It was hard to see because he stayed up on his platform, and never really faced the audience, and never had a light on himself. During the last song, his platform began to rotate, so every twenty seconds or so he was facing us, and the stage was brightly lit, so we could finally get a look at him, but we weren't close enough to get a good look.
After the show the four guys came down front for a bow and a group hug. Maynard left the stage pretty quickly, but the others stayed on stage for quite a while, waving, clapping back at us and throwing things to the audience. You don't see that sort of appreciation very often anymore.
Tool, on the other hand, is great. The band is amazing. Such complex music. Singer, guitarist, bassist, drummer. The singer occasionally played guitar.The interplay between the guitar and bass was very cool. They don't harmonize, they sometimes play together and sometimes play separately but it always works. The drumming is great too. I can't put my finger on what he does, but he doesn't sound quite like anyone else. The three instruments overlap so much, especially the bass sounds. Even watching them, it was hard to see who was playing what. And the singer has a unique style for a "metal" band - he sings. Often at the top of his lungs. In tune. And he doesn't always sing exactly on the beat. It implies a pattern at a different level.
One of the band's themes, at least in their imagery, is transcendence. Their main message is, "think for yourself," but there seems to be an implication that doing so can get you to another level. After the show Doug asked me how the show made me feel. He said the emotion he felt was anger. I said it was more simply aggression. Most people would only pick up on the negativity given off by most metal bands, but I don't see as much of it in Tool. I'll admit I don't feel a lot of positivity either, but in the end, their direction gives me hope. Their negativity is directed. It is derision of the mindless automatons that make up so much of our society. So the aim is a positive one. I'm not a big fan of doing bad things for good results (the ends do not justify the means), but what it comes down to is a feeling of hope, since my eyes have been opened and my disgust urges me to act.
But back to the show...
Three were video screens high, alongside the stage, with Tool's unique brand of video. Mystical and ominous. Other than that, they didn't have much of a visual theme. Was there a giant inflatable... construction floating over the stage at some point? Have you noticed how bad my memory is?
Maynard is an odd character. I want to know what he had on his face. He was wearing some kind of uniform - all black with a badge, and stripes on the seams of his trousers. He had something black down the middle of his face. I don't know if it was paint, or some kind of leather mask. It was hard to see because he stayed up on his platform, and never really faced the audience, and never had a light on himself. During the last song, his platform began to rotate, so every twenty seconds or so he was facing us, and the stage was brightly lit, so we could finally get a look at him, but we weren't close enough to get a good look.
After the show the four guys came down front for a bow and a group hug. Maynard left the stage pretty quickly, but the others stayed on stage for quite a while, waving, clapping back at us and throwing things to the audience. You don't see that sort of appreciation very often anymore.
