old news: january - december 2002 letters on a page with no meaning anymore

[12/23/02] - An Imperfect Circle | Repost missing reviews | Odds, ends

Some of you might have noticed that the site at aperfectcircle.org has sort of disappeared. Skwerl, the man behind the fun over there, has posted a message about all this to www.aperfectcircle.us. Hopefully they can get that all sorted out soon. §

Well, since nobody managed to dig up the two accidentally-deleted files containing concert reviews from November, I suppose we'll just have to hope you go post your thoughts again. So head for the Tour section and, if you still have any, share your thoughts and feelings on the Long Beach and Fresno shows ... §

As far the lack of news around here, I suppose it's the Tool off-season. Their official site has reported them working on material, but we all know better than to expect too much anytime soon. The price of perfection, maybe? Anyway, I'm flying out to Philly tomorrow, so happy holidays and end-of-year to all! §

[12/10/02] - Missing concert reviews | DVDetails | New Opinion forums

Thanks (or should I say "no thanks"?) to a server hiccup, all concert reviews for the Long Beach and Fresno shows have disappeared. So if you are able, check your caches - if you have a copy of those files (called 021122 and 021124.html), let me know. (Because this problem happened over Thanksgiving weekend, nobody noticed it until the backup had been overwritten.) §

There's a lot of info buzzing around about the live DVD coming out this spring. As usual, I've been sworn to secrecy, but in response to what others have posted, I will say that an entire show plus the two latest videos certainly sounds like a reasonable thing to expect. For all of you into the filmy details, we do know that the concerts were all shot on various grades of DV cameras. §

The Opinion section is doing quite well - a new set of forums entitled "Interact" has just opened. Check it out. Thanks to all of you for making it an interesting read. §

[11/21/02] - Strong Opinions | Live DVD!

(This news post somehow didn't upload correctly a few nights ago. Oops.)

The Opinion section got off to a decent start, with some 300 people signing up (so they can post) and a slew of others dropping by just for a read. No doubt it will continue growing, so get yourself over there for a read / for a post. §

The final six shows of this tour are being videotaped for a live DVD release, which probably won't happen for a few months. This will be quite a coup - three official Tool releases in as many consecutive years. Thanks to Brock in Albuquerque among a slew of others for this info. §

[11/19/02] - Opinions!

The Opinion section is back up.

(I wanted to only say that, but what fun would that be?) Only twenty-plus months after it went offline, the Opinion section has been re-opened! One of the most popular features of this site back in the day, the Opinion section is the place to post your thoughts on and interpretations of Tool songs, videos, etc. And it is finally forum-based, so there will be moderators around to cut down on garbage posts. So go check it out. It may still be a bit buggy (what isn't around here?) but it should smooth out soon. By the way, this momentous occasion is thanks almost entirely to the dogged persistence of Dan Green, without whom this would likely have taken another two years. It's quite empty in there at the moment, so go - pour forth your opinions. §

[10/28/02] - Here and there | Tooliday in Cambodia

Well, it has been a little while since there was a post here -- apart from touring, though, nothing is really happening out in Tool land. Here's some more info on why there aren't daily posts anyway. §

Alternative Tentacles (record label owned by Jello Biafra, formerly of the Dead Kennedys) is being sued by Jello's former bandmates. In an act of support for AT, Tool has donated five pairs of tickets for every show this tour to the label, which are , available from ebay username virus235. Thanks to fan Justin for this info. §

[10/02/02] - Tour update

Tour reviews are active again, and the tour itinerary is finally back up to speed! So go post, go read, or go outside and get some fresh air. §

[09/25/02] - Absentia

Wow - three and a half whole weeks since a news post. Thanks to those of you who have written in asking if I was still in one piece; most of the slowness around here is because I've been slammed with work, moving, and work. Did I mention work? However, there is still not much going on in the world of Tool, largely because of the break in touring. The tour itinerary has finally gotten updated, and Ticket posting will be updated for the fall tour shortly. Thanks to everyone for being so patient. §

A new Opinion section is about to go live, so that will hopefully make up for the downtime here. §

[09/01/02] - Odds and ends

Happy September! Time flies, don't it? Apologies to all for the slackness of updates around here; as I said before, moving can easily become all-consuming. I mean, if one wasn't careful, one might forget to add the Detroit show to the list of postable concert reviews. (This has been fixed, so please, go post your feelings on the show.)

