If you are into rock and roll in any capacity then chances are you have at least heard the name TOOL. This band has been at the forefront of the experimental, weird, and remarkably unique from its inception in the early 90’s. This isn’t just true for their music, it is for their performances as well. If you have ever seen one of their music videos then you are no stranger to the enigma that is TOOL. From creepy stop motion, to psychedelic and thought provoking imagery they have proven time and time again that they are anything but average. What I thought was really cool was that this imagery is brought through to their live performance by way of a massive screen that plays in the back ground and in front of all the risers. It is important for me to note that there is an experimental rock band that is opening for TOOL on this tour by the name of Elder. From what I have heard of them they are definitely worth showing up early for, but unfortunately I was not able to see them perform due to some miscommunications between security staff at the venue I was working.

I feel like it is important to note that a TOOL performance is far from your normal rock concert, and I’m not just talking about the music and imagery. TOOL has always been an enigma of sorts, although if you ask Maynard “it’s not all that deep”. The minor yet blatantly obvious differences come in two forms: one, there is no cell phone usage allowed. After the first song Maybard announced to the crowd “I don’t want to see any cell phones out. Put them away. Put them all away. It’s time to be present. It’s a two hour show. If you can’t stay off your phone for two hours you have a problem. You’re a fucking crack whore”. Now, personally I love this because I agree whole heartedly. We have reached a day and age where people are so transfixed on their phones that they forget what it is to truly be alive – to be present. I have been to hundreds of concerts and one of the most baffling things to witness is the people who stand there, front row , with their cellphone in hand recording the entire show. You spent hundreds (if not thousands depending on the show) of dollars to be here as you want to watch it through a 5-inch screen? Call me crazy but if that is your idea of fun I think you’re better off saving your money and just watching a concert DVD instead. The second difference is Maynard and his setup. One would expect a vocalist to be front and center, they always seem to be the focal point and the person everyone has their eyes on. This is not the case with TOOL. In Maynard’s autobiography “A Perfect Union of Contrary Thoughts” he expresses his lack of desire to be a “frontman”. He doesn’t want the attention and doesn’t understand why fans freak out when they see him. In his words “I am just a guy who writes poems, I’m nothing special, I’m not important”. This is by far one of the most interesting takes on fronting a massively successful rock band that I have ever heard, but it is also a refreshing one. All this in mind, Maynard is not front and center on the stage, in fact, he is almost invisible on the stage. On either side of the raised drum platforms sit two more platforms that are about 10’x10’. Maynard remains on these platforms, in the dark, for the entirety of the performance. So, if you’re coming to get videos and photos of Maynard with your phone for you to post on social media, you might wanna think again. 

TOOL opened their set with the title track off their newest album “Fear Inoculum”. This track is definitely one of my favorites off the album and – as expected – is phenomenal live. If there is one thing I want you to pay attention to at this show, it is Danny Carey. This man is one of the most technical, and creative drummers in rock and roll history. He takes the entire cake, by far, when it comes to originality. Anyone who knows a little bit about music knows that TOOL loves to use odd time signatures for their songs. If you’re not a musician, or you don’t know much about music, if you can’t nods your head to it without feeling “off” it’s probably using an odd time signature. This is all thanks to Carey. Not to mention his ability to use extensive and complex fills that bridge gaps between time signature changes is beyond phenomenal. Watching this man play the drums is an absolute dream and at times is awe inspiring and mesmerizing. 

While the band does open each show with “Fear Inoculum” the set list changes from date to date so not everyone will get the same show. What is the same is the fact that this band is flawless in their execution, and wildly entertaining. They have the ability to bring so many walks of like together into a single room that it is difficult to even fathom how they did it. There were people in their 60’s and 70’s, there were little kids. There were long haired, bearded metal heads, and there were clean cut office types. Men, women, children, of all ethnicities and backgrounds came together that night to bear witness to one of the greatest rock bands to ever live. It is astounding how 4 people can create such a following. Every seat in footprint center was filled that night (which I am pretty sure is almost 20,000 people). Every single person was not only there but they were present thanks to the no cellphone rule (don’t worry, they do let you whip it out for the last song of the evening). I saw couples hanging on eachother and dancing with the music, I saw older people nodding along with some of TOOLs heaviest riffs, and I saw kids enjoying their first taste of the concert world. Combine all this with the fantastic imagery on the stage, the phenomenal laser light show, and the performances given by the band, it makes for one hell of an experience. This is a pretty big tour and they have quite a few more dates including an entire European leg to run. If you have the chance to catch this band live, I highly implore you to do so. Every penny would be well spent, and who knows…maybe you’ll remember what it’s like to actually enjoy being in the moment rather than focusing on the little screen in the palm of your hand.