Long standing rock band remains on top
For my brothers, dad and I Jan. 30 will go down as one of the most memorable concerts we have ever gone to. The American Bank Center located in Corpus Christi, has never been so packed for one night. Crowded, there was not an empty seat in sight. Everyone was excited for the bands ELDER and TOOL to perform.
The opening act, ELDER, a four-piece prog rock band, has an interesting style of playing that’s not for everyone. However, you cannot deny the talent each member brings to the table that fans seem to enjoy. Not to say their full set was bad, granted I had never listened to their music before the concert, it was pleasant to be met with songs filled with very intricate guitar and bass lines and complex, beautiful sounding drum fills. While a lot of their songs could be long for most, I did not mind and listened to songs over ten minutes. You were not bored if you did not like the music. ELDER had a simple but colorful light show to go along with their performance that was filled with purples, greens, light shades of reds and blues that were good on the eyes and not too bright. While ELDER was a first for me, I do not feel the need to see them again live in concert.
Now for the headliners, TOOL, a band my family and I grew up listening to and one that I’ve loved. This prog psychedelic rock band had everyone on the edge of their seats waiting for them to play just the first note of whatever song they wanted. But before that, the front man and lead vocalist, Maynard James Kennan, was very firm that nobody was allowed to have their phone out during the performance, that this was something we should enjoy in the moment without our phones. Surprisingly, from what I saw over the sea of people nobody took out their phones to record. TOOL played an amazing show performing classics like “Intolerance” and “The Grudge” while also playing songs from their latest album which included “Chocolate Chip Trip” a straight five-minute drum solo and nothing else. Like ELDER, TOOL had a light show and visuals that were stunning, from neon greens to red lasers. TOOL put on a performance that I could never forget, and I honestly never want to.