Tool Was Set To Perform 20 Years Ago In Grand Rapids On 9/11

Tool were set to perform a sold out show at Van Andel Arena September 11, 2001, then the morning of the show, terrorists attacked America.

Tool is a band that has never over-toured, making themselves highly sought after for their fans to see them live. The September 11, 2001 show was one of those sold out shows that fans could not wait to see, but because of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the plane high jacking over Pennsylvania and the destruction at the Pentagon, the show was postponed.

As you know, these attacks had everything in America at a jaw-dropping standstill. America being attacked was shocking for all and as we were all trying to figure what had happened, there was the unknown of how to handle this? Will there be more attacks? What should stay closed out of safety or respect?

Tool demanded to play the show, and even though they were the headlining band, powers greater than the band decided to postpone the show. The city of Grand Rapids and officials at Van Andel Arena decided it was best out of safety concerns to shut the show down on 9/11.

The Tool show was rescheduled for Van Andel Arena two days later, September 13, 2001. Tool fans were pleased the show was rescheduled so fast which also gave them a way to escape from what had just happened to our country.

Tool singer Maynard James Keenan is not one to talk a lot during the band's performances. Where other singers are rambling after each and every song, Keenan believes in letting the music do all the talking and says very few words at shows. He even performs in the back to the side of the drummer and is usually hard to see. Where most singers are out front and in your face.

On the rescheduled date, a few songs into Tool's set, Keenan used the microphone to address 9/11 and spoke to the crowd for nearly six minutes about how they were feeling the events that had taken place on 9/11. The crowd began chanting "USA, USA, USA," midway into his speech. Below is a video of that moment followed by their song Lateralus:

If you listen to Keenan's speech you will note that when the crowd began chanting "USA", Maynard fired back at the audience and said this, "you all are going to be really bummed out when you find out the U.S. did this to itself."

That statement from Keenan about the U.S. possibly doing this to themselves really stuck with me. Also the part about having us Americans think for ourselves.

Here is just the audio of Keenan speaking to the crowd at Van Andel Arena two days after the 9/11 attacks:

For those of you who attended the rescheduled Tool show after 9/11, I am sure you remember it well. If you would like to revisit that show or perhaps you were not there, below is the full show: