Performing a viewing instrument in the year 2024 is a thought-provoking and hugely enthralling experience. The band's discography is unbeatable compared to the vast majority of modern rock acts, and watching their setlist unfold throughout the night is always a pure thrill. Coupled with the massive visuals of their stage productions and the fact that TOOL remains one of the tightest bands in the industry, it's hard not to fall head first into the band's hypnotic, transcendent appeal.
After having the opportunity to see them perform their second night at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Center, it's safe to say that TOOL is still putting on one of the coolest live rock shows in the industry. However, as much as I consider myself a TOOL fanatic, seeing TOOL in 2024 seems as if the band has become a little complacent and less willing to take risks. From its largely “safe” playlist selection, to its outdated and unintuitive phone policy, these habitual tendencies of the tool are starting to seep through its more admirable qualities.
However, it would be completely unwarranted to mention any of these criticisms without first acknowledging how great a live performance instrument it is. Having seen the band several times over the past decade, it's hard to find any contradictions between their dedication to their music in the studio and on stage. The band's setlist consists of several songs from their 2019 LP Fear vaccineas well as two welcome deep cuts from the band's previous recordings.
See them at the first stop of Fear vaccine Tour in 2019, much of their 2024 setlist seemed reminiscent of Fear vaccine a trip. The songs “Descending”, “Invincible” and “Pneuma” not to mention the powerful opener “Fear Inoculum” were a treat to see perform live again. In fact, it's always refreshing to see how well these epic songs fare in live action, and the crowd reaction certainly reflected that.
While Fear Inoculum's songs were largely successful despite their occasional overindulgence, the deeper cuts played, while only a few of them, were the real treat. The songs “Flood”, “Sweat” and “Rosetta Stoned” were undoubtedly the highlights of the night and even though the songs “Flood” and “Sweat” are over 30 years old, TOOL managed to perform them flawlessly. Maynard's vocals in particular were in a league of their own on “Sweat”, and Danny Carey's drumming on “Rosetta Stoned” was devastating, not to mention his incredible 15-minute drum solo after the band's break.
With the exception of the “flood” which had not been done in years, the TOOL group generally felt a little safe. Taking into account the Fear vaccine Released nearly 5 years ago, TOOL's continued focus on this album can't help but feel a bit redundant. Although these songs work well in the band's live set,… Fear vaccine The songs can be excessive at times due to their epic length. This is especially evident when so much of the setlist is built around these songs that it doesn't leave much room to explore other albums and more fan-favorite tracks. It's a balancing act in developing a TOOL list, and there is certainly no “perfect” universal tool list that will bring band and fans into harmony. And that's a big part of the beauty and excitement of a TOOL show – the direction of the setlist can provide a completely different experience.
In terms of unique qualities, TOOL has since the early 1990s been steadfast in banning any audio or video recordings of its performances. As it relates to the modern era, TOOL's focus on this is to draw the audience into the meditative state of their music and limit any distractions to the audience. It's a completely understandable protocol and definitely complements TOOL's music and aesthetic.
However, despite the policy's goal to limit distractions, the string of security officials constantly blinding entire departments with military-type flash lights, all in an attempt to avoid phone users, is far more distracting than any smartphone ever was. During the first 30 minutes of the TOOL set, security officials were rapidly firing their flashlights into several surrounding sections like floodlights searching for an escaped prisoner. It's been a persistent problem throughout at least the first half of the show, and one can't help but see the irony in enforcing this policy. While this may be an isolated issue that also depends on the venue and its staff, it may be in TOOL's best interest to reconsider better enforcement of this policy or even a new policy entirely if they truly want the public to embrace the current moment.
Despite these fairly minor criticisms, it's hard to put your finger on any other band that truly embraces the power of raw, heavy, unfiltered music like TOOL. In a day and age where there is less and less organic music surfacing in popular culture, TOOL has remained consistent with producing art and an experience that is solely for the sake of the art and their own benefit as artists, and they have done so all while remaining relevant in today's scene. Whether we get new TOOL music in the next decade or not, TOOL will always be the kings of their craft and a true rock wonder.
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