So here's the latest, even though by now you've probably all figured this out.

The show in Normal, IL was cancelled, apparently due to a throat illness (go ahead and guess which one of them this was affecting). Ticketmaster is offering refunds. But if that doesn't satisfy, you may take comfort in the growing list of shows this fall, including many more stops in the middle of the country. §

[08/17/02] - Seven years

Today is the seven-year anniversary of this site becoming more than just the home of the FAQ (which really will be updated soon), changing from "The Tool Information Page" to just "The Tool Page." Thanks to all of you who have kept this place going by visiting, contributing, correcting, complaining, complimenting, falling for April Fools' gags, putting up with delays, and spreading the word. Here's to the future ... §

[08/16/02] - To a theater near you...

Dates have begun trickling in for Tool's October/November tour, which will follow a three-week hiatus after the summer tour ends. Check out these dates, and over 2000 reviews from the current tour, in the Tour section. And yes, reviews from the last few nights are finally available to read. Sorry about the lack of updatedness. (I'm moving to a new place this weekend, so hopefully nothing else will get skipped over around here during the move.)

Anyhow, now you can read about Tool's cover of the Ramones' "Commando", played at Radio City Music Hall. Here's a snip of Chris's (spankthebastrd@hotmail.com) review to get you started:

"After 'Sober' Maynard announces "this song goes out to Joey and Dee Dee", and in "Tool - expect the unexpected" fashion, they covered a Ramones song, for those of you who weren't there, yes we saw Tool cover a punk song. After 'Sober' I seen a roadie bring Danny a mic, and surer than shit he counted off '1-2-3-4' before going into the cover." §

[08/05/02] - Reviews retooled | Danny Puppy

There have been a lot of fake-setlist concert reviews and other tripe posted to the Tour section, but a few steps have been taken which will hopefully help curb some of this stupidity. I'm sure it's not perfect, but every little bit counts. §

Word around the Skinny Puppy end of the web is that Danny will be providing some drum loops for the industrial band's next album (their first in seven years). Danny, of course, is a big industrial music fan; you might have noticed Skinny Puppy and Download being played at shows before Tool takes the stage. §

[07/21/02] - Concert reviews fixed

The bug that prevented folks from posting concert reviews for the last two shows has been fixed; feel free to post your review now (better late than never, eh?). §

[07/16/02] - All you can be

No sooner said than done - after over a year of delays, Tool Army is up! Rather than getting into what I or everyone thinks about it, you should just go check it out. §

[07/16/02] - Truth, out there | Future shows | Recent shows

The trouble with posting news here is that far too often, I know about things but am asked by the band not to post them. So apologies to all you folks who think there is less news here; there actually isn't too much happening apart from the tour, and I can't tell you all the things I know about Tool Army other than you have to wait and $ee ... §

The current / summer tour is scheduled to end in early September, but take heart: there is a very good chance the band will pick up touring again after a few weeks' hiatus. §

It was a good time at the shows I saw in California the past few days -- all of you yet to see the show are in for some fun twists to the band's stage setup. §

[07/12/02] - Review posting is back | Be all you can be | Osseus in Black

The Tour section once again allows you to post concert reviews! With any luck, concertgoers will return to their usual verbosity as soon as the show finishes up, and share their thoughts with you there. §

Word is, the Tool Army site will be up any day now. Sounds like it is going to be a site "for the fans / by the fans", featuring some exclusive content - all will apparenly be seen very very soon. §

And yes, apparently the "Schism" contortionist walkers / tightrope-danglers from last fall's tour, Osseus Labyrint, made an appearance in Men In Black II. §

[06/30/02] - Danny online | Hookupdate

Though there is no word on when the toolarmy.com site or maynardjameskeenan.com sites will ever go live, dannycarey.org appeared in the last few days. This official site for your favorite drummer features various writings and other info, and even lets you bang on his virtual drumkit. §

