Not sure yet. I'm waiting for a few other people to figure out what they want to do. They are the ones pushing for downstate, but I much prefer Tinley in Chicago. At this point the Feb date seems unlikely.
Not sure yet. I'm waiting for a few other people to figure out what they want to do. They are the ones pushing for downstate, but I much prefer Tinley in Chicago. At this point the Feb date seems unlikely.
I've driven four hours to chicago for a 45 minute set.
I live in a somewhat centered area between Detroit (1hr), Cleveland (2), Columbus (2.5) and Chicago (3.5). Chicago is usually either a last resort or I just really want to spend a day in Chicago.
I travelled 3 hours to see LoG a few years ago. Almost did 3 or 4 to see SoaD.
Now I feel like unless its a fest, or Im staying overnight, I wouldnt want to travel more than 2.
Driving 4 or 5 to see Anthrax/LOG tomorrow. It's normally 2.5 but the roads are going to be absolute shit in CT. Also spending the night at the gf's family's house
Looking back I can’t exactly pinpoint the exact moment I became
a Tool fanatic. As a child I remember my dad jamming songs like sober, and
swamp song. I can go all the way back to the late 1990’s remembering my dad
throwing Swamp Song on when I would take a shower because of the lyrics, which
include “This bog is thick and
easy to get lost in 'Cause you're a dumbass, belligerent fucker.” This dates back all the way to when my dad had his Cerwin Vega’s
which were hooked up to a Sony receiver. To this day my dad is still upset he
sold them. I was young, so the only thing I really remember is being able to
hear these from the end of the road. He really only listened to Undertow at the
time, but I remember even as a child enjoying the riffs it produced.
The first time I saw Tool was July 5th, 2007 in
Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was right around this time I had begun to really get
into the band. I didn’t know all the lyrics or the deep cuts at the time, but I
had heard how good Tool was live and decided to check them out with some
friends. It’s been 9 years now since this show, and my memory is a tad foggy. One thing I remember clearly is that the band
was loud, but Maynard didn’t seem like he wanted to be there. His mic was
dimmed down compared to the other instruments. They also did not play Aenima,
which at the time was what I was looking forward to the most. It was still
powerful enough of a performance where I knew walking out of the stadium I was
a fan for life.
The second time I saw Tool was January 24th, 2012
in Toledo, Ohio. During the nearly 5 year gap between shows Tool had become my
favorite band. I was jamming through their discog nearly every day during my 8
hour work day at the time. They played a set that included deep cuts such as
Hooker with a penis, Pushit, and the rarely played Ticks and Leeches. I remember walking away from that show
thinking it was a special moment. One I had shared with my dad, uncle, and
another good friend Jeremy, who I credit for pushing me to get into Tool in the
first place. Little did I know that It
would be nearly 4 more years before I would see them again.
Now let’s fast forward to 2016. A lot of people asked me why I
would spend the money I did to travel the distance I did just to see a band I’ve
already seen play twice. It’s not something that is easy for me to explain. In my experience I’ve come to realize we all
enjoy different things in life, including different music. Sometimes there is
that song, or that band that just seems to vibe with you. For me that band is
Tool. Something about the music they produce just hits a certain wavelength with
me that really no other band has hit. Their music has done everything from
helping me through tough times, to assisting me through the process of evolving
into a better person. That on top of the fact that Tool Rarely tours anywhere
closer than 8 hours away from me is the best way I could explain the travel and
price being worth it.
When I stepped on the Greyhound to begin my trip it wasn’t
exactly something I was excited about. It would be 12 hours before I was in St.
Louis and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to sleep. There isn’t much to talk
about this part of the trip. It was long. I couldn’t sleep. The bus from
Chicago to St. Louis had the air cranked the entire trip in the middle of
winter. I briefly passed out before waking up while we were crossing over the
Mississippi River right in front of the arch. It wasn’t until I stepped off the
bus, with two joints and an Adderall in my shoe, that I knew I had made the
right decision. I had this feeling that I was where I was supposed to be on
that particular winter afternoon.
