What is it about seeing your first concert that makes such an impression? I can still see every detail so clearly; the cigarette smoke hanging low over the crowd, the girls gripping the stairwell handrail as they trashed to the music, the music pounding heavily into my bones. I was enthralled, captured and in love suddenly with something simply called a ‘show’.

I was sixteen the first time I went to a show. I saw Tool at the Myriad in Downtown Oklahoma City. I sat in nosebleed seats with a group of teenagers I barely knew, most of them older than me by two years. By the time the show was over we were all fast friends. Later in school hallways they would greet me as if I was a long lost childhood friend. I wasn’t just the shy girl in the corner anymore,  I had been to see Tool with them. It is amazing how one experience can change everything about you.

Since then Tool has been through Oklahoma City several more times but I have always missed them; not enough money to get tickets, working late shifts the night of the show, and family commitments. But not this time.

Originally the show in Oklahoma City was scheduled for April 29th but because of Danny Carey’s torn bicep the date was moved to May 19th. So last night I, along with hundreds of other fans, headed downtown to see Tool complete with Danny Carey.

I unfortunately missed the opener, even though we had left an hour before the show started, once we got downtown the traffic was beyond crazy. But we found our seats quickly enough and got a chance to look around. I was surprised to see that the entire floor had folding chairs put up.

A fight broke out in the seats in the tier above me. Most just stood around and watched while a few urged the two men on. In no time the cops were there and handcuffing one of the men whose pants had slipped during the altercation and hundreds of people were treated to a view of his pale backside.