Brett CallwoodAccording to conventional wisdom, there’s no way Tool should be as incredibly popular as they are. Not that they don’t deserve every bit of success that comes their way — they absolutely do. But it really makes no sense.
We’re told that the music industry has changed so much that there’s no room for a band with Tool’s mentality. This is the era of instant gratification, the smarty-pants say. The concept of the “album” is dead — people want singles, streamed to their phone on the day of release. Nobody has the time to sit and soak in an entire album, especially when it’s the sort of album that might need a few back-to-back immersions before full comprehension is achieved.
Bands that do go that route, we’re told, might squeak out a career but they can expect to hit a glass ceiling that will ultimately prove impossible to break. There’s only so big a challenging band can get, right?
Fucking wrong. Because here we sit, at the mega-arena that is the Staples Center, contemplating the fact that this is the second of two quickly sold-out shows here for Tool. How has that happened? Tool is the very definition of an “album band.” They’ve released singles, sure. They have standout tracks. But their albums are progressive opuses.
(Levan TK)
When new album Fear Inoculum knocked Taylor Swift off the Billboard number one spot, Tay-Tay’s fans were stunned by the fact that Tool’s record includes six tracks that clock in at over 10 minutes. That very idea baffled them. But conversely, a Tool audience isn’t composed of dusty old Rush fans. There are a few ‘90s nostalgia hunters here, but also plenty of young rockers — emo kids enjoying their first Tool show. And not only can these masses accept challenging, dynamic, lengthy and progressive music, they demand it and are thrilled by it.
It almost seems like Tool have been testing their audience for the entirety of their career. Following the Ænima masterpiece in 1996, there was a five-year gap before 2001’s Lateralus and then another five years before 10,000 Days in 2006. A full 13 years passed before the new album was unleashed this year. And here’s the thing — it’s not as if the albums are brimming with accessible tunes. If anything, each record is more awkward, more challenging, and possibly ultimately more rewarding as a result.
The band’s most accessible songs are on the Undertow debut, plus the aforementioned Ænima. There was nothing from Undertow at the Staples Center on night two — no “Sober” or “Prison Sex” (though we’re reliably informed that they played “Intolerance” on night one). A glance at the set lists throughout the tour reveals that they’ve kept the show otherwise consistent. It’s a perfectly honed set that isn’t to be tinkered with.
That doesn’t stop enigmatic frontman Maynard James Keenan from enjoying himself. Punked out in yellow pants and a glorious mohawk, the man impishly shifts from one side of the stage to the other, toying with a crowd that hangs on his every move, as well as his bandmates. Clearly in a good spot right now — he had a good time during the interview for our recent cover feature too — he’s a joy to watch. The light, laser and video show is something else too. The band performs behind a feathery screen for the first portion of the show, which allows for images to swim hypnotically around them. At times spectacular, the visuals are the perfect accompaniment to the arty noise.
(Levan TK)
The set opens with the title track from the new album, though it’s perhaps not as heavily weighted towards the new material as we would have expected. We get “The Pot,” “Jambi” and “Vicarious” from 10,000 Days, “Parabol,” “Parabola” and a stunning “Schism” from Lateralus, and the title track and a closing, rapturously received “Stinkfist” from Ænima. As ever, it’s interesting to hear an L.A. band, in L.A., sing about L.A. sinking.
Like their albums, the set feels like a classical event; everything fits together, everything flows. Are Tool an anomaly? Could other bands be this adventurous in 2019 and succeed to this extent? It’s going to take some brave artists and open-minded fans, but it’s surely possible.
Earlier, Brit post-punks Killing Joke performed an equally magnificent and adventurous set in front of a half-empty room. Jaz Coleman didn’t care, raising his arms like the high priest of manic darkness that he is. Those that were into it were really into it, though it’s a bit of a shame that many of the open-minded Tool fans couldn’t open up a little further for this magnificent group. We were certainly happy to see them.
(Levan TK)