Excuse me while I engage in a small bit of idol worship

Normally I don't bother to mention much day to day stuff unless it's funny or I need to rant and normally I wouldn't make a post for a concert because they're just, y'know, things that people do, but this is a special occasion. For me anyway.

Tool played my city last Friday and holy shit were they amazing.

Again, under normal circumstances I wouldn't mention it but for my money Tool is the best band going now. Not the best ever of course but they are my favorite band that is still making new music. I think every member is gifted and most of them are far beyond anything else going today. If they played here every week then every week I'd make one of these gushing like a fanboy. I just can't help it and I don't really want to.

Anyway, some band from Tokyo called Melt Banana opened the show and they were loud and they were fast. I don't know if I'll be buying anything of theirs but I enjoyed their set.

Tool came on and melted my face and I love it and begged for more more MORE. The set list was:

Jambi
Stinkfist
Forty Six & 2
Schism
Rosetta Stoned
Flood
Wings for Marie Pt. 1
10000 Days (Wings Pt. 2)
Lateralus
Vicarious

How many bands can get away with playing only ten songs at a concert and still leave the crowd satisfied? And believe me I was satisfied. Half the set is new stuff but I love the new album so I was well pleased. The only times that the crowd was spoken to was to give us a Hello Baltimore right after the first song and then we were asked to give a moment of silence and when we got really quiet he said "For Paris Hilton. This next song is for her." at which point Stinkfist started and then right before Vicarious we were thanked very profusely for not using flash photography and screwing up their concentration. Anything for you guys. Seriously, anything. You want my pants? I'll give them to you. I mean it.

After Flood a whole kind of ambient noise thing started and the band was on and off the stage sitting on the riser that Danny Carey's drums and Maynard's mic were on and so forth. The roadies brought the opening band's drum kit back out and after about ten minutes of the weird (but pleasant) noise thing Danny got back into his kit and the opening band's drummer came out to his kit and they tore into a two drum kit solo that was AWESOME. Very dueling drums kind of thing going back and forth getting more and more complicated and faster until the end where they were playing together (but not the same) and ended with a crash like Zeus throwing thunderbolts into your brain. Absolutely stunning.

I'm almost finished gushing, I swear.

You may not know but the 2 Wings songs are about Maynard's mother and her death. I don't know how he gets through them without weeping. I can't imagine what it's like to hear the crowd singing along with you during songs this personal and all but screaming her name where he drops it in the lyrics. I'd probably have a nervous breakdown before the tour was over.

I know it was a great show because people kept asking me why I was smiling and mentioning how weird it was to see me doing it so much for no apparent reason. Here's hoping they don't wait another 5 years to release a new disc and go back on tour.

OK, I'm finished with my Tool worship and we return you to our regularly scheduled programming now.