Tool surprised fans at their Detroit concert on Thursday (March 3rd) with the first live performance of “Undertow” in 20 years.
The band hadn’t played the title track to its 1993 debut album since April 29th, 2002, according to Setlist.fm. As we can tell you from witnessing it firsthand at a 2019 concert, pulling your phone out to film a Tool show is risky business due to the band’s strict no-phone policy. But a bold fan was able to covertly capture the full performance of “Undertow.”
It’s refreshing to hear current Tool playing classic Tool. Two decades hasn’t left them rusty in the slightest. They crush what sounds like an invigorating rendition based on the somewhat lo-fi phone audio.
Tool appear to be in a nostalgic mood, revisiting some of their earliest material as it approaches its 30th anniversary. The band recently unveiled “Opiate²,” a re-imagined and re-recorded version of the title track to their 1992 Opiate EP. With Undertow also set to turn 30 next year, maybe Tool have some plans to offer an updated version, as well.
The digital single for “Opiate²” dropped last week, with a physical Blu-ray edition set for March 18th. The disc features a 10-plus minute short film — billed as Tool’s first music video in 15 years — created by visual artist Dominic Hailstone and guitarist Adam Jones (the two previously collaborated on visual elements for Tool’s concerts). Pre-order the Blu-ray via Amazon.
Tool are currently on the US leg of their extensive 2022 tour (see our review of the kickoff show in Oregon and our photo gallery of a recent New Jersey gig). The next date is tomorrow (March 8th) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. You can get tickets to all upcoming shows via Ticketmaster.
Watch the performance of “Undertow” below.