The Ticket Hookup page in the Tour section has finally been updated with this summer's US tour dates. The bad news is that while doing so, all posts made before today were accidentally erased. So go, start posting anew. §

[06/26/02] - Maynard is not dead | Early birds

The rumor spread like mad for the last 48 hours, but many of you already figured out that an article posted online yesterday announcing Maynard's death was a fake. Seems the folks at techtv.com invite people to make fake news posts, to see how effective they can be. I suppose I'm in no place to say that sort of activity a bad thing (even though it's not April...), so just remember that you should always keep a careful eye on who and what you believe. (Like Billy Howerdel's response to this would be "... the screams of agony, then silence." Please.) §

Tapeworm.net is now showing a potential tracklist for their forthcoming album, and "Vacant" is certainly on the list. Check it out. §

[06/20/02] - Wormwideweb

Do a little web-snooping and a little whois-searching, and you'll find an official site-to-be for the Trent Reznor side project Tapeworm (featuring Maynard on vocals for "Vacant" and possibly more) at tapeworm.net. This tidbit comes to us thanks to Matt Fontenot (mattf@jeanrem.com). §

[06/14/02] - Hookers with ... well, you know

Rolling Stone just reported how much money various musicians made in 2001, from albums, touring, recording, endorsements, etc. Tool came in #44 with $8.5 million in touring and $1.8million in recording. A net total of $10.3 million ... "and that's only for 2001," adds Dan Bleeks (aenima27@yahoo.com) who wrote in with the tip. §

[06/08/02] - And you will come to find...

For the first time in over two years, a new choice is available from the site's main menu: you can now Search (thanks to Google) all thousand-plus documents on The Tool Page. It works as well as you'd expect any Google search to work - if there's any info you once read but couldn't find again in an article, a concert review, in old news, etc., click the new Search option at the far right. §

[06/07/02] - Little author boy | (-) article | Still running | Clarification

Danny has written an article about Rennes-le-Chateau, a region in France which appears in various bits of literature mentioned by Tool. The article appears in a magazine called Dagobert's Revenge, but the text of it is not available online yet (no doubt it will be someday). §

An article about the popularity of negative ions appeared today on cnn.com. Now you can gain some more insight into the meaning behind the fourteenth track off "Ænima." Here's an excerpt (or read the whole article): "Negative ions are molecules with an extra electron that gives them a negative charge, and positive ions are those with an electron missing. Ions are formed when an energy source such as light rays, a strong waterfall or a thunderstorm knocks off electrons." §

Seasons 1 and 2 of the HBO sketch comedy show Mr Show came out on DVD Tuesday. This info was sent in by Ryan Linderman (tatertott@hotmail.com), who reminds us that Maynard and Adam are featured in "one of the Ronnie Dobbs sketches in episode 1 on disc 1."

Some of you may be wondering what is up with the release of the movie "Run Ronnie Run", which features the song "Ass Kickin' Fat Kid" by Titannica (Maynard and others); latest word I had heard is that New Line Cinema may not release it, but another studio might.

The song, by the way, was posted to the movie's site a while back, though I forgot to mention it here. You can probably dredge it up from Gnutella, or for the time being in the still-not-redone Audio section of this site. §

Sorry for any confusion from the previous news post - only the remainder of the European Ozzfest tour has been cancelled, not any US dates. §

[06/04/02] - Going off the rails

Yikes! Due to an illness, Ozzy's guitarist Zakk Wylde will be unable to play any remaining Ozzfest dates this summer; consequently ALL Ozzfest dates from June 8 to the end of the tour have been cancelled! Tool will not be playing any makeup shows, sadly, but have offered apologies to concert-hungry fans. §

[05/26/02] - Tour de force

A whole year and change after the release of "Lateralus", Tool is still touring in circles around the world. The list of US tour dates continues to grow; new dates are being posted to the Tour section as they are announced. (Sorry for last week's lack of tour date updates; I was out of town, slammed with work for that David Blaine special that just aired.) §

