tool!!!

so here's a bit of a long story

when i was in high school i LOVED tool. loved them. best band ever. when they were touring for their album lateralus i managed to score 4th row tickets! my dad said i couldn't go because they were "sick" (and i also was never allowed to do anything because they were just heinously strict in general). I didn't push the issue because i knew i couldn't change his mind and hoped he'd forget so i could more easily sneak to it. it ended up that my family was going to be in nh the night of the show but i still had a plan. i had just landed my first ever job, and i told my parents i couldn't get the day off even though we were going to nh. my dad really was all about work ethic and whatnot and drove home from nh 3 hours so i could work for four at minimum wage. i was going to sneak out that night and go to the show but my plan was foiled! my dad was more insane about making me work than i thought because when my shift was over he picked me up and we drove straight back up to nh. i thought 6 hours of driving in one day so i could work for four was not even a possibility, but alas, there was no sneaking out of the car window. i wasn't about to cry about it because then he'd know what i was planning, but i was internally inconsolable. i didn't speak to anyone for the rest of the night, which says a lot because most of my extended family was up there. i sat on the porch with a needle and thread silently embroidering tool on my pants in the lateralus font until 1am. if i couldn't be there i was going to do something tool related, damnit!

those pants were beyond famous and i wore them until they were literally see through. i still have them.

WELL, db (and basically every single person i know) knows this story. not being able to see tool live was like my one huge life regret even though it wasn't my fault. so when db heard they were touring he got me tickets to the boston show for my birthday! 9 1/2 years later i FINALLY got to see them live!!!!!

honestly, my mind was blown. lateralus is the most monstrous thing i've ever heard in my life and they played ONLY great songs, seriously. musically they have it down, i was totally impressed. WORTH THE WAIT! we got to go and have beers and delicious vegetarian food at one of my fave restaurants, too.

it was awesome. i can't even believe i actually got to see them still. i was either screaming or had a gigantic grin on my face the whole time. it was seriously the sweetest birthday gift i've ever gotten :)