Live And In The Flesh
Tool - May 16, 2006
Tool have definitely been near the top of my list of all-time favourite bands to see live and this would be my third of seven times seeing them. The first two times will be stories for another day. I was surprised that things went as smoothly as they did this time around given my track record with previous Tool concerts. This show was down in Toronto at the Hummingbird Centre, a seated event in a pretty swank theatre. This was my first time attending a show at this venue and I was quite impressed that I would be seeing Tool of all bands in such a place. One of the biggest benefits that I had found was the slanted floor. No matter where you were seated in the venue, no matter how tall the person was in front of you, you were able to see everything perfectly.
For anyone who has been to a Tool show, you understand the importance of having the perfect view. I love the artwork that Tool had been incorporating into their albums throughout the years. Whether it be Adam Jones' claymation videos, or the vibrant artwork of Alex Grey, it all worked so perfectly with their music, enhancing the journey that they take you through so well. I have had to endure some seats in the nosebleed section directly side-stage at a Tool show, and it was by far one of the worst experiences. The only saviour the night of that show was finally hearing Pushit live.
We had settled into our seats waiting for the band to take the stage. I'm a people watcher, so there was plenty to keep me busy to pass the time. Tool had brought out quite the diverse crowd, by this point in their career they were popular enough to have the odd meathead screaming "Schism!" before the show had even begun. The seats were starting to fill in so I knew we were getting close to showtime. I wasn't sure whether the crowd would be sitting back to enjoy the visuals for the show, or if they would end up standing throughout the entire performance. The lights went out, the crowd stood up, and the cheering started! Tool! Tool! Tool!
10,000 Days had just come out a few weeks before the show. I don't think the album had stopped playing those entire three weeks prior to the show while I was getting pumped up for the big day, and now we were there! Maynard James Keenan came out sporting a cowboy hat rocking a megaphone like a bad-ass. Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann) had them fired up and then straight into its counterpart Rosetta Stoned. I can still feel the smile on my face after this was all well underway, it was amazing! We were blasted with a couple of classics Stinkfist, and Forty-Six & Two, both of which were incredible live, and then they dove into a few more tracks off of their latest release. Rounding the show up near the end of the night was Lateralus, which was a definite favourite. Ænima closed the show appropriately, I don't think I will ever get sick of seeing that song live. Every single one of the eleven tracks that they played that night were complete jams. Extending some parts, speeding up others, each song would segue into the next. It's always a treat to see musicians freshen up their songs for live performances. Each and every one of the members that night were incredible, from Danny Carey's insane drum solos to Adam Jones tearing up his axe along with Chancellor keeping that bass flowing. Every single one of these guys had an important role to play, and they all played extremely well.
The visuals they used throughout this whole tour, and any other tour I've been lucky enough to hit up have been simply unbelievable. Tool demonstrate the perfect deployment of audio and visual mastery. After experiencing one of their shows you feel a sensory overload. The music and visuals help extend that spiritual journey to the depths of your soul. It was as though the senses that felt dormant for so long had now been reawakened. The incredible impact of yet another amazing live performance had left me in awe.