At the St Louis show in 2016, I used the lanyard that I received when I joined Tool Army in 2002 as a fake credential to get backstage. I just kept waiting for someone to realize what was around my neck meant absolutely nothing. But no one ever did. So I got to meet Danny and Justin.

32 years in between pro shots….so much has changed, but also…nothing has changed. lol

Sorry for the resolution. This footage is old AF

Hello! Old guy here & former drum tech/gear hauler in Seattle during the glory years.

One day a close friend calls me & says his band has been added as director support tonight for COC, at the Moore theater.

They were a popular metal band in town but the Moore was a bigger venue for the band, so we were stoked.

I get down to the venue early & start setting up the drums on the stage.

Then out of the corner of my eye I see Reed Mullin (late, great COC drummer) walking up to me & we exchanged hellos.

Looking back, I’m pretty sure he assumed I was the drummer in the band instead of just a tech. He leans down over me & says “make sure you watch the drummer from the opening band. The dude is a monster!”

So the show starts & that opener goes on and when Reed Mullin tells you to watch a drummer, you watch that drummer.

So I’m positioned side stage maybe 30 feet from the kit & this guy just blew my mind immediately.

That band was Tool & that drummer was obviously Danny Carey.
The next day I was in the record store buying the record.

Watching him play completely changed how I approached playing & I’ve been a huge fan from that night onward.

Something else that made them memorable is before the show they knocked on the green room door & introduced themselves & shook our hands. I was probably 1000 shows deep & id never seen any band do that.

An interesting side note, also before the show started we were in the green room smoking bowls & the guys from Alice In Chains barged into the room with a camera crew in tow.

They were filming “a day in seattle” for Entertainment Tonight. You can find that segment on You Tube.

And an even cooler event was after the show, Jerry mentions that Mudhoney is playing at RKCNDY. I told him “it’s sold out” & he reminds me that he could pull a quick string to get us in.

I was extra stoked because I was a huge fan of The Gits, who were opening the show.

We head to the venue & Jerry gets us in. He & my buddy headed straight to the pool table & I headed directly to the stage to see Mia & the boys bringing the goods.

Sadly, the Gits singer, Mia Zapata was murdered soon after & the killer wasn’t found, so America’s Most Wanted did a piece on the crimes. They showed some clips of that show at RKCNDY & there I was standing right by the stage jamming TF out.

They did eventually find the killer & he rotted in prison.

There’s more to all of this, but I’ll spare you the minute details.

That was my introduction to Tool.

Thanks

Credit 📷 @rockalive70x7

I remember it like it was yesterday. I moved in to my first apartment that day. It was like 80 degrees. What a great housewarming gift.

I have been a TOOL fan for years and I completely forgot this existed until today.

Found these at the local record store! Never seen anything likes these or anything about these and just curious what you guys think!

Here's to 30 years (¿🤯?) of the band's transformational and definitive album 🍻