APC Jams at NYC's Beacon Theatre
If you came to see TOOL on Friday at the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan, then you picked the wrong night…and the wrong band. Most of the fans in attendance who knew the difference between the legendary bands that Maynard James Keenan fronts experienced an emotional and inspired 15 song set with 3 encores. If any fans walked out unsatisfied, they were probably not fans at all.
With this being the first major tour for the band since the 2004 release “EMOTIVE”, as expected the majority of the songs were off that release. As he often does, fans in attendance saw Maynard command the stage from an elevated box in the back left corner of the stage.
As is customary, Keenan’s logistical position was out of the spotlight as a testament to the music doing all the talking. His vocals were in top form as he rocked and swayed along to the thunderous drum beats laid down by Jeff Friedl, an up to the task replacement for the otherwise occupied Josh Freese. James Iha, best known as a founding member and guitarist for 90’s alt rock legends Smashing Pumpkins showed he is still in top form. So was Billy Howerdel, who even showed his vocal chops on the Depeche Mode cover, People are People.
Maynard has been keeping himself quite busy over the last few years. The story of the creation and development of his winery and vineyards in Arizona were featured in the 2010 theatrical release, “Blood into Wine”. He has also toured with his side project Puscifer.
Below is the set-list from the Beacon show. The band stayed on stage the entire time. MJK rarely speaks much to the crowd at his shows, but tonight we got to see a bit more of Maynard’s humorous side when he said prior to the encore songs “just pretend we left the stage for a few minutes and now we’re back.” Here’s hoping Maynard comes back as often as possible to New York City in any artistic capacity, and with any band. As fans of all of them we will be waiting. ~ L. Cristal Hyacinth / Guerrilla Radio
Annihilation (Crucifix cover)
Imagine (John Lennon cover)
Weak and Powerless
The Hollow
What’s Going On (Marvin Gaye cover)
People Are People (Depeche Mode cover)
The Outsider
(What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love and Understanding? (Brinsley Schwarz cover)
When the Levee Breaks (Led Zeppelin cover)
Blue
3 Libras
The Package
Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie (Black Flag cover)
Orestes
Passive
Encore:
Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
Fiddle and the Drum (Joni Mitchell cover)
By and Down (new)