[05/10/02] - Goin' back to Cali

A few days ago, a bunch of tour dates broke free from the veil of secrecy that for some reason always surrounds such announcements. Nine confirmed shows did show up in the Tour section; I forgot to mention them here. Several of those shows went on sale today, but nobody wrote in saying they had received the passwords from the Official site; a lot of us sure didn't get the information. (It is unclear if they saved everyone's email addresses from the last tour.) So it looks like the ticket lines will be packed tomorrow morning. Sigh. §

[05/05/02] - US tour update | Rumor mill

So you're wondering what is going on with the seemingly-announced / not-super-official tour dates for the US this summer? Get in line - though various promoters and websites have reported the New Jersey and California shows, Ticketmaster has not listed these shows yet (or they have and then they magically disappeared). It seems reasonable that there was some sort of information released before its time, that further details on these shows will follow very soon, and that there is reason to believe they are / will be real. §

There are a lot of rumors suddenly flying around that Maynard is dating a wrestler. I personally don't know and don't want to know. §

[04/30/02] - US tour?

The website for KROQ-FM in Los Angeles (kroq.com) posted two US tour dates today, and various other places reported a new date for New Jersey as well. No official confirmation has trickled in yet, but they both suddenly appeared today courtesy of various promoters, so they've been listed in the Tour section. Rumors are out and about suggesting this upcoming US tour will be primarily a secondary-market tour, but at this point, who can really say? §

[04/27/02] - Tidbit roundup | AIC RIP

Just some things to keep you updated: the "Parabola" video has been airing on many music video stations, including MuchMusic, M2, and apparently even showed on MTV's TRL. (Hopefully some folks out there got into Tool and out of their lame pop-star dreams.) So keep your VCRs on standby - you never know.

Reviews for the current tour are being posted like mad to the Tour section. I'm not going to spoil it for you if you don't want to know, but the setlists this time around can certainly be described as "awfully tasty."

A bunch of folks have found the listing on ticketmaster.com showing a Tool concert in Hartford, CT on Friday, December 31, 2038. Ahh, computer glitches. (But if you really think it's true, don't worry - it's only thirty-six years until showtime.) §

Lastly, it has been one week since we learned that Layne Staley died. What can one say? For all of us in the know, it most certainly did rain when we heard. §

[04/15/02] - April Fools' recap

Getting the Video and Tour sections up to speed yesterday after being away from email for a few days was certainly quite rewarding, but the sad part was that the wrap-up of this year's April Fools' Day prank could not be completed before my bedtime (because the text editor insisted on locking up so much). But here is the synopsis you have been awaiting! §

[04/14/02] - Parabola video!! | Tour updates | April Fools' recap

Tool's seventh video, for "Parabol" and "Parabola", debuted in a variety of places over the last few days! The ten-minute-long opus (which features stop-motion-animated characters, a mindblowing CG ending, and someone who looks just like Tricky at some points ...) premiered at their concerts in Japan and on various music television shows in the South Pacific. No official word on when/if it will air on MTV; last we heard it was supposed to be tomorrow. It has been finding its way around the internet rapidly, though because of its length, you should expect lengthy download times. Check the Video section for more info, though given the size of the files, it is likely that many sites currently hosting the MPEG will not be doing so for long. But you will find it sooner or later. A low-bandwidth version should be posted here soon. Meanwhile, the "Parabola" page in the Video section has been born.§

The new Tool tour is underway at last! After a few days of not being up to date, the Tour page now offers you the opportunity to post reviews of shows you have seen on this tour. So if you saw any of the Japan shows, go post a review! Also, the Ticket Hookup (a feature which debuted on this site last fall) is available again as of this afternoon. You may recall this page; essentially a list of extra tickets for sale at face value by other Tool fans. Rejoice, now you just might get into the show / might not be stuck with that ticket. §

And last but certainly not least, the wrap-up of this year's April Fools' Day prank will be posted here by the end of the day. (Until then, hope you got your taxes done.) §

[04/01/02] - April Fools 2002

Another April Fools' Day come and gone, and nearly 300 responses to go along with it. The full low-down will be posted here by week's end for your perusal / amusement. And in case you missed it, Tool did not release any new live EP tonight called "Gammon" .... or did they? If you went to your record store at midnight to find out, please send in an email with your story. Thanks! §

