TOOL NEWSLETTER

SEPTEMBER 2019 E.V.

“Tool has always just been exceptional at being Tool. In the years before all rock bands also had to double as branding experts just to survive, they understood how to use their art, their videos, their live show, and their public image — or lack thereof — to build Tool into a comprehensive, immersive universe that exists totally outside of whatever else is going on in music or culture.”

Andrew Unterberger

Capping the news this month is TOOL’s topping the BILLBOARD charts with songs from “FEAR INOCULUM.” The subject is explored in an article entitled, “FIVE BURNING QUESTIONS: BILLBOARD STAFFERS DISCUSS TOOL’S HUGE DEBUT WITH ‘FEAR INOCULUM’ COMEBACK ALBUM.

https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8529581/tool-fear-inoculum-five-burning-questions

NOW… SOME REAL NEWS:

(keeping in mind that “or lack thereof” part)

It’s not often that I leave Vegas these days, but on August 30th I drove across the desert to be at Danny’s party for the release of Fear Inoculum. Arriving early to supervise the swatting down of “semi-permanent” satellite-size webs that orb weavers would have been hanging in, I also helped the host with preparations for the festivities, such as making sure there would be some wheat tortillas (ew!) for that purchased at a local carniceria.

With the makeshift bar on the Egyptian-themed patio stocked with a healthy assortment of booze (where was a bottle of Remy Louis XIII Black Pearl cognac?), nanoseconds after the keg was ceremoniously tapped, friends began showing up, winded from the climb. Besides the usual suspects of Messrs. Brisley, Estrada, Pitman & Sherasi, it was great to see my old neighbor Evil Joe Barresi arriving with his trademark bottle of home-made limoncello (though I am reminded of what the late Carl Sagan said about when it comes to making things from scratch you must first invent the universe). It was also nice to talk with synth masters, cEvin Key, Scott Kinsey and Peter Grenader, as well as Danny’s ‘Baked Potato’ band mates (Jamie, Pete, Doug, etc). I also caught up Shep from the Pigmies (Shep was my 2nd grade school mate in Evreux, France before then president Charles de Gaulle closed the PXs, and he told me about having recently met someone else from that town). Best of all it was great to see John (Volto!) Ziegler. JZ not only looked well, but, more importantly, appeared to be good spirits. That alone made the trip worthwhile.

As Fear Inoculum looped from a MacBook (you tell me if it was placed too close to the sparks?), the ceramic Akorn kamado (bow, mother***er) was being duly prepped. Grilling the carne asada with hardwood lump charcoal was a bit of a challenge (best used for smoking meat, or so an armadillo once informed me), but with persistence and enough suds (just to wash down my heart medication), those healthy wheat blankets were ready to be filled with the power of beef along with any lard-permeated fixins.

Before I slipped away to get some sleep for the drive back to Sin City (before the Macallan ran dry and Gates sauce was slathered onto the other non plant-based comestibles) I heard one of Danny’s closest friends mention something that was truly music to my ears. Let’s hope it happens. Stay tuned… There, you see – it’s almost like you were there in person, and without suffering any hangover or having to truge up that long driveway. You’re welcome!

(NOTE: No orb-weavers were harmed during party -they were actually a no-show, probably due to the effects on the eco-system from global climate change – so that was good!)