tool time – part i

so, this shoulda gone up on hump day, but i got lazy…

…but it’s been a while since i’ve done a concert review (or, for that matter, been to a concert) so here we go:

tool | cedar park center | june 22nd, 2kX

first, as it’s my first time in the cedar park center, let’s review the venue. kinda easy to get to, even easier to get out of (if you play it right), but fifteen dollars for parking is BULLSHIT! all the venues in SA have the same ridiculous convenience charges you do, but somehow swing parking for free or, at the most, ten bucks. fifteen is a little steep unless a little car detailing comes with it, and i don’t use “car detailing” as a euphemism for getting my window smashed in (which didn’t happen, but i’m just sayin’…).

moving on – it IS a new venue, er go it is a pretty venue…and deceptively smaller on the inside compared to what you see on the outside. much of this size discrepancy comes from the way venues “finance” themselves these days (put in quotes as your tax dollars usually bank roll a lot of these fuckers more than you realize, so all the stuff i’m about to describe is just unabashed corporate greed – welcome to america!) – sky boxes and LOTS of food and beverage choices…hell, at the cedar park center you even get waitstaff in the arena (our girl was named stephanie) who will bring you peanuts or cracker jacks (how american! and at only $4 per serving) or the ever popular beer or booze (anywhere from $7 to $8.50 – no lapdance from stephanie included in those prices…and i DID ask when i saw ’em). the small size is GREAT come show time, shitty come ticket buying time as seats sell out quicker – but get in, and for an “arena” show it feels almost intimate…or perhaps i just had a really good seat.

the opener sucked (more on that later) but i had been promised by a customer that the visuals on this particular tool set would blow me away and it didn’t disappoint. add to that the fact the set was focused on aenima (who’s title song was the encore, or so i was told – missed it due to misinformation from CPPD) and before and i was a happy camper.

the only down sides were…

a. they did a special shirt for the show, limited to only 100, that i missed out on by only TWO people in line (as i stepped to the table somebody got the last one). down side, i missed out on a collectible – up side, i didn’t drop $40 on a shirt (and the forethought to check the website and see that all the other $40 shirts are $25 on there)

b. i missed the encore, which customers later told me (i worked till 1:30 that night for free – don’t ask) was just one song, which was the aenima (my favorite cut off that album). down side was i missed that ’cause a cedar park police officer told me the band was NOT going to play an encore, but rather leave the house lights down as if they were so they could get safely AWAY from the venue before releasing the crowd. turns out they did that, but it was after the one song encore. up side? i’ve heard it live all four other times i’ve seen them (but that drum intro live is spellbinding) and i got out quick. my buddy randy said he got out quick as well – AFTER the encore…

…sucks for me.

overall a great show; and we’ll get to the opener on suday.