As Tool returns to Fresno, fans recall 1996 concert — the last at the Wilson — as iconic

There is an old joke that comes to mind when E. Curtis Johnson starts reminiscing about the metal band Tool.

“The masochist says to the sadist, ‘hurt me.’ And the sadist says, ‘no.’ And that defines the brilliance of Tool’s marketing,” says Johnson, program director at radio station 105.1 The Blaze.

So, yeah, it’s hard to tell if Johnson is a fan of the band, which plays Wednesday, Jan. 15 at the Save Mart Center.

He was one of the first to play Tool on the airwaves in Fresno, back when he was programming director for rock station KRZR in the mid-1990s. Tool was a quasi-independent band at the time, with a cult following and a hard-edged sound that would later be known as alternative rock.

“We played them because I just heard them as really unique,” Johnson says.

“They were one of the few bands that the audience just reacted to really quickly. Within the few first plays, they were getting tremendous response.”

But when Tool came through town in 1996, the band wanted nothing to do with the radio station, he says. There were no on-air interviews or meet-and-greets. In fact, the station wasn’t allowed to set up anywhere near the venue.

In a bit of gentle ribbing, the station printed up and handed out free T-shirts with the KRZR logo on the front and a mock version of the Tool logo on the back. They called it the “screw the trademark” tour, Johnson says.

“The audience loved them. That’s really what mattered.”

Oct. 19, 1996: The Wilson Theater’s final night

That show became iconic, not only because of Tool’s performance, but because it was the last concert at the Wilson Theater in downtown Fresno. During the 1990s, Goldenvoice was booking the venue with everything from White Zombie, Faith No More and The Ramones, to Garth Brooks and 2 Live Crew.

Eventually, the theater was sold to Cornerstone Church.

“Everybody had been going to go see shows at the Wilson forever,” Johnson says.

“And here was this super cool band closing it down.”

According to an audio recording of the show posted on Youtube, Tool played 13 songs that night, in a set that last an hour and half.

Early on, frontman Maynard James Keenan made reference to the finality of the concert.

“Apparently, this is the last rock show here,” he said.

“We’re being evicted because Jesus is moving in.”

Nick De Jong was in the crowd that night. He was in junior high at the time and remembers his dad dropped him off at the show. The performance, especially from Keenan, made an impact.

“Maynard seemed 10 feet tall. His intensity was unmatched,” De Jong says.

“Invincible”

That was De Jong’s first time seeing Tool and he’s till a hardcore fan and a member of the Tool Army (“like the nerds are,” he says).

He missed the 1998 show when Tool played the Fresno State Amphitheater, but he’s made every attempt to see them since. He was at Selland Arena when the band played there in 2002, 2006 and 2014. He also saw Keenan’s side project, Puscifer, when it played at Warnors Theare in 2015.

He sprung for a VIP ticket to the upcoming show, solely for the prospect of being able to actually see the band, especially bassist Justin Chancellor, from as close as possible. He hopes the band plays “Forty Six & 2” (“that bassline is the best”) and also “Invincible,” a track from the band’s long-awaited new album.

The group debuted the songs it live set last May.

That said, De Jong says the particulars won’t matter much in the overall scheme of the show.

“They’re going to play what they’re going to play, and I’m going to like it.”

Details: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 15. Save Mart Center. $43-$129.50. 559-278-3400, www.tickletmaster.com

Other noteworthy events

▪ Harlem Globetrotters. 7 p.m. Friday. Save Mart Center. $36.50-$116.50. 559-278-3400, www.ticketmaster.com

▪ Justin Townes Earl. 8 p.m. Friday. Strummer’s, 833 E. Fern Ave. $25. All ages. 559-485-5356, www.strummerclub.com

▪ Kingston Trio. 8 p.m. Saturday. Tower Theatre, 815 E. Olive Ave. $44.75-$62.75. 559-485-9050, www.towertheatrefresno.com

▪ Fresno High home tour. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Various locations including Royce Hall at Fresno High School. $25. www.fresnohighhometour.com

▪ Finding Neverland. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14 and Wednesday, Jan. 15. Saroyan Theatre, 730 M St. $35-$95. 888-255-9363, fresno.broadway.com

▪ Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds. 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16. Fulton 55, 875 Divisadero Ave. $12-$15. 559-412-7400, www.fulton55.com

This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 9:00 AM.