TOOL is wrapping up its North American Fall Tour 2023 in Toronto with two nights of mind-bending visuals and legendary sound at Scotiabank Arena. Toronto is the last stop on the tour and the only city to feature two nights (we are not worthy).

Steel Beans, a.k.a. Jeremy DeBardi, is a one-person band ripping guitars, drums and vocals simultaneously. Hailing from Everett, WA, Steel Beans is the sole opener for TOOL's current tour and played an explosive set. DeBardi walked on stage with a ribbon blower made from a Milwaukee leaf blower in one hand (that looked like fake fire) and what looked to be a smoke bomb in the other hand as he navigated through a series of mannequin heads to his drum kit and guitar. He dominated his set with bluesy solos, bombastic drumming, and an infectious persona that captivated the audience. DeBardi was stylish and had enough talent to headline the damn show (you know if TOOL wasn't the headliner). From exploding onto the scene from viral videos on social to playing arenas, Steel Beans is someone you need to know if you don't already. The set blew me away, and it was the perfect warm-up for TOOL's eccentric live show (specifically frontman Maynard James Keenan).

When Steel Beans closed out his set, the arena was full of fans wearing black hoodies, tees, and everything adorned with TOOL logos. They came ready for the 11-song barrage of visceral visuals and a sonic experience that is truly unique to a TOOL show. The show started with "Fear Innoculum," with stellar graphics and a silhouetted Maynard dancing around in the shadows on a platform off to the side of drummer Danny Carey. Carey's drum kit was positioned at center stage, with Adam Jones (guitar) on stage right and Justin Gunnar Walter Chancellor (bass) on stage left with plenty of space in between. Maynard quickly addressed the fans, mentioning that he loves playing in Toronto and provoking the audience to scream by threatening to call us Montréal. Any seasoned touring musician knows how much Toronto hates that and vice versa in Montréal, so they used it to get everyone nice and riled up.

The first half of the show was mesmerizing as they dipped into their back catalogue (though not too far back) with tracks such as "The Pot," "Rosetta Stoned," and "Jambi" from 2006's epic 10,000 Days (one of the most notable moments was when Alex Lifeson of Rush came out to perform “Jambi” with the band). 2001's Lateralus also got some love with "The Grudge," paired with acid-trip-inducing visuals and lasers. After the intermission, the band returned with tracks from their latest 2019 release, Fear Inoculum, featuring tracks "Chocolate Chip Trip," "Culling Voice," and "Invincible." They then treated everyone with an outstanding performance of "Stinkfist" from 1996's Aenima.

Once again, TOOL dominated Toronto and set the standard for what a top-tier performance should look and sound like.

Check out our photo galleries from the night below: