TOOL Return To Philadelphia With A Visually Brilliant Spectacle

Tool Return With A Musical Vengeance

Tool returned to the City of Brotherly Love on Sunday night. Fans flocked to the Wells Fargo Center in the heart of Philadelphia for yet another visually and sonically stunning masterpiece.

Three years ago, or pre-global pandemic, the four-piece of musical masterminds Maynard James Keenan, Adam Jones, Danny Carey, and Justin Chancellor released Fear Inoculum an album that was more anticipated than the return of Jesus Christ himself and unlike most bands with that much attention, Tool didn’t fold under the pressure.

Now in 2022, as the world starts to slowly regain its bearings, Tool has set out on The Fear Inoculum Tour 2022, this time bringing some new visuals and a whole new setlist for fans.

As usual with these guys, most of the tour is already sold out, as is their merch. This tour brings back the daily show posters created by various artists hand-picked by the band themselves as well as a limited amount of signed posters, but get there early because the merch tables get mobbed quickly. Also as of this Philly show, the band has released a limited run of Fear Inoculum deluxe vinyl hand signed by the band and are available first to Tool Army members but if there is any left by showtime they can be purchased by the average fan. I should mention these carry the price tag of $810, in case you haven’t seen all the articles floating around the internet of people crying about the band’s decision to well… make money after being gone for years.

If you’ve seen Tool live before you know it’s a transcendental experience, a religious experience you weren’t sure was possible. This is by no means your average rock concert.

As always with every Tool show and Maynard James Keenan project, there was a strict no cell phone policy. Fans were asked to restrain from photos and videos during the show in an attempt to have people actually watch the performance. If you didn’t, Philadelphia’s finest could help you find your way back to your car.

Tool once again offered a two-hour performance, one where being present and experiencing the music in the deepest depths of your body is actually quite possible and enjoyable, especially after the absence of live music for two years or so. I’m a fan of this no cell phone policy, despite all the critics and whiners. It reminds me of the days when you used to see your favorite band and nobody had a portable computer attached to them.

Moving on, Tool hit the stage around 8:45 pm with a mesh curtain once again surrounding the stage. If you saw the tour in 2019, the stage setup is exactly the same, just with some new and cooler visuals added.

The show begins once again with “Fear Inoculum.” That mesh curtain produces images in front of the band which ties in with the massive screens behind the stage. It’s difficult to explain just how incredible this production is. Even after already witnessing it twice on the previous run, it still brings a particular energy and vibe to the beginning of the show.

As always the musicianship of Danny Carey, Adam Jones, and Justin Chancellor is awe-inspiring. It’s a real-time math equation being solved right before your eyes. Maynard’s vocals fit perfectly into the mix, his voice truly being used as an instrument amongst the other members.

Each song is different with its own set of visuals and stage elements. Maynard walks back and forth between platforms on both sides of the drum kit and even that is done with precision and intention. Every detail is perfectly mapped as if it’s meant to consistently be visually pleasing to the audience. It did seem Maynard was a little more in the shadows this go around but that’s reminiscent of early Tool performances as well as some of his other projects. He’s never really been one to be the center of attention.

Tool wastes no time playing song after song, with very little banter, just an occasional Maynard joke here and there. The set contains a strong mix of new material and fan favorites, many of which the band hasn’t played in quite some time and I think that played a huge part in the crowd’s excitement and anticipation.

During songs like “The Grudge” and “Right in Two,” larger-than-life visuals play on-screen, while new tracks like “Pneuma” and “Descending” introduce some laser lights that are far more intense than previous tours. Tool even included “Hooker With A Penis” back into the setlist.

After the lights go down, Danny Carey makes his way on stage alone to begin his drum clinic of “Chocolate Chip Trip” off of Fear Inoculum. It’s basically an insanely cool drum solo that involves multiple instruments played by Carey himself with overhead cameras showing the audience the raw talent of Danny.

Maynard and company return to the stage to perform ”Culling Voices” and the nearly 13-minute long monster track “Invincible” which is a treat to watch live, plus it’s the song in the show where Maynard gives permission to use the cell phone you couldn’t wait to take out. Tool is possibly one of the only bands who could play a song of this length in a sold-out arena multiple times in a night and nobody gets bored watching it. That in itself is talent.

Tool has dates ranging through mid-March in the U.S, then they head overseas. You can check them out below. As always, we recommend a Tool show because you can’t go wrong, great visuals, great music, a bunch of drunk bros, and killer merch. What else are you doing?