Judith

May 27th, 2000 (the Riverport Amphitheater, St. Louis, MO) - I went to see Nine Inch Nails on tour for The Fragile (one of my all time favorite albums), but had the unexpected pleasure of seeing Maynard Keenan of Tool open in one of his first shows ever for side project A Perfect Circle. In fact, their debut album had been released only that week. I learned today that it is the highest debuting rock album of all time; it appeared at number four on the Billboard 200.

Here's the track that most people recognize and the one that still gives me the chills:



I remember distinctly when they played this number. A thunderstorm was rolling into the area and it began raining on us in the crowd. I swear to you lightning cracked overhead precisely at 3:16. (Kind of apropos if you listen to the lyrics.) Or, maybe that's just how I remember the sound of my brain snapping inside my skull. Fucking awesome. Bear in mind I don't always like my music this over the top, but when I want some alternative metal - some steel in my spine - this is the kind of stuff I turn to. Ballsy guitars, operatic vocals.

I'll never forget that show.