USEFUL TOOL: Tool, shown here in 2019, announced a fall 2023 that includes multiple smaller markets such as Idaho Falls, Idaho. (Getty Images)
Tool’s fall 2023 tour stop at Mountain America Center stands to be the biggest rock show ever in Idaho Falls, Idaho, according to Erik Hudson, the facility’s general manager.
The progressive metal band is booked for Oct. 12 at Hero Arena, the 5,000-seater that’s part of the Mountain America Center complex. For the 33-year-old group, it’s the smallest indoor venue they’ve played in 20 years, Hudson said. He was informed of that factoid nugget by Creston Thornton, president of the Mountain Region for Live Nation, the show promoter.
“We did a press conference on Tuesday (June 6) to announce it; it’s a pretty historic date for us,” Hudson said.
Negotiations to secure a Tool date started in February, and over the next several weeks, Idaho Falls fit well into tour routing between Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah (Oct. 11) and Ford Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho (Oct. 14), which is 20 miles west of Boise.
“It’s one of the advantages of being crammed between major markets,” Hudson said. “They may have heard about other artists’ experiences here locally and thought they’d give it a shot.”
Ticket prices run $90 and $160, which is hefty for a smaller market such as Idaho Falls and its 67,000 residents, but Hudson has “zero hesitation” it will sell out. The presale for Tool Army, the band’s fan club, is today, with the public onsale Friday.
“They’re a little on the higher side for our our market, but at the same time, it’s not often you get an artist here like Tool,” he said. “It’s a slam dunk.”
The venue will generate revenue from concessions and parking, plus a 25% split from merchandise sales, Hudson said.
Apart from Tool, the arena has a busy slate of shows in July with Billy Currington, Volbeat/Halestorm, Falling in Reverse and Koe Wetzel.
Since Mountain America Center opened last fall, the arena has played host to 16 concerts, extending from Old Dominion and ZZ Top to Mannheim Steamroller and Aaron Lewis. Old Dominion posted the highest ticket gross to date of $350,000. The show was Feb. 23 with 4,400 attendance.
