2008 Woodie Awards
Tool returns, sells out venue
Ryan Boulding
Issue date: 5/22/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Few people know that Tool front man Maynard James Keenan owns a vineyard in Arizona and longs for the day when his fame has waned and he can live a peaceful life, perhaps selling his wine.
Lucky for Tool fans, this hasn't happened yet, as the band just performed in front of a sellout crowd of around 6,000 at Colorado Springs' World Arena on May 9.
Fans lined up outside, hours before the 8 p.m. start, playing hacky sack and buzzing about the upcoming show.
As the concert started, up-and-coming modern psych rock band Kinski took the stage for what would be an interesting 30 minutes of solid music although not one single word was uttered during their performance.
The result was a unique tone perfect for the atmosphere of a Tool concert.
Kinski seemed a nice fusion of progrssive rock and classic hard rock such as the combination of bands Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd.
As the stadium filled to capacity, fans began chanting, "Tool! Tool! Tool!"
Then the lights dimmed and Maynard appeared in his traditional orange hoodie, cowboy boots and hat, while drummer Danny Carey came out in one of his many basketball jerseys.
Without missing a beat, the band jumped right into the hit "Jambi" from the 10,000 Days album.
Anyone who has been to a Tool show understands that it is an epic adventure of both auditory and visual indulgences.
And although fans of Maynard's voice might be disappointed in the overwhelming nature of the reverberating music, there is still plenty to experience.
The stage setup boasted four giant screens behind the band, plus two larger screens to either side of the stage, a curtain with the 10,000 Days logo at the back of the stage, various colored lasers, black lights and image projection down onto the white stage beneath the musicians' feet.
Visuals ranged from old music videos to a cacophony of flickering eye candy that added excitement.
Bassist Justin Chancellor and guitarist Adam Jones were clearly at the top of their game, as they traded solos and variations in several songs.
Lucky for Tool fans, this hasn't happened yet, as the band just performed in front of a sellout crowd of around 6,000 at Colorado Springs' World Arena on May 9.
Fans lined up outside, hours before the 8 p.m. start, playing hacky sack and buzzing about the upcoming show.
As the concert started, up-and-coming modern psych rock band Kinski took the stage for what would be an interesting 30 minutes of solid music although not one single word was uttered during their performance.
The result was a unique tone perfect for the atmosphere of a Tool concert.
Kinski seemed a nice fusion of progrssive rock and classic hard rock such as the combination of bands Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd.
As the stadium filled to capacity, fans began chanting, "Tool! Tool! Tool!"
Then the lights dimmed and Maynard appeared in his traditional orange hoodie, cowboy boots and hat, while drummer Danny Carey came out in one of his many basketball jerseys.
Without missing a beat, the band jumped right into the hit "Jambi" from the 10,000 Days album.
Anyone who has been to a Tool show understands that it is an epic adventure of both auditory and visual indulgences.
And although fans of Maynard's voice might be disappointed in the overwhelming nature of the reverberating music, there is still plenty to experience.
The stage setup boasted four giant screens behind the band, plus two larger screens to either side of the stage, a curtain with the 10,000 Days logo at the back of the stage, various colored lasers, black lights and image projection down onto the white stage beneath the musicians' feet.
Visuals ranged from old music videos to a cacophony of flickering eye candy that added excitement.
Bassist Justin Chancellor and guitarist Adam Jones were clearly at the top of their game, as they traded solos and variations in several songs.
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