You know the saga well by now. As far back as 2014, Tool were supposedly in the studio prepping their fifth album, the long-awaited followup to 2006’s 10,000 Days. Back in December, drummer Danny Carey gave us an update that the album, after various setbacks and delays, would arrive in 2018. And maybe you’d been burnt before, so you took that with a grain of salt. But then, in February, Maynard James Keenan gave another semi-concrete update that he received mostly final versions of the songs from the guys, and the words and melodies were coming together. But they hadn’t started tracking yet. Well, if the latter detail made you fear that the door was open for another couple of years of further delays, fear not, because today there is Tool news! And that news is? Tool are up to something that is not giving you their new album.

That “something” is a traveling series of “music clinics” delivered by Carey alongside bassist Justin Chancellor and guitarist Adam Jones. What are these exactly? At each event, the three band members are going to offer a look inside the “inner workings” of Tool, from the early stages of songwriting through to playing a song live. It’s part discussion, part performance, part Q&A with attendees, and then a promised “meet & mingle” hang after the end of the session. They’re also going to have “unique memorabilia” to show off and you get some special merch with your ticket.

Despite the masochism that must come with being a superfan of such an elusive band, this does come across like a pretty idiosyncratic and interesting event for longtime listeners. Especially for a band as elusive as Tool, to be honest — it’s not like it’s a frequent occurrence that artists would (theoretically) pull back the curtain like this. So, if you’re so inclined, tickets go onsale this Friday, with a limited number set aside for Tool Army members going onsale this Wednesday via the band’s webstore. Who knows, maybe you’ll even get a preview of the new music that is definitely, totally in progress and on its way soon.

TOOL MUSIC CLINIC DATES:

05/11 – St. Paul, MN @ Myth Live Event Center
05/14 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre
05/15 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
05/16 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
05/17 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live! Indoor Pavilion
05/19 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre