Prog metal band Tool cancels all 2020 tour dates, including Wilkes-Barre stop at Mohegan Sun Arena
From a press release:
Today, progressive metal band Tool announced that they are canceling all of their 2020 tour dates, including their planned stop at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre Township with special guests Blonde Redhead.
Originally scheduled for May 1, the local Tool concert was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and now the band feels it is “the right course of action” to cancel all their upcoming shows so fans can receive refunds immediately.
The band posted the following message on their social media accounts:
As so many music lovers have come to realize over the last several weeks, there is no playbook that artists, promoters, and venues can pull from in these unprecedented times.
When we played what would be our final show of 2020, March 11 at Portland’s Moda Center, we believed we would be back on the road sometime this fall. As we worked towards that goal, we’ve come to realize that there is absolutely no certainty in rescheduling dates for this fall or 2021. State and local ordinances vary widely, and no one can predict when high-capacity events will safely return.
At the same time that we were working to reschedule this tour, we read your messages. Messages of job losses, illness, emotional and financial pain. We could continue to postpone or reschedule dates for some time into 2021 but, ethically, we do not think this is the right course of action. In our opinion, tying up our fans’ money for months, if not a full year, is unfair. With that in mind, we have made the very difficult decision to cancel the tour so we can help support the people who have supported us for years.
Please know, we want nothing more than to return to the road, to play these songs for you, and to celebrate our shared recovery. When the time is right, we will do just that.
In the coming days, you will receive an email from the ticketing service you purchased tickets through notifying you of the event cancellation and when to expect your refund.
This follows the news last month that Bob Dylan and Aaron Lewis have canceled their Mohegan Sun Arena shows; the Jurassic World Live Tour and concerts by Lauren Daigle and Tim McGraw are also canceled. Gabriel Iglesias postponed his comedy show at the arena until Oct. 30, “WWE Raw” will now be “WWE SmackDown” on Oct. 30, and Alice Cooper will be performing in Wilkes-Barre on Jan. 24, 2021 instead of June 17.
With 2,773 cases and 156 deaths according to the Pennsylvania National Electronic Disease Surveillance System, Luzerne County was among the Top 10 counties in the state with its number of confirmed COVID-19 cases before it moved into the yellow phase of reopening on May 29.
Tool previously performed at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza when it was named the First Union Arena on Sept. 24, 2001 with Fantômas featuring vocalist Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle), drummer Dave Lombardo (Slayer), guitarist Buzz Osborne (Melvins), and bassist Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Tomahawk). They returned to Wilkes-Barre on Oct. 2, 2006 when it was called the Wachovia Arena.
Before it was interrupted by COVID-19, the Fear Inoculum Tour, which has seen Tool performing in some cities for the first time in over a decade, received widespread accolades, with the Los Angeles Times calling it “impeccable,” the Chicago Tribune describing the performances as a “twisting multimedia roller coaster of a concert,” and the Arizona Republic describing the shows as “a visually breathtaking night of dystopian art-rock spectacle.”
“Fear Inoculum” arrived on Aug. 30, 2019 following years of anticipation. The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200, shattering sales and radio records while also earning widespread critical praise. NPR said, “‘Fear Inoculum’ was worth the 13-year wait,” The Atlantic declared the release “precise and devastating,” Revolver dubbed the 10-track album “a masterpiece that will be dissected for years to come,” and Consequence of Sound said “Fear Inoculum” finds “Tool in peak performance.”
Tool formed in 1990, releasing four multi-platinum studio albums: “Undertow” (1993), “Ænima” (1996), “Lateralus” (2001), and “10,000 Days” (2006); two EPs: “72826” (1991) and “Opiate” (1992); and the limited edition box set “Salival” (2000). The band has won four Grammy Awards: Best Metal Performance (1998, “Ænema”), Best Metal Performance (2002, “Schism”), Best Recording Package (2007, “10,000 Days”), and Best Metal Performance (2020, “7empest”). The band is Danny Carey (drums), Justin Chancellor (bass), Adam Jones (guitar), and Maynard James Keenan (vocals).