[03/31/02] - Tapeworm? | Tidbits

A photo was submitted to the site, and posted to nin.com a few days ago, of Maynard in the studio with Danny Lohner and Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails. The photo, apparently taken in New Orleans, certainly suggests that work is progressing on the long awaited Tapeworm project. You may recall that last year, a Tapeworm song called "Vacant" debuted live at an APC show, though Trent was later quoted unhappy about the song being covered before work on it was done. At any rate, it looks like it will finally debut for real soon. §

Here's some random tidbits as collated by our good friend K. (spiral.out@deadohiosky.net). The "Parabola" video is scheduled to premiere on April 15th, and word is still buzzing that it will include "Parabol" at the head of it. And even more exciting, they say (who they are, I have no idea) that US touring will begin in July. §

[03/26/02] - "Parabola" video | More tourdates | Shady info

MTV is reporting that the nearly-completed new Tool video will be for "Parabola." No indications yet on whether "Parabol" will be included. Sorry this didn't get posted here earlier. §

Metal Hammer magazine recently reported a more complete list of Ozzfest tour dates for Europe; those featuring Tool have been added to the Tour section. §

For a few days now, there has been a lot of speculation about whether that is Maynard featured in the Oakley ad appearing in the latest issue of Rolling Stone. Al (onetoolfan@hotmail.com) wrote in to Oakley asking about it; they told him "at this time we don't have an ad with Maynard James Keenan. The ad is for the Medusa and the model is no one famous." §

[03/13/02] - DVD Single?

An anonymous source advises that a DVD single featuring the "Schism" video may be out around the time of Ozzfest this summer. All info on what else may be on this DVD is entirely speculative. §

[03/11/02] - Read between the lines

There goes your evening - 22 new articles have been added to the Articles section. §

[03/02/02] - I'd like to thank ... | Seventh video | Playing down under

Various news sites have slightly different reports on who thanked who when Tool won that Grammy last week. Ashley Francis (lysieri@hotmail.com) collated a bunch of the info and sent it in so you could read it, all straightened out. MTV mistook Danny for Maynard, and the official Grammy site mistook Justin for Maynard; it was in fact Justin who thanked "Alex Grey for doing the artwork and my dad for doing my mom," and Danny who thanked his parents for putting up with "the cacophony I created for fifteen years." §

Work on the next Tool video is nearing completion, though nobody seems to know for sure if it is a "Lateralus" video or a "Parabola" video. One individual who happened to be in the postproduction facility where the video is being finished reports seeing footage similar to the album liner notes, though how it all is going to come together remains to be seen. §

The Melvins' official site is reporting a series of tour dates in Australia / New Zealand this spring with Tool - these have been added to the Tour section's itinerary. §

[02/28/02] - Finding a Grammy in the dissonance

Tool won their second Grammy Award last night! "Schism" beat out songs by System of a Down, Slipknot, Slayer, and Black Sabbath, to earn the award for Best Metal Performance. The song "Ænema" won in the same category five years ago. §

[02/25/02] - Ozz-some news | DVD single

More European tourdates are lighting up in the Tour section. Tool is apparently confirmed for 10-15 Ozzfest dates in Europe. §

An anonymous source identifying themselves as a "record label employee", claims that a DVD-single of the "Schism" video is still going to be released, though with no other significant features. We'll see. §

[02/12/02] - APC, MJK, MIC | Germaniacs | From the horse's mouth

Word is that Maynard spent today in studio for A Perfect Circle, and will be working on some APC stuff for several days. §

It sure seems confirmed that Tool is playing the Rock-am-Ring and Rock-im-Park festivals in Germany again this year. Here's hoping for all you German fans that this does stay true. §

Asked recently if plans were in the works for a Tool - Civilian tour this year, a member of the band said simply "no." §

[02/02/02] - Civilian? | Tour rumblings | Jonesin' | More useless lists | Coming soon

