Within the past thirty days I have seen two of the most brilliant examples of modern music taken to the next level. In mid-December it was the stellar performance by Puscifer in Las Vegas touring in support of their brilliant new record Money Shot, and last week it was the mind altering sonic bombardment of multimedia juggernauts Tool. The common denominator of course being the prolific yet reclusive genius that is Maynard James Keenan.
Whether it’s the avant-garde offerings of Puscifer or the enigmatic styling of Tool, both have solidified their place and continue pushing the boundaries in a current musical landscape that is bloated and remarkably uninteresting. Tool of course remains a juggernaut and for good reason.
Is there a better example of doing more with less in the music business when it comes to Tool? Probably not. Four albums and one EP over the course of a quarter of a century and they are still the most relevant, Grammy award winning, visually stunning, progressive rock band on the planet. Critics often say the Tool has built a “cult” following, but that statement tells only a fragment of the entire story and the undercuts the vastness and diverseness of their fan base.
People were literally losing their shit when Tool took the stage from the first note to the last. That’s not something you see at a live show in this day and age. Not one cell phone lifted over head, not one audience member Snapchatting their experience away, just pure sonic immersion into a world that many of us only get to witness a few times each decade.
The set list that evening pulled almost equally from the last three albums and the band’s debut Opiate. Highlights from the set in a mesmerizing cover of the Zeppelin classic “No Quarter” which opened the show, and of course mind-blowing renditions of “Parabola,” “Jambi,” and “Vicarious.” Check out the full set list here.
Missing from the set were staples such as “Sober” and “Prison Sex,” in fact Undertow somewhat surprisingly wasn’t represented at all in the near two-hour set. But that’s OK since the capacity crowd was rewarded with the new song “Descending” and a rare performance of “Sweat” which saw the band performing it for the first time since 1998.
Oh, and did I mention they had lasers! Yes, freaking lasers. It was the perfect addition to a show that completely assaulted the senses from every angle.
Opening the show was a handpicked industrial powerhouse called 3TEETH. Tool always has interesting opening bands and this time was no exception. 3TEETH pummeled the crowd with a blast of hard core electronic fused metal that brought to mind Skinny Puppy and Godflesh at their finest hour. It was enough to make me buy the band’s self titled debut and keep in as a playlist over the weekend.
3TEETH
