Tool performs at Chase Center in San Francisco on Jan. 16, 2022. Nathan McKinley/STAFF.

SAN FRANCISCO — The slow-burn evolution of the opening song by Tool Sunday night at Chase Center was in some ways a microcosm of the band’s full set. “Fear Inoculum” opens with a single repeating percussion note, before slowly the pieces come together to create a magnificent aural spectacle. That sensibility defines the band, now able to resume the tour in support of 2019’s Fear Inoculum after the prior run was canceled midway through due to the pandemic.

Tool performs at Chase Center in San Francisco on Jan. 16, 2022.

The early portion of the set, an “Act I” of sorts, was defined by a shroud of darkness. A transparent curtain dropped across the stage, projecting some additional art and backdrops to complement some of the visuals from the main video screen.The colors remained more muted and drab, while the music remained as biting as ever on tracks like “Sober.” True to form, enigmatic vocalist Maynard James Keenan remained to the rear of the stage, criss-crossing between two risers flanking drummer Danny Carey. Keenan only addressed the crowd at the beginning and the end of the performance, though he seemed to be in high spirits.

“So as not to offend anyone, we’ll go with the Bay Area,” Keenan said in welcoming fans. “That sounded more like Bakersfield, let’s try that again.”

Tool ripped through heavier tracks like “The Pot” and “Pushit,” with note-for-note percussion accuracy and guitarist Adam Jones and bassist Justin Chancellor providing an impressive rhythm section for the entire night. The initial production was a surprise, if only because of the band’s proclivity to present such complex and magnificent lighting. Any questions were quickly cast aside on the subsequent “Pnuema.” Away went the curtain and out came lighting rigs around the arena with laser beams shooting all over the place.

Tool performs at Chase Center in San Francisco on Jan. 16, 2022.

For those familiar with Keenan’s style of performance, Sunday’s show maybe wasn’t a surprise. The singer kept a low profile throughout the performance, remaining in the shadows the majority of the time and stepping into the spotlights infrequently. Keenan’s performance was forceful and powerful, steamrolling through tracks like “The Grudge” and “Right in Two.” Keenan clutched his mic stand and writhed from side to side.

The set was primarily rooted in material from Fear Inoculum, while Tool also made sure to mix a few songs from the back catalog. The barrage continued with “Right In Time,” Descending” and “Hooker with a Penis.” The band threw in another surprise, dropping a 12-minute intermission before playing a three-song encore. The appeal of Tool’s brand of progressive hard rock has remained through the decades, and the Chase Center crowd was diverse.

Danny Carey returned to the stage first to deliver a tremendous drum solo and performance of the unusual “Chocolate Chip Trip.” Carey was almost a show within a show, delivering thoughtful and precise warlike rhythms. The band then walked to the front of the stage, including, Keeenan, to perform the beginning of “Culling Voices” before returning to their respective perches to finish the  track.

Tool performs at Chase Center in San Francisco on Jan. 16, 2022.

Keenan once more addressed fans, this time giving them permission to use cameras (taking photos was strictly prohibited during the rest of the show) to record the final song of the night, “Invincible.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, you were all spectacular, fantastic and fabulous,” Keenan said. “You can now pull out your stupid phone things and film this song if you really need to. … It’s going to turn out fantastic.”

Blonde Redhead performs at Chase Center in San Francisco on Jan. 16, 2022.

Alt-rockers Blonde Redhead opened the show. The Brooklyn trio was handpicked by Keenan for this leg of the tour, and if the band didn’t seem like a natural pairing with Tool, that was by design. In an Instagram post prior to the tour, Keenan said he wanted something entirely different.

The band performed a tight and impressive 45-minute set and won over much of the crowd with a sonic blend that included influences from Sonic Youth to Silversun Pickups. Led by vocalist Kazu Makino, the group’s peppy energy and excellent melodies surprisingly fit the night.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald. Follow photographer Nathan McKinley at Instagram.com/memories.by.mckinley.