As far as the city of St. Louis
goes. I’m going to skip over most of it. Let’s face it the St. Louis is a
baseball town. I was there in January just after it had been announced the Rams
were moving to LA. It gave the town a depressed feeling. I meandered around the
city from 8AM-12PM looking for things to do, but finding nothing. Aside from
the arch there was really nothing to do or see in the city. I met a couple
people at the bar and had some small talk but that is about the extent to my
highlights of the city.
Right around 12:30 I headed back to
the Greyhound station to meet my buddy Todd, who was coming in from the corn
capital of the world Iowa. It was a welcome relief to have someone with common
interest to talk to and grab beers with. There was 2-3 different insistence where
people looked at us with a baffled face when asking us why we would both travel
as far as we did for a band as they told us we must be “diehards.” We took
Ubers around town exploring different shit hole areas around St. Louis, none
worse than the area surrounding Chaifetz arena. When we arrived little did we
know how hard it would be to find a fucking bar. We must have walked in 5 restaurants
looking for some good craft beer before finally giving up and lighting up the
first doobie on the side walk where we would stand and contemplate where too
next. Finally thanks to the power of IPhone we found a place that had two
hearted. It took me probably a ½ hour to get a beer, but I was content
discussing tool with other fans, and explaining to the exactly why the rams
were leaving their crappy town.
We decided to head towards the doors
right around the time the first crappy act was starting. By the time we were in
the arena and waiting for beers 3teeth had finished, and primus had started. I
got to my seat around primus’s second or third song. Originally I had been
excited to see them but I was to the point I did not give a shit. I just wanted
to see Tool. The one thing I can take away from primus was their sound. I have
never heard an opening band sound so clear. I knew their last song was going to
be “my name is mudd” so when I heard it kick In I decided to beat the crowds
and grab a brewski for tool. I remember standing in line with this feeling that
this had a chance to be a special night and I couldn’t have been more correct.
I returned to my seat to find some new people as my neighbors.
One of them being a Tool live virgin. I did my best to contain myself and not
spoil the show for him by hyping it up. When the light went down and the guys
walked up on stage I was covered in goosebumps. The first notes hit, a cover of
Led Zeppelin’s no quarter, and the areas
surrounding me went up in smoke. Maynard’s voice hit with the first lyrics “Lock all the doors, kill the lights.” And I remembered being surprised at how loud
they had his mic, much Louder than the first two times a saw them. The nearly
11 minute song wraps up with a crushing riff that of course compelled me to
bust out my best air guitar. When the song ended I remember feeling almost
overwhelmed. My ears had never been raped with such beautiful noise before. I
remember the band going silent and looking around the arena and saying out loud
“Holy fucking shit” I just couldn’t get over how well their timing was and how
utterly loud the band and Maynard were together. All this before they performed
The Grudge, a song that holds a special place in my heart.
Going through my early 20’s I wasn’t exactly a happy
individual. I had a lot of anger towards everything that had shaped me into the
person I was at the time. It was at that
time in my life I discovered that if I was going to be happy I couldn’t let the
past affect me. I had to let things go so to speak. The Grudge is a song I can relate very closely
to that time in my life. That’s the great thing about tool, their songs are
meant for you to intemperate in your own way. Leaving you with just enough mystery for you
to apply it to your own life. The grudge
has a part after the opening chorus where the lights go down, and each band
member is highlighted by a spotlight as the progression of the song gets to
their part to join back in (pictured below) and for me this was a surreal experience.
