By Nate Follmer
Baltimore was taken on a cosmic journey, both visually and sonically, as Tool and Elder made the first stop of their 2024 tour at the CFG Arena.
Elder opened the night with their raw and heavy psychedelic rock. If you haven’t heard Elder, the best way I can describe their sound is if Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd joined forces and turned their amps up to twelve—yes, twelve. Their heavy, 70s-style riffs are embedded inside mind-bending soundscapes that take you on a rock ‘n’ roll journey. It was refreshing to see mic’d up amps, actual effects pedals and vintage-style guitars in a world that is now filled with amp modeling and effects processing units. Elder played through a setlist filled with songs like “Catastasis,” “Sanctuary” and “Halcyon.”






After Elder took the crowd back to psychedelic rock’s roots, it was time for Tool to put their modern spin on the genre. Baltimore erupted as the massive screens began to show their imagery and Drummer Danny Carey took the stage. The swelling guitar intro of “Fear Inoculum” could be heard thundering through the arena as Guitarist Adam Jones and Bassist Justin Chancellor joined Carey on stage. Vocalist Maynard James Keenan’s silhouette appeared above the band as the music and visuals picked up their pace.




“Jambi” was the next song of the night. The opening riff instantly sent the crowd into another frenzy. Every full-length album had representation that night: “Rosetta Stoned” rounded out the “10,000 Days” album. “Pneuma” was next, followed by “Intolerance” from “Undertow,” then “Descending.” “The Grudge” from “Lateralus” was the final song played before a brief intermission.
The house lights dimmed and Carey returned to the stage. Carey spent the next few minutes showing off his robotic drumming abilities by improvising on a massive gong, then banging his way through “Chocolate Chip Trip.” Watching Carey play was mesmerizing and it wasn’t just because of the visuals they created live on screen. The polyrhythms, multiple percussive instruments and synths that Carey played showed the crowd that he is one of the best drummers in the world. It all seemed so effortless, and he wasn’t done yet.






The rest of the band soon took to center stage; Carey picked up a guitar and “Culling Voices” began. The elaborate lighting created an otherworldly atmosphere as confetti slowly fell down on the arena. The whole song was a very intimate and unique experience that left the crowd in a trance. We quickly snapped back to reality, or at least the reality that can only be created by Tool, as the night ended with “Invincible” and “Stinkfist.”

With this being the first stop of the 2024 tour, there are still plenty of chances to catch a show. Tool and Elder will be making their way around the U.S. until the end of February, then Tool will be heading overseas for a run of shows until the end of June. In my opinion, this is Tool at their peak. The music is tight and the visuals and lighting are unmatched by any other act—I don’t see how they could top this. I highly recommend catching a show before Tool hits the studio. Do you really want to risk the possibility of another hiatus?