Tool threw fans a major curveball last night (Jan. 12) during the first of two shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden, unearthing “Flood” from the classic 1993 debut album Undertow for the first time in nearly 13 years. The Maynard James Keenan-led group also played the song “Schism” as a show-closer for the first time ever.
“Flood” had not been played live since a Feb. 6, 2011 appearance at Australia’s Big Day Out festival. Despite its long absence from the set list, it made it back far sooner than some of the other songs on Undertow, including “”Disgustipated,” which hasn’t been played since 1994, and “Crawl Away,” which hasn’t been heard from since 1997.
Early in the show, the ever-strange and unique Keenan chided the Garden crowd for a less-than-rousing cheer, unfavorably comparing its volume to that of Buffalo. As he does nightly, Keenan implored the audience to put away their cell phones, “stay present” and “go on a little journey together,” which proceeded to encompass 11 sprawling songs set to Tool’s signature laser-flecked body horror visuals.
Tool returns to MSG tonight and has U.S. dates on the books through Feb. 18 in Las Vegas. A month-long European tour gets underway May 25 in Hannover, Germany.