This song was the main reason I made this trip as it had been
out of rotation for 14 years. I honestly don’t think I have ever been as happy
in my life as that moment. Through the rest of the song I shared the second ½ of
my joint with a man seated behind me. All while his girlfriend was apparently
bitching at him, I assume about smoking it. Everyone around me was very into
this song, and the entire show. For all the shit talking I did about St. Louis
as a town, I really have a respect for their passion. It was by far the best
crowd at a Tool show I had been a part of. The band blazed through the next two
songs, parabola and Schism, hitting every beat and lyric precisely, their
timing impeccable. Next up was Opiate, the
title track off of their debut album that I had been dying to see. The base
note hit, and the entire crowd sang out loud “Choices always were a problem for you. What you need is someone strong
to guide you.” I looked around at the crowd thinking
to myself “fuck yeah these people are awesome” Opiate is originally a 6 minute
song, but for this tour they had been extending it to 10 minutes by adding a
beautiful 4 minute segment right to the middle of the song. This is something
Tool does better than anyone, extending songs past their original length to
make the live performances unique.
The band continued to smash through hits like Aenima, Jambi
and 46&2. Before the show Jambi was a song I wasn’t particularly excited
about. I had heard it twice live already and would have rather heard something
else off of 10,000 days. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This song was ferocious.
My friend Todd had the same bitch about the song being in the set as I did but
after the show he described it in a very simple and precise way. Saying “THIS
is why they play Jambi” while extending his hand out for a high five. After the
intermission and a drum solo the band busted into the song sweat. It was a song
that hadn’t been in the rotation since 1998. Hearing it was like a time capsule
back to Tool’s early days. In short it was an honor to see this song live, and
it sounded great. Next up was the closer
Stinkfist, another song with an extended middle section, and crushing opening
base. The crowd was once again with the band on every beat, singing most of the
lyrics. It was exactly the right way to close the evening.
Sitting here wrapping this up two weeks later I still get goosebumps
just thinking about how good Tool was that night. If you enjoy their music at
all I highly recommend seeing this band the next chance you get. But this
experience was more than going to see a band. It really reminded me that life
is about experiences, and doing everything you can to make them happen. It’s
not about how much money you have in your bank account or if you have the
latest IPhone. If you want to do something, do it. Don’t think twice about it. Don’t
worry about how much money it’s going to cost, or if the people around you
approve. Just go for it. My biggest regrets in life are all centered on the regret
of having the opportunity to go out and grab something I wanted, and not having
the balls to do that. This experience reminded me how good it feels to just say
fuck it and jump head first out of my comfort zone. It’s really the only way to
learn about yourself and grow as a person. You might have anxiety or fear, but
in the end none of that matters when you accomplish the goal you set out for
yourself. Live life the way you want,
without limitations, without expectations, and don’t forget to spiral out my
friends.
Comments
Even more go to Detroit (Might go see Sabbath there)
I hate trying to plan shit with people.
Now I feel like unless its a fest, or Im staying overnight, I wouldnt want to travel more than 2.
I live in a somewhat centered area between Detroit (1hr), Cleveland (2), Columbus (2.5) and Chicago (3.5). Chicago is usually either a last resort or I just really want to spend a day in Chicago.
TOOL
Looking back I can’t exactly pinpoint the exact moment I became a Tool fanatic. As a child I remember my dad jamming songs like sober, and swamp song. I can go all the way back to the late 1990’s remembering my dad throwing Swamp Song on when I would take a shower because of the lyrics, which include “This bog is thick and easy to get lost in 'Cause you're a dumbass, belligerent fucker.” This dates back all the way to when my dad had his Cerwin Vega’s which were hooked up to a Sony receiver. To this day my dad is still upset he sold them. I was young, so the only thing I really remember is being able to hear these from the end of the road. He really only listened to Undertow at the time, but I remember even as a child enjoying the riffs it produced.
The first time I saw Tool was July 5th, 2007 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was right around this time I had begun to really get into the band. I didn’t know all the lyrics or the deep cuts at the time, but I had heard how good Tool was live and decided to check them out with some friends. It’s been 9 years now since this show, and my memory is a tad foggy. One thing I remember clearly is that the band was loud, but Maynard didn’t seem like he wanted to be there. His mic was dimmed down compared to the other instruments. They also did not play Aenima, which at the time was what I was looking forward to the most. It was still powerful enough of a performance where I knew walking out of the stadium I was a fan for life.