Various websites and radio stations have been passing around the rumor that Tool will be touring this spring with the band Civilian (the remnants of Rage Against the Machine with Chris Cornell singing). Kerrang.com quotes an official band spokesperson as saying "RATM management have said no to the tour, due to the fact that they haven't finished their album yet". Rick Rubin (producer of their album - and a whole bunch of other great albums you likely own) has said that the Civilian record should be released sometime this summer. Thanks to K (spiral.out@deadohiosky.net) and many others. §

Word is bouncing around that Tool is playing Rock am Ring in Germany again this year; but we all know how those Eurofestivals like to jump the gun on announcing lineups. But if they are right, Tool will be joining Ozzy, Bush, and various bands whose names end in "O.D." Thanks to jack@toolnews.cjb.net. §

According to themelvins.net, Adam plays on the next Melvins record ("Hostile Ambient Takeover"), due out April 16th. Thanks to Zach Bergstrom (antitoxidote@hotmail.com). §

"Lateralus" was voted #1 in Kerrang! Best Albums of 2001, and Rolling Stone lists Tool 3rd for Best Hard Rock Band of 2001 in their "Critic's Pick" section. Thanks to Gabe (gabeuop@hotmail.com), who adds "we all know they're #1, though." Also, Guitar World's recent readers' poll named Adam MVP of all musicians in bands, and "Lateralus" came in 2nd behind Staind for Best Metal Album. "Schism" came in at #14 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2001, and "Parabola" was listed at #49. Triple J is the Australian radio network that seems (to someone who doesn't live there) most likely to play Tool. Check out the whole list at their site. §

Our good friend Shane adds that "Run Ronnie Run!" is supposed to be in theaters (he actually wrote "theatres" but he's Canadian) on April 12, 2002 (according to ronniedobbs.com, imdb.com, and the Where's Ronnie fansite). Also, Maynard and Adam will be on Mr. Show - Seasons 1 & 2 (DVD set 1 of 3). Lastly, sorry to keep posting news updates in semifrequent large chunks like this; the show I just finished for CBS managed to keep me fairly busy all month. Today's date is pretty cool though. §

[01/23/02] - The fat kid sings | Not quite forgotten | Concerts? | Even darker

It's a slow month in the land of Tool news. Not too much is going on, hence the slower site updates. Here's a quick roundup of some tidbits. "Run Ronnie Run", the movie from the guys behind Mr Show on HBO, is set to hit theaters on April 24. It features Maynard's vocals in the group Titannica performing "Ass Kickin' Fat Kid" (which you can find all over the net already). A good friend of mine who had a very important job on the movie says that yes, it is definitely in the movie. Mr Show also plans to release a few DVDs next month, so those of you who never saw Maynard in his cameo roles on the program can finally check them out. Thanks to John Rantz (rantzjj@aol.com) and bobanddavid.com. §

Ashley (Ashley_r82@hotmail.com) was the first of a sudden wave of people who wrote in asking what happened to the impending birth of toolarmy.com. As with so many other projects (this site's tabs, the next video, the Eagles winning a championship), we can only assume that it is being worked on, and hope that a finished result will surface soon. §

There are murmurs and rumors about Tool hitting the road again for a tour in the coming months, but so far, there is nothing in stone. §

Scott Francis (scott@collapseintoreason.com) wrote in with the following info: "On February 26, Cleopatra Records is set to release a Tool tribute disc, featuring tracks by such well known gothic/industrial bands as Haujobb, Electric Hellfire Club, and Razed In Black. My own band, Collapse Into Reason, has contributed a track as well." More info is available at cleopatrarecords.com. §

[01/07/02] - I know the pieces got nominated | Tour $uccess

To cap off awards season, Tool has been nominated for a Grammy Award. "Schism" is up for Best Metal Performance, as are songs by Slipknot, Slayer, Black Sabbath, and System of a Down. Somehow, the album "Lateralus" did not get a nomination for Best Recording Package, but I suppose that's just the way the cookie crumbles. For a complete list of nominees, check out grammy.com. §

Tool came in at #20 on Pollstar's list of top grossing tours for 2001, grossing roughly $20.4 million. Thanks to David Nathanson (prana_1@hotmail.com) for digging this up and sending this in. §

kabir/akhtar | kabir@toolshed.down.net