Tools is an American progressive metal band formed in 1990. The band is known for their complex, layered songs and dark lyrical themes inspired by philosophy and spirituality. Tools has released four studio albums, with their debut album Undertow released in 1993. Determining when Tools played their very first concert requires looking back to the band’s early days on the Los Angeles underground music scene in the early 1990s.
Tools Early Years and Formation
The roots of Tools traces back to the meeting of drummer Danny Carey and guitarist Adam Jones in the late 1980s. Carey was playing with the band Green Jellÿ while Jones was working in special effects and set design for films. According to Jones, he lived above Carey in Hollywood and the two would run into each other regularly. After jamming together a few times, they decided to form a band (1).
Vocalist Maynard James Keenan entered the picture when he met Jones in 1992. Keenan was looking to start a new project after his time with the band Children of the Anachronistic Dynasty. Jones and Carey had a few instrumental demos recorded and invited Keenan to hear the tracks. Keenan was impressed and decided to join on as vocalist (2).
The final piece was bassist Paul D’Amour who both Jones and Carey knew from the L.A. scene. With the lineup solidified, Tools played their first official show on October 23, 1990 at the Lingerie Club in Hollywood, California (3).
Early Shows and EPs (1990-1992)
After their unofficial debut in 1990, Tools started playing shows regularly in the Los Angeles area. The band made their official live debut on October 15, 1991 at the Peanuts Club in Venice, California. Some of their early high profile gigs included opening for the Rollins Band at Club Lingerie in Hollywood in December 1991 and Rat Hole in January 1992 (4).
Around this time, Tools started gaining notoriety for their intensely heavy and complex music. Local metal and alternative publications took notice of the band’s unique sound. This led to Tools being featured in magazines like Rip, Kerrang!, Alternative Press and BAM throughout 1991 and 1992 (5).
In November 1991, Tools released their debut EP called Opiate. Songs from Opiate like “Hush” and “Part of Me” entered into rotation on local radio stations and gave fans an early taste of the band’s eclectic style (6).
Early Tours and Full-Length Debut
With buzz around Tools growing, they started expanding to play shows outside of Los Angeles in 1992. Some of their early tours included (7):
- February 21, 1992 – Phoenix Theater, Petaluma, CA
- March 6, 1992 – Mesa Amphitheater, Mesa, AZ
- March 26, 1992 – Club Dreamerz, Chicago, IL
- April 24, 1992 – Jalome Beacher Theater, Jalome Beach, CA
The band continued touring throughout 1992 in support of Opiate playing iconic venues like the Whisky A Go Go in L.A. and Club Citta in Japan.
Tools started recording their first full-length album Undertow in early 1993. Undertow was released on April 6, 1993 and the band supported the album by touring extensively from 1993 to 1994. Some key early tours for Undertow included shows with Fishbone in August 1993 and opening for acts like Butthole Surfers and Rollins Band in late 1993 (8).
First Major Tours and Breakthrough Success
The major breakthrough for Tools came when they landed a spot opening for Nine Inch Nails on their Self Destruct Tour from October to December 1993. This hugely successful tour exposed Tools to much bigger audiences and helped propel their first single “Sober” to mainstream rock and MTV airplay (9).
Riding this wave of success, Tools embarked on their first national headlining tour in early 1994. Their Undertow tour hit legendary rock clubs like the Orpheum Theatre in Madison and Riviera Theatre in Chicago. This tour marked Tools’ transition from local underground act to major contender on the national rock scene.
Noteworthy Early Tours
Some of Tools most significant early tours include:
- Opiate Club Tour – October 1992
- Undertow North American Tour – August to November 1993
- Tour with Rollins Band – December 1993
- Undertow Tour – February to April 1994
- Lollapalooza Festival – August 1994
Ænima Album and Evolution of Live Performances
Tools broke through to platinum sales success with their second studio album Ænima released in 1996. The band supported Ænima by embarking on their first arena tours playing venues like Meadowlands Arena and Great Western Forum (10).
