It had been nearly 8 years since Tool had last played in Chicago and fans were more than ready to welcome them back with open arms. The enigmatic band descended on Allstate Arena and fans came out in droves. Since Tool doesn’t tour all too often, their tickets to shows have become an extremely hot commodity and this show was no exception with the show selling out in a matter of minutes.

The band came out in their traditional formation with Danny Carey, Adam Jones, and Justin Chancellor all in well lit areas of the stage and Maynard off to the side away from most light for fans to get a clear view of him. It’s so natural for Maynard to lurk in the shadows and be completely relaxed all the while being so comfortable to sway back and forth in his signature manner throughout the night. If you have ever seen A Perfect Circle or Puscifer before, you would be well aware of what I am referring to.

Their sets are never intense with a huge set list since they are so focused on diving into each and every song they play taking you on an intensely visual and audio journey. I have not been to a show like this in quite sometime, so it was an absolute treat to take it all in.

I was disappointed to not hear Vicarious live, but the show ends up being so amazing you can let things like that slide. I could see these guys being able to do a multiple night run and knocking out so many more songs. All while playing at a venue more like Wrigley where they could easily double the crowd size and still sell out immediately.

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Hell maybe that’s why they do these mini tours. The demand and yearning to see them live by so many ends up staying at a constant high.

No matter what, I hope to get a chance to catch them live again. To hear Schism, Aenima, 46&2, The Pot, and Stinkfist live was truly intense and made me love this band even more. Do not miss them if they are coming to a town near you.