Last week, two concert dates for the rock band Tool were posted to Ticketmaster, though both dates were removed within a few hours. Today, those dates are back, along with ten more as the band announces a short winter tour next year. The tour, which will hit arenas and theaters, kicks off on January 14 in Reno and runs through February 8 in Duluth, Ga. Other cities include Las Vegas, Tucson, Toronto and Boston. No word has come yet as to whether any more dates will be announced, though Tool lead singer Maynard James Keenan’s other project, Puscifer, has a pretty packed Spring tour schedule that starts February 23.

Tool hasn’t toured since 2010, and hasn’t released a new album in over half a decade. That album, 10,000 Days was released in May 2006, and won two Grammy awards. The band formed in the late 1980s in Los Angeles and released its first album, Undertow, in 1993. Undertow went on to establish a name for the band, though it was not as successful as the follow-up, 1996’s Ænima, which sold over 3 million copies and earned the band its first Grammy award for Best Metal Performance. There have been nearly constant rumors that Tool currently is working on a new album, and Keenan told music blog Loudwire earlier this year that others in the band have been working on the music, and he will come in later to finish the writing process.

Keenan has become well known for his side projects, including Puscifer and, more notably, A Perfect Circle. While the latter band hasn’t released a record since 2004, they have been active recently, as well, undertaking a North American tour this summer. Along with Keenan, A Perfect Circle also includes former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha as well as guitarist Billy Howerdel, bassist Matt McJunkins and drummer Josh Freese.

Maynard James Keenan, Tool frontman, on June 10 told RollingStone.com that Tool is working quietly on their new album. It will be released when the set is ready. When asked if the band might test some of the new songs this summer out on the road Keenan replied, yeah if it all comes together you will be hearing some new material. If it isn’t ready then you won’t. The summer trek for the band will be kicking off in New Orleans on June 19.

Keenan also made hints the tour could potentially include new visuals. He also joked around saying that maybe he’d just come onto the stage in his birthday suit. Let’s see how a naked 46 year old man running around onstage goes over.

Keenan has also been working with Puscifer, his side band, as well as tending to the vineyard he owns for the last few years. He said that A Perfect Circle, his other act, was working on their fourth album, but was still in its early stages. We have some music and some riffs. Basically it’s just playing things over and over and waiting for everything to fall into its place.

The last album from Tool was “10,000 Days” released in 2006. “Emotive” was released by A Perfect Circle in 2004.

James Maynard Keenan of Tool joked around saying, maybe I will come in just my birthday suit, as he tried to find a way of shocking fans during the upcoming summer tour for the band. Having a naked 46 year old guy running around onstage. We will see how that would go over.

The prog-metal band and Keenan are gearing up for the group’s summer jaunt of 16 cities. It will kick off in New Orleans on June 19. The tour will include two visits to Red Rocks in Colorado as well as a run in the south and dates in cities in Canada that Tool hasn’t been to in years. Keenan said, the audiences in Canada get it. In Canada you don’t need to repeat yourself. You say something once and the first time they get it. In somewhere like Boise you have to say something a few times.

If the shows this summer are anything like the epic performance of Tool’s at All Points West last year, it will be a multimedia spectacle. Keenan emerged shirtless last time out from a riser in back of the band with massive screens projecting dark and arresting images, including cryptic skulls, bulging eyes and fire during hit songs like “Lateralus” from 2001 and “Sober” from 1993. Keenan said there may be new visuals. I have been watching Bruce Springsteen and practicing power slides.

Although Tool isn’t touring to back new material- the last album from the band was “10,000 Days” released in 2006- Tool’s frontman did say the band is working quietly on a new set. When it’s ready it will be released, he said. However, they are thinking about testing some of their new material out live. Keenan said, we are always writing. It it all comes together you will hear new stuff, but it it isn’t ready then you won’t.

Keenan is aware that fans are frustrated by gaps between albums from Tool. However he says there is a reason. Keenan said, we don’t wait. That’s a misconception. A lot of bands have a contract that forces them to put a third record out before they are really ready. Generally speaking, the third albums wind up almost always talking about being out on the road, or the press or a lawsuit. That’s because they really don’t have something worthy to discuss. They haven’t lived real lives.

