“This may hurt a little, but it’s something you’ll get used to,” howled a shirtless Maynard James Keenan into the open Northern California night sky. From the very first moments of “Stinkfist”to the final pounding drums of “?nima,” Tool’s performance at Marysville’s Sleep Train Amphitheater on Saturday was nothing less than flawless.

Fresh off the band’s second tour stop of the summer in Sin City, the Los Angeles foursome ripped through the cheers of anticipation billowing out of the open-air theater, in support of their latest album “10,000 Days.” The nearly 25,000 fans were treated to Keenan’s trademark on-stage energy and vitality, from his back breaking swagger during the opening bridge of “The Pot” to his emphatic and graceful curtsey to the last drum shot of “Opiate.” Hiding a familiar mohawk under a gnarled cowboy hat, Keenan stayed sharp all night feeding off of his own creativity as he sporadically shared thoughts with the eager and excited crowd between songs.

“That was just to remind you who’s in charge ?” the alcohol,” Keenan stated at one point. And while the mysterious front man bent and belted his way through some of the band’s biggest hits, drummer Danny Carey stayed hidden behind his mammoth drum machine, guitarist Adam Jones and bassist Justin Chancellor stood stoically in cornered positions throughout virtually the duration of the performance.

Always supplementing Tool’s unique and progressive sound are the dark and disturbing visualanimated effects that are nearly synonymous with the band presence. Two large screens on either side of the stage displayed music videos including “Sober” and “Schism” congruent with songs as well as a narrow onstage screen that reflected only a sliver of them. Abright white stage served as its own spotlight and cascading lights reached and stretched skyward during the final songs of the evening.

As the lights went down on the would-be final song of the night, hundreds upon hundred of fans raised lighters urging an encore. Quietly, the four members sat together in darkness on stage and starred out into the flickering sea, possibly to catch their breath before barreling into “Vicarious” and “?nima.”

Given that Tool releases an album only about every four years, the anticipation and excitementwithin the crowd was electric. A live performance by the band always proves to be a mutli-faceted experience and this stop of the “10,000 Days” tour proved to be no different. With studio quality sound and incredible visuals to match, Tool used their charisma and power to light up a perfect summer night.

Josh Huggett can be reached at [email protected]