The second time I saw Tool was January 24th, 2012 in Toledo, Ohio. During the nearly 5 year gap between shows Tool had become my favorite band. I was jamming through their discog nearly every day during my 8 hour work day at the time. They played a set that included deep cuts such as Hooker with a penis, Pushit, and the rarely played Ticks and Leeches. I remember walking away from that show thinking it was a special moment. One I had shared with my dad, uncle, and another good friend Jeremy, who I credit for pushing me to get into Tool in the first place. Little did I know that It would be nearly 4 more years before I would see them again.
Now let’s fast forward to 2016. A lot of people asked me why I would spend the money I did to travel the distance I did just to see a band I’ve already seen play twice. It’s not something that is easy for me to explain. In my experience I’ve come to realize we all enjoy different things in life, including different music. Sometimes there is that song, or that band that just seems to vibe with you. For me that band is Tool. Something about the music they produce just hits a certain wavelength with me that really no other band has hit. Their music has done everything from helping me through tough times, to assisting me through the process of evolving into a better person. That on top of the fact that Tool Rarely tours anywhere closer than 8 hours away from me is the best way I could explain the travel and price being worth it.
When I stepped on the Greyhound to begin my trip it wasn’t exactly something I was excited about. It would be 12 hours before I was in St. Louis and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to sleep. There isn’t much to talk about this part of the trip. It was long. I couldn’t sleep. The bus from Chicago to St. Louis had the air cranked the entire trip in the middle of winter. I briefly passed out before waking up while we were crossing over the Mississippi River right in front of the arch. It wasn’t until I stepped off the bus, with two joints and an Adderall in my shoe, that I knew I had made the right decision. I had this feeling that I was where I was supposed to be on that particular winter afternoon.
As far as the city of St. Louis goes. I’m going to skip over most of it. Let’s face it the St. Louis is a baseball town. I was there in January just after it had been announced the Rams were moving to LA. It gave the town a depressed feeling. I meandered around the city from 8AM-12PM looking for things to do, but finding nothing. Aside from the arch there was really nothing to do or see in the city. I met a couple people at the bar and had some small talk but that is about the extent to my highlights of the city.
Right around 12:30 I headed back to the Greyhound station to meet my buddy Todd, who was coming in from the corn capital of the world Iowa. It was a welcome relief to have someone with common interest to talk to and grab beers with. There was 2-3 different insistence where people looked at us with a baffled face when asking us why we would both travel as far as we did for a band as they told us we must be “diehards.” We took Ubers around town exploring different shit hole areas around St. Louis, none worse than the area surrounding Chaifetz arena. When we arrived little did we know how hard it would be to find a fucking bar. We must have walked in 5 restaurants looking for some good craft beer before finally giving up and lighting up the first doobie on the side walk where we would stand and contemplate where too next. Finally thanks to the power of IPhone we found a place that had two hearted. It took me probably a ½ hour to get a beer, but I was content discussing tool with other fans, and explaining to the exactly why the rams were leaving their crappy town.
We decided to head towards the doors right around the time the first crappy act was starting. By the time we were in the arena and waiting for beers 3teeth had finished, and primus had started. I got to my seat around primus’s second or third song. Originally I had been excited to see them but I was to the point I did not give a shit. I just wanted to see Tool. The one thing I can take away from primus was their sound. I have never heard an opening band sound so clear. I knew their last song was going to be “my name is mudd” so when I heard it kick In I decided to beat the crowds and grab a brewski for tool. I remember standing in line with this feeling that this had a chance to be a special night and I couldn’t have been more correct.
