Toledo Sports Arena Toledo, Ohio

I drove down to Toledo, OH from Ann Arbor, MI, where I go to school. Fuel was opening for Kid Rock (and Buckcherry was playing before them) at the Toledo Sports Arena, which is for some odd reason one of my favorite venues. I guess because I can always get a seat right next to the stage, basically at stage level. I like having a seat much better than being in the pit the whole time. I guess I'm just not one for being crushed against the stage. Anyway, let's get to Fuel. The show was excellent. I love their new songs and they played most a couple of my favorites from their last album. Brett came out wearing his purple furry coat and cowboy hat, for the first song. He sounded great - they all did. They really had a great energy that night, possibly even more energy than I remember from the other 4 times I've seen them. A couple times during the show Brett came over to my side of the stage, on this sort of platform that stuck out from the stage and sang to my part of the audience. Carl came over and played towards us a couple of times too. They really looked like they were having a good time. I remember at one point Carl was just grinning away when he was facing towards where I was sitting - that was very cool :) As usual, I brought my sketchbook along with me - I almost always draw the bands during concerts. This was the fifth time I'd drawn Fuel and I think i'm starting to get a little better :) Unfortunately, the angle of the stage lights made it extremely difficult to see Jeff for most of the show. Also, there was a pillar of some sort blocking my view of Kevin at the drums, so I ended up concentrating mostly on Brett and Carl. The entire setlist was: 1. Last Time, 2. Jesus or a Gun, 3. The beginning of a Pink Floyd song, about a minute of it - Carl was singing, 4. Innocent, 5. Empty Spaces, 6. Scar, 7. Bittersweet, 8. Shimmer, 9. Down, 10. Prove, 11. Hemmorhage. More Julia Sketches Back To Reviews