Fallen Thoughts

:: 11.14.2002 ::

here is the setlist from our show:

TOOL - 11.07.02
Leon County Civic Center - Tallahassee, FL

Intro
Cold & Ugly
The Grudge
(-) Ions
Stinkfist (Extended)
46 & 2
Long Jam
Schism
Short Jam
Parabol
Parabola
"A Message From Our Sponsors"
Third Eye
-----(Strange Intermission)-----
Disposition
Reflection
Triad (w. Tomas & Fredrik from Meshuggah)
Positivity Speech
Lateralus

and a few reviews of the show can be found here.

we (me, kyler, keith, jl, lacey, dewayne, & brett) got out of douglas around 4pm and had a pleasantly uneventful ride down to tallahassee. we missed a road and got a little lost, but after a quick stop at walgreen's, we were redirected and made it to the civic center.

we found a couple of spots in the lot around 7pm and started the usual lot rituals. we were soon interrupted by an old man with a lot to prove. he promptly made us pour out our beer, reminding us that it is against the law to drink within 500 feet of a college sports venue. because you know, people don't drink at college sporting events, right? anyway, we were respectful and made our way up to the door as he rudely demanded. we made our way in and headed to our section. just as I looked upon the letter 'k' on our row of seats (which were perfect), the lights dimmed for the opening act, meshuggah.

their singer was a little lame and the stage presence just wasn't what it could be, but I don't care for ranting on negative points of experiences. so instead, I'll say a little something about tomas haake, the drummer from meshuggah. holy shit - this guy was unreal. his barebones drumset would surely cower under the towering setup sported by most hard rock drummers, but he played the hell out of what was there. as their set progressed, I found myself just staring at him and smiling as I hung on his every move. so yes, bravo to tomas for a great display of drumming genius. after a good 45 minute - 1 hour set, meshuggah thanked the crowd and cleared the stage. lights up, roadies out, stage prepared, and after a short break the lights went down.

the band took the stage one-by-one, each receiving a gracious applause. I was anxious to see what maynard's attire would be and he did not disappoint. he stepped up and took his spot on the riser, decked in black (which he'd soon reduce to only black shorts) with a complimentary black stripe running down the middle of his head and face. a short introduction led into the opening song, cold & ugly - all the way back from their debut album, opiate. next up was one of kyler's favorites, the grudge. after ions, the band played a blistering stinkfist. then came a jaw-dropping segue of 46 & 2 > schism > parabol > parabola that did just that. as we were recovering, maynard announced a brief message from "our sponsors" and the crowd was inundated with the words of tim leary and bill hicks. the place roared as everyone anticipated what was coming - third eye. maynard wailed through his words with bullhorn in tow as the band played with what seemed the highest energy of the night. the stage lights began dimming and each member left the stage beneath a bluish purple haze and the strange sound of static coming from the speakers.

we seized the opportunity to sit down and have a smoke and get our shit together before the second set began. they came back out and hit us with disposition and reflection and then a set of rototoms were brought on stage. the guitarist and drummer from meshuggah joined the band for an epic triad, completed by a thunderous drum duet from tomas hakke and danny carey. afterwards, maynard gave a short speech on taking something positive from their show and doing something creative with it, as well as an urge to question authority. he ended with "drive safely and we'll see you on the other side.." just as they tore into the lateralus encore.

we made it out of the lot pretty quick, thanks to a low sidewalk. we took a (ahem) scenic tour through fsu, made a quick stop at arby's, and then made our way out of tallahassee and back to douglas. we all made it there and back in one piece with no big obstacles and everyone had a great time so I couldn't ask for much more. the show was really amazing - from the setlist to the stage presence and setup. the banners, backdrop, red glitter, floating parabola orbs - all added just that much more to a great show. so if you get the chance, go out and see them and you can thank me later..

:: posted by Michael at 8:50 AM [+] ::

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