I returned to my seat to find some new people as my neighbors. One of them being a Tool live virgin. I did my best to contain myself and not spoil the show for him by hyping it up. When the light went down and the guys walked up on stage I was covered in goosebumps. The first notes hit, a cover of Led Zeppelin’s no quarter, and the areas surrounding me went up in smoke. Maynard’s voice hit with the first lyrics “Lock all the doors, kill the lights.” And I remembered being surprised at how loud they had his mic, much Louder than the first two times a saw them. The nearly 11 minute song wraps up with a crushing riff that of course compelled me to bust out my best air guitar. When the song ended I remember feeling almost overwhelmed. My ears had never been raped with such beautiful noise before. I remember the band going silent and looking around the arena and saying out loud “Holy fucking shit” I just couldn’t get over how well their timing was and how utterly loud the band and Maynard were together. All this before they performed The Grudge, a song that holds a special place in my heart.
Going through my early 20’s I wasn’t exactly a happy individual. I had a lot of anger towards everything that had shaped me into the person I was at the time. It was at that time in my life I discovered that if I was going to be happy I couldn’t let the past affect me. I had to let things go so to speak. The Grudge is a song I can relate very closely to that time in my life. That’s the great thing about tool, their songs are meant for you to intemperate in your own way. Leaving you with just enough mystery for you to apply it to your own life. The grudge has a part after the opening chorus where the lights go down, and each band member is highlighted by a spotlight as the progression of the song gets to their part to join back in (pictured below) and for me this was a surreal experience.
This song was the main reason I made this trip as it had been out of rotation for 14 years. I honestly don’t think I have ever been as happy in my life as that moment. Through the rest of the song I shared the second ½ of my joint with a man seated behind me. All while his girlfriend was apparently bitching at him, I assume about smoking it. Everyone around me was very into this song, and the entire show. For all the shit talking I did about St. Louis as a town, I really have a respect for their passion. It was by far the best crowd at a Tool show I had been a part of. The band blazed through the next two songs, parabola and Schism, hitting every beat and lyric precisely, their timing impeccable. Next up was Opiate, the title track off of their debut album that I had been dying to see. The base note hit, and the entire crowd sang out loud “Choices always were a problem for you. What you need is someone strong to guide you.” I looked around at the crowd thinking to myself “fuck yeah these people are awesome” Opiate is originally a 6 minute song, but for this tour they had been extending it to 10 minutes by adding a beautiful 4 minute segment right to the middle of the song. This is something Tool does better than anyone, extending songs past their original length to make the live performances unique.
The band continued to smash through hits like Aenima, Jambi and 46&2. Before the show Jambi was a song I wasn’t particularly excited about. I had heard it twice live already and would have rather heard something else off of 10,000 days. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This song was ferocious. My friend Todd had the same bitch about the song being in the set as I did but after the show he described it in a very simple and precise way. Saying “THIS is why they play Jambi” while extending his hand out for a high five. After the intermission and a drum solo the band busted into the song sweat. It was a song that hadn’t been in the rotation since 1998. Hearing it was like a time capsule back to Tool’s early days. In short it was an honor to see this song live, and it sounded great. Next up was the closer Stinkfist, another song with an extended middle section, and crushing opening base. The crowd was once again with the band on every beat, singing most of the lyrics. It was exactly the right way to close the evening.
Sitting here wrapping this up two weeks later I still get goosebumps just thinking about how good Tool was that night. If you enjoy their music at all I highly recommend seeing this band the next chance you get. But this experience was more than going to see a band. It really reminded me that life is about experiences, and doing everything you can to make them happen. It’s not about how much money you have in your bank account or if you have the latest IPhone. If you want to do something, do it. Don’t think twice about it. Don’t worry about how much money it’s going to cost, or if the people around you approve. Just go for it. My biggest regrets in life are all centered on the regret of having the opportunity to go out and grab something I wanted, and not having the balls to do that. This experience reminded me how good it feels to just say fuck it and jump head first out of my comfort zone. It’s really the only way to learn about yourself and grow as a person. You might have anxiety or fear, but in the end none of that matters when you accomplish the goal you set out for yourself. Live life the way you want, without limitations, without expectations, and don’t forget to spiral out my friends.