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Man, am I glad I went to that show.
That was the 3rd or 4th Tool show and while the first time I saw them in ‘01 will always be pinnacle Tool for me, tonight was pretty special. The Hard Rock Live is not a big place, it‘s a 7K seater but feels like a slightly larger state theater. I was maybe 100-150 feet from the stage. The only time I had my camera out, when I sat down in my seat-
The sound in this place is phenomenal and was the complete opposite experience I had seeing AIC here about 6 years back, where it was quiet as a mouse. This was arena volume and mixed so damn well you could hear everything. They’re doing some pretty cool shit at the board that really drives that show home. In spots where Adam would be playing solo, the pull-off palm muted licks in Jambi or Culling Voices (I think?) they’d put this sub bass on his guitar that made your hands vibrate. I was holding a bottle of water and once I was half finished it the water was vibrating so much 3/4’s into the show I had to put it down because my hands were numb! But it wasn’t just aimless low end, it was so finely tuned and perfect.
Something I found really, really cool was how many people acknowledged when they were doing something pretty crazy onstage with polyrhythm. The band would come out of it together and the audience would go nuts each time. There’s a LOT of improv in that set, man. Pretty sure “Rosetta Stoned” lasted about 12 minutes. I’m sure there’s bits they fall back on within those improvs, but damn, impressive how they hold shit together during those times.
Adam’s tone- I’d actually say the guitar may have been a pinch too loud and I’m really curious how much stage volume had something to do with that. Those guys are surrounded by side fills and I‘d imagine for him to get his feedback like that his monitors are also cranked. The bass was a little hard to hear at times, but another telling spot of their stage volume was between songs they cut Justin’s cab mics, I could hear this clicking sound and a faint clacking bass sound, I was hearing him test something in his rig but just from his stage volume alone. So I’d imagine how much stage volume from the guitar I was hearing.
Lots of mids, almost flubby at points when it sounds like the amps are going to burst, remarkably controlled. His feedback has its own sound to it, it’s not just feedback but the way he controls it is really somethin’ else. Being able to recreate some of those same squeals of feedback changing throughout a song that you hear on the record is impressive. It’s not a cutting tone at all. He used the new V quite a bit and a Silverburst with a Bigsby a couple times. Really, I have a hard time focusing on anything but Danny when I’ve been at their shows. Everything that guy plays is just fucking ridiculous, awesome, perfect, dynamic, damn. And those drums sounded SO GOOD!!!!! You could hear the actual drums, not just a bunch of EQ dictating the sound of them.
If you’re a casual fan I’d recommend going. Tickets generally aren’t cheap but if you look closer to the show, resellers start lowering prices. Mine was only $125 and I bought it last week. I’m considering going again tomorrow night if I find another ticket cheap enough. They’re changing the setlist up on this tour so I’d imagine tomorrow will be a bit different. Maynard was on fucking point. He did the scream in “The Grudge” and didn’t hold back much, he only dialed it back in “Stinkfist”. Much more effort than I heard him put in from 2010-2016.
If that’s the last Tool show I ever see, I’ll be happy with that.
That was the 3rd or 4th Tool show and while the first time I saw them in ‘01 will always be pinnacle Tool for me, tonight was pretty special. The Hard Rock Live is not a big place, it‘s a 7K seater but feels like a slightly larger state theater. I was maybe 100-150 feet from the stage. The only time I had my camera out, when I sat down in my seat-
- Fear Inoculum
- Jambi
- Rosetta Stoned
- Pneuma
- Sweat
- Descending
- The Grudge
- Intermission
- Chocolate Chip Trip
- Culling Voices
- Invincible
- Stinkfist
The sound in this place is phenomenal and was the complete opposite experience I had seeing AIC here about 6 years back, where it was quiet as a mouse. This was arena volume and mixed so damn well you could hear everything. They’re doing some pretty cool shit at the board that really drives that show home. In spots where Adam would be playing solo, the pull-off palm muted licks in Jambi or Culling Voices (I think?) they’d put this sub bass on his guitar that made your hands vibrate. I was holding a bottle of water and once I was half finished it the water was vibrating so much 3/4’s into the show I had to put it down because my hands were numb! But it wasn’t just aimless low end, it was so finely tuned and perfect.
Something I found really, really cool was how many people acknowledged when they were doing something pretty crazy onstage with polyrhythm. The band would come out of it together and the audience would go nuts each time. There’s a LOT of improv in that set, man. Pretty sure “Rosetta Stoned” lasted about 12 minutes. I’m sure there’s bits they fall back on within those improvs, but damn, impressive how they hold shit together during those times.
Adam’s tone- I’d actually say the guitar may have been a pinch too loud and I’m really curious how much stage volume had something to do with that. Those guys are surrounded by side fills and I‘d imagine for him to get his feedback like that his monitors are also cranked. The bass was a little hard to hear at times, but another telling spot of their stage volume was between songs they cut Justin’s cab mics, I could hear this clicking sound and a faint clacking bass sound, I was hearing him test something in his rig but just from his stage volume alone. So I’d imagine how much stage volume from the guitar I was hearing.
Lots of mids, almost flubby at points when it sounds like the amps are going to burst, remarkably controlled. His feedback has its own sound to it, it’s not just feedback but the way he controls it is really somethin’ else. Being able to recreate some of those same squeals of feedback changing throughout a song that you hear on the record is impressive. It’s not a cutting tone at all. He used the new V quite a bit and a Silverburst with a Bigsby a couple times. Really, I have a hard time focusing on anything but Danny when I’ve been at their shows. Everything that guy plays is just fucking ridiculous, awesome, perfect, dynamic, damn. And those drums sounded SO GOOD!!!!! You could hear the actual drums, not just a bunch of EQ dictating the sound of them.
If you’re a casual fan I’d recommend going. Tickets generally aren’t cheap but if you look closer to the show, resellers start lowering prices. Mine was only $125 and I bought it last week. I’m considering going again tomorrow night if I find another ticket cheap enough. They’re changing the setlist up on this tour so I’d imagine tomorrow will be a bit different. Maynard was on fucking point. He did the scream in “The Grudge” and didn’t hold back much, he only dialed it back in “Stinkfist”. Much more effort than I heard him put in from 2010-2016.
If that’s the last Tool show I ever see, I’ll be happy with that.
There were some points where I thought tonight, "I dunno how I'd handle this tripping, this might be a bit much", I'd have to REALLY be with the right people, that's for sure!
