Tool just wrapped up their second US tour in as many years this weekend, including a stop at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. The band seemed tighter than ever, opening with four tracks from 2001’s Lateralus: “The Grudge”, “Parabol”/“Parabola” and “Schism” before dialing it all the way back to the title track off their 1992 debut EP, “Opiate”.

In the day and age of plug-and-play electronic DJs and where the grassroots decentralization of the music business has seemed to gain the upper hand on upending industry big wigs, vocalist Maynard James Keenan is a larger-than-life musician maintaining the myth of the mysterious rockstar persona. In what appears to be a revitalized creative interest in engaging fans as Tool, Keenan, drummer Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and bassist Justin Chancellor showed San Jose they are feeling good. As he has all tour, Keenan was donned in full-out protective S.W.A.T. gear with small rainbow emblems on the knee-pads and chest, a controller for his microphone as a utility belt, (which could have been turned up a few notches), and black sunglasses all under a protective helmet. The rest of the band, while maintaining their stationary quadrant of the stage, stood before the beaming appreciation of fans while the lead singer avoided the spotlight, literally shrouded in mystery, smoke, and under first-class protection. During the Grammy-winning “Anemia,” as well as throughout the majority of the show, Keenan reserved the left-rear of the stage for himself to ninja kick, karate chop, stretch, and dance however he wanted to.

Part of Tool’s approach to the show takes the element of surprise away, as their setlist remains mostly the same from show to show. Though the band hasn’t released music in eleven years, their 2006 release 10,000 Days affirmed their critical and commercial appeal worldwide. So when Tool debuted “Descending” at the beginning of the tour, it made for another exciting reason to catch the band live.

They played “Descending” on Wednesday night, which segued into “Jambi,” then into the lone pull from 2000’s Salival, “Third Eye” before ending the set with a monstrous rendition of “Forty-Six & 2.”

Sound difficulties, marked largely by the rushed techs in the background and during intermission, gave a muddy feeling to the usually crisp sound of the SAP Center but took a backseat to the experience as a whole.

Detailed visual imagery, either specifically created music videos (commercially released or not) combined with an intricate laser show that spanned over tens of strategically placed mirrors around the stage and arena created a truly multi-level experience between sound, sight, and meaning.

After set-break, a countdown of 12 minutes appeared in the six-sided star logo that hung over center stage, and when it hit zero, the lights went dark. Carey treated the crowd to an intense and thunderous drum solo, building anticipation for the moment of truth. Tool has been changing their setlist by one song all tour, with Wednesday night’s choices boiled down to either “Vicarious” or “The Pot.” San Jose was given “The Pot.” The trio of songs “Sweat”, “(-) Ions” and “Stinkfist” closed the show just before 11PM sharp.

Much like on his tour with A Perfect Circle, Keenan and company did not return to the stage for an encore. In place of additional music, the venue unleashed confetti cannons at the end of the show.

Enjoy the full gallery below, by Josh Huver of Must Have Media.

Setlist: Tool | SAP Center | San Jose, California | 6/21/17

I: The Grudge, Parabol, Parabola, Schism, Opiate, AEnema, Descending, Jambi, Third Eye, Forty-Six & 2

II: Drum Solo, The Pot, Sweat, (-) Ions, Stinkfist