Around this time, Tools live shows became renowned for their visual spectacle. The band incorporated projections, lasers, trance inducing visuals and art installations to create an immersive experience. Their live show production became synonymous with the Tools experience.
Noteworthy Tours for Ænima
- Ænima North American Tour – October to December 1996
- Lollapalooza Main Stage – Summer 1997
- Ænema Australian Tour – February 1998
Some of the more experimental and elaborate tours around this period included (11):
- Spira Tour – November to December 1997
- Monster Mash Tour – October 1998
These tours featured expanded instrumentation like tabla, timpani, gong and various percussion instruments. This added to the mystic atmosphere during their live performances.
Lateralus Album and Tour
After a five year gap between studio albums, Tools returned with Lateralus in 2001 which debuted #1 on the Billboard charts. The supporting tour ran from October 2001 to November 2002 covering shows across North America, Europe and Japan.
This critically praised tour featured more complex arrangements and visuals than ever before. With Lateralus, Tools firmly established themselves as one of the world’s premier live rock acts. Their first shows of the tour included high profile festival appearances like Coachella and Area:One.
Major Tours Supporting Lateralus
- Lateralus Album Promo Tour – October to November 2001
- First Leg U.S. Tour – January to March 2002
- Australia and Japan Tour – March 2002
- Second Leg U.S. Tour – April to May 2002
- Europe Tour – June to July 2002
- Third Leg U.S. Tour – November 2002
10,000 Days Album and Tour
After another lengthy break, Tools released their fourth studio album 10,000 Days in May 2006. From July to November they completed one of their longest tours hitting cities across North America.
10,000 Days incorporated even more visual elements and artistic set pieces to complement their music. Notable enhancements included 3D stereoscopic projections and advanced lighting configurations choreographed to songs.
In all, the 10,000 Days tour spanned 97 shows over five legs. It included appearances at festivals like Bonnaroo and Vegoose. Their final shows in Melbourne featured an elaborate retrospective with encores selected by fans.
10,000 Days Tour Dates
- First North American Leg: July to August 2006
- Europe Leg: September to October 2006
- U.S. Arena Leg: October to November 2006
- Australia and New Zealand Leg: November 2006
- Final U.S. Leg: December 2006
Fear Inoculum Album and Current Touring
On August 30, 2019, Tools finally released their long awaited fifth album Fear Inoculum after a 13 year gap between studio albums. The band supported the album with an epic North American tour from October 2019 to March 2020 playing to over 500,000 fans (12).
The Fear Inoculum tour incorporated the band’s latest innovations like immersive video, updated kind visuals and an expanded live band adding keyboardist Cam de Leon. Unfortunately the final North American leg scheduled for June 2020 was postponed due to COVID-19. At present, there are no announced dates for Tools to resume touring.
Conclusions
In summary, Tools played their first official show in 1991 shortly after forming in 1990. It took several years of touring small clubs and releasing EPs before exploding in popularity in the mid 90s. Their live show production became increasingly more elaborate over decades punctuated by landmarks tours for albums like Ænima, Lateralus and 10,000 Days. After over 30 years, Tools remains a major draw for live music fans eager to experience their one-of-a-kind sonic journeys. Their long-awaited tours in support of Fear Inoculum showed that even after all these years, demand for Tools in concert remains incredibly high. Whenever Tools finally announces their next tour dates, expect tickets to sell out nearly instantaneously thanks to their legendary live show legacy now over three decades strong.
Year | Tour |
---|---|
1991 | Early club shows in Los Angeles |
1992 | Opiate promotional tour |
1993 | Undertow North American Tour |
1993 | Tour with Rollins Band |
1994 | Undertow headlining tour |
1994 | Lollapalooza Festival |
1996 | Ænima North American Tour |
1997 | Lollapalooza Main Stage |
1997 | Spira Tour |
2001 | Lateralus Album Promo Tour |
2002 | Lateralus World Tour |
2006 | 10,000 Days Tour |
2019 | Fear Inoculum North American Tour |