The last time Rabit and I were at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, it was to see pop violinist Lindsey Stirling for her Christmas show in 2019, 4 months before the pandemic started. It was an emotional time for me at that as well because 2 weeks later my father passed away. I had not been back since, but an opportunity presented itself to us as a chance to somewhat heal and reflect (not to sound macabre). By chance, Rabit and I got approved for Tool on February 17th. The enigmatic progressive/alternative metal legends graced Ontario with their presence as part of their current winter tour celebrating Fear Inoculum. Opening for them this time was stoner metal outfit Elder. This will be my second go around with Tool as I covered them once in 2019 at the Crypto.com Arena (back when it was the Staples Center), but this was Rabit’s first go and boy was he excited. Time to experience the wonder of Tool once again.

Before Tool, Ontario experienced a new high with Elder. Having been around since 2006, Elder has an interesting blend of stoner metal and doom metal, like Black Sabbath meets Kyng. Frontman/lead guitarist Nick DiSalvo had a more harmonic style of singing that is not always common in a stoner metal group, but he makes it unique and vibrant. Also, when comes to the long solos, he hypnotizes the metalheads in the arena, drawing them into a new realm of consciousness. Along with longtime bassist Jack Donovan, 2nd guitarist Mike Risberg, and drummer Georg Edert, Elder dazzled the crowded with their eclectic sound and glorified jam session that included the songs “Sanctuary,” “Merged in Dreams – Ne Plus Ultra,” and “Halcyon.” As I got lost in their sound, I felt so at ease thanks to Elder. This helped us all prepare for the journey we would take with Tool.

After a brief intro into “Third Eye,” Tool walked onto the stage one by one. As soon as frontman Maynard James Keenan entered, “Fear Inoculum” kicked into high gear. During the whole set, he would alternate between two side platforms while bobbing his body to the motion of the music. A mohawk silhouette with a masterful voice, Maynard lived up to his reputation as an eccentric outsider of the world of rock ‘n’ roll, who also insisted (or ordered, lol) the fans to put their phones away and enjoy the ride (of course a small handful did not listen). Guitarist Adam Jones was visually stunning with guitar prowess and playing technique, making each song he plays visionally mesmerizing. Personally though, I was more amazed by bassist Justin Chancellor. His lead bass riffs put me in a trance that dances between euphoric and spiritual. Chancellor’s insane licks went along nicely with drummer Danny Carey’s bombastic technique. Watching him behind the kit is like watching a magician showcase his tricks. It is no wonder Carey is considered one of the greatest drummers around, mixing rock, jazz, metal, progressive, and alternative into one delicious stew for our ears.

Tool’s set was split into two parts that included an intermission after six songs. That makes sense given that Tool’s tunes are usually between 7-11 minutes. During the first part of the show, it was a mixture of songs from Fear Inoculum, 10,000 Days, and Lateralus. They included “Jambi,” “Rosetta Stoned,” “Pneuma,” “Descending,” and my all-time favorite, “Schism.” I do not know what it is about “Schism” that cranks up my engines, but it has one of the greatest bass riffs ever that puts my mind to ease. Following the intermission, Carey comes back out in a muscle body suit that resembles the artwork from the Lateralus cover. From there, he went into the instrumental “Chocolate Chip Trip,” showcasing his talent. In the middle of the set, he attached a GoPro camera on his chest to show how he works. It was out of this world; not even Tommy Lee could not come up with that. Tool performed three more songs following Carey’s performance, which included “Culling Voices,” “Invincible,” and “Stinkfist,” which was when the crowd was allowed to film their performance. I already did that in LA four years ago, so this time, I enjoyed the final voyage of Tool’s voyage.

I have to say, that was a fun show to be a part of. Being back at the Toyota Arena brought back some memories, but Tool really helped me heal in some weird way. Their music really touches me. I admit, it was not really into them until their music was released on Apple Music and gave them a chance. As I have seen, they are good on record but even better live. Elder provided the right kind of high for me, and I dug their set. Overall, that was a perfect evening to take an acidic-like expedition, especially running into Rockaholic and Papa Metal (Marto). To Tool and Elder, I salute you. Horns up!!!

Photos by Matt 'Rabit' Martinez