On October 16th, 1996 — just a month after the September 17th release of their stunning second full-length, Ænima — Tool were onstage at The Glass House in Pomona, California, making a compelling case that they were the best live band in the world. The alt-metal group's 12-song set included many offerings off their new album, including "Stinkfist," with which they opened the set, and "Third Eye," which made its live debut and closed the show.
But the most ferocious cut of the night was without a doubt "Hooker With a Penis." One of the heaviest, most pissed-off songs of Tool's career, the venomous tune — an acid-tongued retort to a disgruntled fan who accuses the band of selling out — was even more biting live, with Maynard James Keenan snarling and roaring out the lyrics ("Point that fuckin' finger up your ass!") while hunched over as if ready to throw down at any second. For old-school fans who miss Tool's angrier earlier days, it's a thrilling throwback, and for those who only know them for their mega-production, prog-rock arena shows, it's an eye-opening look at the band when they regularly destroyed clubs with their onstage intensity, sans lasers and projections. Watch the awesome performance above.
