TOOL
The County Bowl, Santa Barbara, 08/27/98
Reviewed by Pud
I went to the Tool show in Santa Barbara as a "passing" fan - but I left completely awestruck, flabbergasted and speechless. This band will bring HEAVY music back into the good graces of the listening public. The tunes were Heavy (the capital "H" is intentional), and more important, the lyrics were soul searching, insightful, and intelligent. Tool is IN the moment and you can tell that these boys truly believe in what they are doing. It is important to have Heavy bands like TOOL take the torch from the forefathers of rough music and run with it, baby!
Tool played 10 intense songs. Each went on a little longer and a little different than it appears on their albums. By far the best song of the evening was "Swamp Song." All of Tool's songs aren't your typical "three verses, a chorus and out." They are packed with changes, bridges and breaks. The band was so tight that they didn't miss a beat all night. The entire show was as much a visual sensation as a musical one, with strange powerful images being shown on a screen behind the band. Tool said they were stoked to be playing in Santa Barbara because of its uniqueness. The County Bowl, an outside venue in the middle of a residential neighborhood, was sold out with about 4500 people in attendance. Most fans were enjoying the show in an "enhanced frame of mind. " As I mentioned, I went to this show as merely a passing fan, but left completely impressed and feeling that there is still hope for the future of rough music.
By the way - the Melvins opened the show and they sucked.
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Revised: 06 Oct 2019 11:48:57 -0400.
