TOOL
October 25, 2023
Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB
Canadian Beats Passport
Tool made a stop in Edmonton, AB on their 2023 “This is Gonna be Fast… Do Not 182” Tour.
Along for the series of shows was the one-man band Steel Beans. A unique and off-the-wall act, Steel Beans sang, played guitar, and played the drums all at the same time. Occasionally throwing in the odd synthesizer sounds or loops; he performed what seemed to be improv songs for the crowd at Rogers Place. It was unique, it was bizarre, and it was entertaining. Donned in a red feather headband and a cape, the outfit reminded me of an old troubadour get-up. The bulk of the crowd slowly trickled in during his set, it was pretty obvious everyone was there for Tool. He was a strange addition to the tour, but Tool isn’t your regular set of dudes either. Either way, Steel Beans was an interesting choice.
Tool was to take the stage at 8:45, but actually started 7-8 minutes early. Instead of the typical first three songs, we were only allowed the first song this time, which was the title track from their latest album, Fear Inoculum. I will preface this review by saying I’m not a huge Tool fan, and most of the songs I am familiar with are from the earlier albums. Their set list for Edmonton was completely devoid of anything I recognized aside from “The Pot”.
Maynard and Company took to the stage at a near capacity Rogers place and proceeded to deliver over two hours of their unique blend of styles to the hungry audience. Tool is one of those bands that always delivers an incredible visual show, combining video screens, lasers, and light trusses that adjust during songs; to culminate in a constantly moving and evolving stage show representative of the shifts in their music. Honestly, their visual show was nothing short of jaw-dropping and spectacular, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite not being a huge fan of the music it really helped with the enjoyment level with such a sheer visual spectacle and its accompanying soundtrack.
The gentlemen in Tool are world-class musicians, and it shows. They are insanely tight, and are masters in using dynamics to swell and diminish the ever-changing moods and tempos; taking the listeners through peaks, valleys, and different emotional states during their songs.
The last time I saw Tool, I will admit – I cheeped out and bought discount upper bowl tickets, and suffered greatly for that poor decision. The sound was bad, the speaker system blocked the middle of the main screen, and the people around me just sucked in general, which made me not have a great time.
This time, however, was a completely different story; I had a fantastic vantage point where I was able to hear the mix clearly and evenly – and the band sounded incredible. I was in a spot where I could see every visual aspect of the show, and as mentioned before it was nothing short of jaw-dropping. Despite the band not being regular listening for me, I will never pass up an opportunity to go see these guys live ever again. Man oh man… This time RULED.
