The first half of the show chugged along as usual. It was a workman-like opening with no real surprises. There were the typical few idiots that had to demonstrate how ignorant they were by yelling "UTOPIA!" or "Play the Wheel" during the softest moments of Infidel. Morons.
The 2nd half of the show really picked up some steam though. The highlight of the show came early in the 2nd set during "Flaw". It was obvious that most of the fans knew their stuff because the Mother Fucker crowd participation chorus was right on cue. That song loosened things up, both from a crowd and band standpoint. Kaz also seemed to be alot more animated than usual as he was let out of his cage and roamed the stage. Old diehards like me appreciated the "Seven Rays" bass lick during Synthesize.
One of the fun moments happened towards the end of the show when a fan near the stage was smoking a cigarette. Todd leaned into the crown with his hand out, asking for the lit smoke. He then stomped it out on stage with a big smile on his face. The show ended with the normal rousing rendition of JOV and the rabid crowd couldn't seem to get enough. As a whole, Sandusky loved Todd that night. As usual though, there were a handful of people who simply didn't get it. Not only did I hear a few boo's during the show, a few "fans" yelled things like "rip-off" and "Todd is dead" on the way out. If I wasn't a borderline pacifist, I would have....
This has been such a great tour that it's really hard to compare one show to another. They're all great in their own way. Where some of the early shows featured Unloved Children and Temporary Sanity, the recent ones highlight Flaw and Love Science. You can't go wrong either way. Now lest get some more west coast dates posted so I can start making plans.
