Blair has posted the May Tool Newsletter up on Toolband (not announced in the news – visit the newsletter page directly). It talks about Mormonism and the upcoming Salt Lake City show, but probably won’t do anything but frustrate those of you with little patience for Blair’s writings.
Blair Someone has posted another cryptic article on Toolband/Army today, this time alluding to preparation for the upcoming tour:
I and a few others have to go to California next week to start getting some things ready for this summer run. I’ve had some work here that I could have dragged through the coming week but decided to gracefully duck out of it and grant myself some freetime before departure. Had a storm come in today from over the tops of the Adirondack mountains that drove a pine tree into my driveway. That should take one day to deal with. My uncles boat got blown off its mooring and ended up near the beach.That should take another day to deal with. My dad is 78 years old and blind in one eye and has to go in for his drivers exam-road test! Probably half the afternoon on Thursday. The whole afternoon if he starts making threats at the DMV… The Captain is in Moscow, leaving Miz Kalashnikov and myself to plan out the next couple of weeks. Junior is pissed at me, I think. Should probably deal with that tomorrow… I asked for it anyway. Lesson: Always give yourself a little bit more time than you think you might need.
Looks like it’s ripe for decoding, for those that are inclined. I did I quick search and noticed that the Adirondack Mountains are in New York State, so perhaps those from that area shouldn’t give up hope.
Of course this could all mean nothing – time will tell…
Blair has finally posted some more tourdates on Toolband/Army, including a couple from the rumoured list that can now be confirmed:
More dates are to come.
Thanks to 20 or so of you emailing me to let me know about these dates. While I appreciate news tips and emails from all my readers, you guys probably don’t need to email me stuff published on the main news page of Toolband. The main reason it’s there and not here is usually because I’m still asleep!
Update: SoulRebel reports that another act is booked into the Atlanta venue on the 27th of July, so expect some kind of correction here (hopefully not a double booking!)
Blair posted the April Newsletter today, which was pretty short and confirms four tour dates – the three festivals and Salt Lake City. He mentions that he will be posting other info on Toolarmy for a change. So far only one post I can find, which suggests he knows the dates for the summer tour, and that there are no LA dates at this stage. LA fans need not freak out as he mentioned a possible “SoCal venue (a bit off the beaten track)”.
Given that he appears to know the dates now, I’d expect a tour date release to be imminent.
Also to be found on Toolarmy recently are plenty of posts from Jr, one of the Tool Stage Crew. Nothing revealing as far as dates or releases go, but quite interesting for those curious about how the Tool tour machine works.
Blair made a cryptic post on Toolarmy today:
Anyone besides Buzz, Junior and I see that blistering line drive of a foul ball the other night at Dodger Stadium that damn near postponed a certain tour? Easier just to buy one of the damn things. Speaking of baseball (which I love), in planning my… vacation, while in Chi-Town the second week in August (when the weather’s nice), I was hoping to see the Cubs at Wrigley Field (having never been there). A little research would have been nice. Turns out that during that time the Cubs will be on the road – in Colorado, facing our friend Glendon Rusch and the Rockies. So, no Wrigley Field. Oh well, anyone know where I can get a good dog in Chicago. One with a little attitude? I’ve got an extra twenty that I’m saving for the occasion.
Some people read this to be a metaphor in regards to some upcoming Tool dates, including the much rumoured Lollapalooza. The official lineup is announced tomorrow apparently so we’ll know soon enough.
Believe it or not, everything I’ve posted today has been 100% true. No jokes! Blair however has posted a cryptic picture to Toolband, which may or may not be a joke. I will let you guys be the judge:
JESUS LOVES YOU. THEN AGAIN (like the tee-shirt says), HE LOVES EVERYBODY.
Perhaps the new album is called Here My Prayer and the first single will be the 1 hour and 50 minute epic Spam…
Blair has released the March Tool Newsletter on Toolband/Army this morning, which may or may not contain April Fools Jokes within. It mainly talks about Justin and a TeePee that he erected at his house, will allusions to him writing songs for the next album.
For those who only care about specific news though, the last paragraph delivers:
Anyway, that’s what Justin may or may not be up to these days. As far as other band-related news, the last meeting with 3D artist Meats Meier went great (as he acknowledged in a recent blog). Adam and Kevin Willis are up to some mischief. Maynard is back from the wine signings in Texas, and is getting ready for the Puscifer shows at Club Nokia. Danny has added yet another monster modular synth to his collection, and is currently recording… something at the loft. Besides that, we should have some Tool tour dates posted soon. Now, show me the way to the next supernatural power zone…
Enjoy!
Blair has confirmed on Toolband/Army that Tool will be touring this summer. Presumably the US only, Tool break from recent trends and decide to tour prior to the release of the new album.
I’m sure many of you have heard of an upcoming summer tour. Although I can’t announce any specific dates yet (as the bulk of the dates haven’t been confirmed), once they are finalized and official, we’ll be sure to announce them on the site. So… be on the lookout for these dates to be posted soon, and get ready for live Tool this summer. (Now I understand what that elemental was referring to in the February newsletter)
Personally, this has caught me by surprise. I wouldn’t be expecting an extensive tour, probably just a dozen or so dates in the major capitals. I guess this also means Lollapalooza is more or less confirmed.
This is nothing more than speculation based on Blair‘s cryptic emails, but is worth posting anyway:
Sounds kinda crazy I know, but collectivejudas29 put together a good analysis of Blair’s spirit session from the February newsletter that led him to conclude Tool may be playing a show in July. It seems right to me, and more specifically it seems like they might be playing a festival. If it’s in July, that means it’s not Bonnaroo and not Lollapalooza. But there is another festival I’ve been hearing more and more about, and maybe it’s where Tool is heading — the All Good Festival.
Two parts of Blair’s message led me to this conclusion. The first is his footnote that seems to have no purpose. “* Y and J in place of I were also tried, as was V and W in place of U.” It has no place at all in figuring out what SILITNIUQ means. (SILITNIUQ is just QUINTILIS backwards, referring to July.) So what does that footnote mean? I think the letters are also backwards in the footnote, so not V and W (VW), but W and V (WV = West Virginia). Also he says at the end “if someone is able to fathom a meaning from the experiment, … please shout it out from the top of a mountain”. The All Good Festival is being held on Marvin’s Mountaintop in West Virginia.
I probably wouldn’t book your flights/tickets just yet though. Thanks to ogt from Toolarmy.
Blair has released the February 2009 Newsletter somewhat secretly this time, as there wasn’t a post in the new about it. It gives us an update of all the members, which I shall summarise below:
Thanks to budsyralli from Toolarmy for spotting it.