Lithium Magazine

Photos & review by Mike Bax

www.toolband.com

How can a band that hasn't released an album in six years, with a library of musical material delving into the weighty nether-regions of 'poo' and anal sex, repeatedly sell out stadium tours again and again? When described point blank, TOOL may very well represent the most quintessential anti-band EVER. And yet, against all odds, this band – along with their meandering ten to fifteen minute long assortment of songs – continues to push their way right up on top of the heap of touring bands that any discerning music fan HAS to see at least once in their lifetime.

Many in attendance this evening were repeat offenders. Anyone who loves the band will admit that witnessing TOOL just once will ultimately leave the viewer craving another live show like a meth addict jonesing for another bag of crank. On the aftermarket, many of this evenings floor seats for TOOL were fetching four to five times face value. These very fans paying quadruple price for decent TOOL seats will likely leave the venue with even less money in their pockets after a choice of multiple pieces of expensive tour paraphernalia (autographed tour posters, expensive shirts and hoodies) and a proximity buzz from all of the weed being smoked around them. The money doesn't matter, really… these very same penniless patrons all left the JLC with an ear to ear smile on their faces - the kind of smile that can only come from a mind blowing orgasm or a killer live show. Most TOOL fans will cop to the latter, spewing off about how sound-perfect TOOL are in any live environment.

This evening was an evening of lines: lines to get into the venue; lines to buy beer; lines to buy merchandise; lines to go to the washroom. With a strict no camera policy in effect, it was slow going entering the venue from any entrance, and most fans that didn't come to the venue really early didn't get a chance to see Los Angeles prog-meisters, Intronaut, blast out an amazing thirty five minutes of their signature material. Towards the end of TOOL's set, Intronaut drummer Danny Walker sat down at a smaller drum kit in front of Tool's Danny Carey and together they delivered a dual drum solo of epic proportions over an extended version of 'Lateralus' that was amongst the most amazing portions of the evening.

With no new material being performed this evening, the almost two-hour long performance was a playlist of the finest material from the bands entire repertoire of albums. Opening with 'Hooker with a Penis', one of the best songs off of 1996's Ænema, TOOL hit the ball out of the park early. Pulsating lights and slow moving video-screened backdrops seemed to grow in intensity as the show progressed, eventually morphing into a full-on laser light show during songs like 'Intension' and show-closer 'Ænema'.

Vocalist Maynard James Keenan stayed in relative darkness, performing in his comfortable spot on drummer Danny Carey's right side at the back of the stage. With a radically spiked tuft of hair atop of the crown of his head, Keenan howled like a banshee for the majority of the evening with such clean effectiveness, there were multiple times during the show where one might question if the band were merely playing the source tracks from an audio CD. To be clear - they weren't.

One of the reasons TOOL continue to thrive with their audience is that they can always impress as live musicians. The reality of TOOL as a studio band AND a touring band is simply this: they can play. The stripped down version of 'Pushit' and the incredible jam during 'Lateralus' were easy proof of this.

For me, 'Forty-Six & 2' stole the show this evening. The stage lighting was brilliantly done. Danny Carey's razor sharp drumming and with Adam Jones and Justin Chancellor's impeccable guitar work melded perfectly with Maynard's vocals on this track, taking one of the bands finest songs and making it twice as good in front of a capacity crowd of 10,000 people.

Every time I leave a TOOL show, I wonder what a bad performance from the band even looks like. Tool always deliver the goods. I leave their concerts feeling like I've witnessed something truly original every time, and this evening was no exception. Even having seen a lot of these songs in a live environment many times over the years, the visuals and live dynamic at a TOOL show is something that is always evolving – and always worth seeing.

Setlist:
Hooker With a Penis
Jambi
(-) Ions
Stinkfist
Ticks & Leeches

Pushit
Schism
Intension
Forty-Six & 2 

Lateralus (drum solo w Danny Walker from Intronaut)
Ænema