We couldnt be there (wah!) An enjoyable Berthaday for Scotto but not quite as fun as Philly wouldve been....Well, what can ya do? Scotto did mention to my folks the possibilty of us stumbling off to the UK in mid September ..folks didnt come right out and say they wouldnt help with the kids then (lot more work to organize childcare during the school year)...Well, again its all speculation at this point but like last year and the year before it's a good idea to prepare at least mentally ahead of time; So, in case tour is announced, we can swing right into action! I even checked out airfare for flying from SFO to Glasgow in Sept. Found RT tix, 1 stopover for $679 per person....
Okay, here is the review I grabbed off the TOOboard . It's last nite's show and I just love the enthusiasm of the guy who posted it-

3/26/04 by "DOB"
"It was 70 degres in Philly yesterday, the first nice weather of the year, very welcomed in Philly. For that reason there were a lot of people in the lots partying before the show. Got in to the show to see Toots b/c I had never seen him play before. He was good, he got the growing crowd ready for the night with some funky Jamacan jams.

Ratdog takes the stage - opening jam into Shakedown - by this time the place is packed to the gills. Everyone loves Philly Shakedowns - it was great. Bobby even did the Brickhouse "shake it down - shake it down - shake it down now!" to everyones delight.

Queen Jane was solid - Bob sounded great. Then Easy Answers - not a favorite of mine - but this one was smokin - Bob was really into it "...I dont wanna know - I don't wanna know!..."

Miracle tore the roof off the place - at this time I can barely move the place is so crowded - Bob is juking around the stage and the playing was so tight - an absolute gem of a Miracle IMHO.

Tenn Jed - WTF? I dunno why in Philly - again not a favorite- but as I have seen in other posts - it was unreal. At the end of the jam in the middle of Tenn Jed. the people around me looked at each other and seemed to all think the same thing - an unexpected- Holy Fucking Shit.

Youngblood was fun as was Loose Lucy. Deal was an unexpected but again, they nailed it and the place erupted as the boys left for setbreak.

Brief set break - almost too brief it seemed

Acoustic Victim was good nothing special for me. LL RAIN...LL RAIN!!! this acoustic version was amazing - I heard so much emotion in his singing - I thought this was one of the highlights of the show - he was singing like he had just been through some shit and had just wrote the damn tune.

WRS>Let it Grow - what can you say - the whole suite was perfect. I have not heard any other shows this tour yet - this was amazing - someone else will have to take this one.

What is next - they just finished Let it Grow - Ima thinking Throwing Stones - a couple of old standards to close the show...nope - A thundering Help on the Way. The astonishment on the faces around me speaks the feeling of the crowd at this point. Slipknot was great - they got me so ready to tear into Franks and then they abruptly stopped and did a little jam - Bob left stage and the rest of the band switched instruments for a few minutes (like the april fools show in 81 or 80) Bob returns to stage and everyone gets back to their instrument and the opening notes of Black Peter...

which was awesome. Bob did it justice. Back into Slipknot and teared into Franks. Crowd going bonkers as band leaves stage.

Come back out - Bob on acoustic which lets me know something cool may be coming - Ripple - sounded perfect - a perfect ending to one of the best Dog shows I have seen. Efactory gets a bum rap but everytime Ratdog plays there the shit is so good."