SomeAngryIndian

If life were the interweb, I’m running on 56K.

Feeling deflated from doing any work at all, although there is a substantial amount, I will write in this blog. Because you are my rock, blog. Mmm.

Tool was a very different experience from Built to Spill. I knew exactly what they’d play because this was a promotional tour. Their setlist hadn’t changed in a long, long time. Honestly, this kind of took some excitement out of the night. Predictability had two edges in this case. Almost everything I’d like to hear was played, as I knew it would. But I knew it would, so it was like, “Here comes Forty-Six & Two” and not “Holy shit! Forty-Six & Two!!”. Etcetera, etcetera.

We were sixteen rows from the stage, on the floor. It was very cool. Probably the best stadium seating I’ve ever had. I haven’t gone to a seated concert in a long time. Lately it’s been small venues in the city which are awesome but tiring because of the long times standing and the commute. This was a pleasant twenty minute drive to cushy seats close to the stage.

There was a light show but I didn’t pay much attention. I heard it was good. The lasers were a nice touch, well done.

The songs themselves were very well played. Especially Danny Carey’s drumming. These guys are great live and it showed in the strength of songs like Stinkfist and especially Aenema (which closed the show). The new tracks were done well, particularly 10,000 Days, which I closed my eyes to the whole time. I found myself doing that a lot because there was this obnoxious guy right in front of me. He threw up the horns in the middle of a song about MJK’s mother’s death. What?? And they kept talking in the middle of it so I just had to space.

In short, anything from Aenema was fantastic, as were Schism and the title track from Lateralus. I am glad to say I’ve heard 10,000 Days and Rosetta Stoned but I think next time I’d like to hear only one grand, long song during the concert. They didn’t play Sober and clearly some people were very pissed. Admittedly, I’d rather have heard that than Lost Keys and Wings. Oh well.

A great show with a (mostly) good crowd. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I were in the mood to listen to Tool lately. Oddly enough, I got more into “You Were Right” during BTS than anything with Tool. Either the impression of their latest effort is fading or I just burned out on them. I don’t think my roommate will ever burn out on them, at least not until he’s listened to Vicarious 500 times.

Bands I want to see live but am getting very tired of the concert scene:
1) The Arcade Fire
2) Sigur Rós
3) Björk
4) Incubus
5) R.E.M.
6) Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

Bands I’ll never see live and that’s a crime:
1) The Verve
2) My Bloody Valentine
3) Neutral Milk Hotel
4) Nirvana
5) The Beatles
6) Pavement