Tool 2006, er... 2007

Tool finally made good on their commitment to the AT&T Center in San Antonio last night, and I was in attendance. It was a damn good show. The highlights: frikkin laser beams, spotlit bass riffs, and the ridiculously amazing Danny Carey. Sick, sick, sick. Still, excepting the very impressive laser light/smoke effects, it was a little too much like their last local concert (Austin 2002). The stage arrangement was very similar (MJK in the back parallel to the Carey's massive drum set, with Justin Chancellor and Adam Jones in the front) and they had the same late-show dueling drummers bit, which is cool, but like 10,000 Days itself, I was honestly expecting more innovation. I guess if I was an artist that would be a dick thing for someone to say about something I worked hard on, but that's, uh... that's just a bummer, man.

Beforehand we ate at Pico de Gallo on Commerce & I-35. It was a pretty decent sit-down mexican restaurant. The carne guisada was ok but a little on the tough side. C.'s enchiladas rancheras were just ok too. The chips, salsa, and tortillas were very good. Then we met Macks and Stacks at the Lion and Rose Pub on Broadway. Nice brown pub. I had four different drafts, starting with a black and tan, then a Belhaven (Scottish - pretty decent ale). Next I ordered a Franziskaner, but I forgot their draught was a hefeweisse; I wasn't really in the mood for one but it turned out to be a nice detour. I finished up with my current all-time favorite beer, a Stella Artois. I definitely like ales, but downing all those various pils with meals in Germany really fixed my tastes on lagers. I used to think bud light was a clean taste, but now it tastes like fucking piss. Mexican beer is about as light as I can take; I like it best with spicy food and a little lime. My favorite ale right now is Rio Blanco Pale made by Real Ale out in Blanco. A really great taste and it's named after the goddamn Blanco River. Providence.