Tool’s frontman also said he is also working with A Perfect Circle, a successful side project of his, on their fourth album. It will be the first set from them since “Emotive” was released in 2004. We have some music and riffs. We basically just have to play things over and over and wait for everything to fall in place.

Next month, Tool will be hitting the road for a summer tour of arenas. It will be the band’s first live appearances since last year’s summer trek.

Tool will kick the outing off in New Orleans on June 19. Highlights for the trek include appearances in Houston on June 20 and in San Francisco on July 12 in addition to several dates in Canada, starting in Winnipeg, Manitoba on July 4. On May 8 tickets are going on sale.

“10,000 Days,” the latest studio album from Tool, was released in 2006. It debuted in the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s 200 chart and earned two Grammy nominations for the band.

In recent years, rumors of the band releasing their sixth studio album have abounded. Last year the rumors started to slow after Adam Jones, guitarist, told a Guitar World interviewer that band members had been taking time away and were on hiatus. However, the band earlier this year started hinting on their website that the writing process was underway for a new album.

In the meantime, Maynard James Keenan, Tool frontman, continues tackling various projects apart from the band, which includes promoting wine from the winery he help to co-found in 2007, Stronghold Vineyards, based in Arizona.

Kennan said this isn’t a side project for me. It’s my future. I won’t tour forever. I’m not a Rolling Stone. This is my legacy.

This year the San Francisco-based Noise Pop Festival will be featuring music-related films along with live appearances from various acts including Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Soundtrack of Our Lives and Plastic Ono Band with Yoko Ono.

The movie “Blood Into Wine,” focuses on Maynard James Keenan, Tool frontman, and documents the performer’s pioneering efforts to make wine in Arizona’s hostile desert.

“Downtown Calling” will also be screened at Noise Pop, a retrospective portrait detailing the underground scene of New York during the late 70′s. The film features appearances by Debbie Harry, TV on the Radio, Mos Def and Fab 5 Freddy among others.

“P-Star Rising,” adds a distinctive perspective. The movie features nine year old rapper Priscilla, who starts out performing on the corner of the street and ends up selling out nightclub shows.

Kurt Loder of MTV is featured in “The Heart is a Drum Machine,” a Christopher Pomerenke movie that asks” “why do humans make music?” Jason Schwartzman, Elijah Wood and Nic Harcourt are also featured.

Noise Pop’s website contains a full listing of the live performances and film schedule.

This August, the latest summer festival for Southern California will be born when Epicenter, with Linkin Park and Tool as headliners, hits Pomona.

The event will be held at Fairplex in Pomona CA on August 22. According to a recent press release, twelve acts are scheduled to perform throughout the day from multiple stages.

Additional confirmed performers include Aesop Rock and Sonny, Street Sweeper Social Club, Atreyu, Hollywood Undead, Atmosphere, Wolfmother and Alice in Chains. Additional artists will be announced soon.

Chester Bennington, co-frontman of Linkin Park said, it’s a killer lineup. If we weren’t going to perform we would go just so we could all those great bands. This will be the only gig in North America for us all year. We promise we will make the show one to remember.

On June 27, VIP and general admission tickets will be going on sale via Ticketmaster.

Tool, prog-metal veterans, are continuing to flesh their concert schedule out for the summer. Six additional shows have been added to the band’s previously announced itinerary.

Tool will kick the outing off at Mile High Music Festival in Commerce City, CO on July 18. The trek is currently scheduled to visit cities until early August. On July 21, Tool will be in Phoenix, AZ; on July 24 in San Antonio, TX; on July 27 in Alpharetta, GA; and on July 30 in Fairfax, VA, among other dates. Tool will wrap up the outing at Lollapalooza in Chicago with their headlining performance in early August.

“10,000 Days,” Tool’s latest album, was released in 2006. It debuted in the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s 200 chart, earning the band two Grammy nominations. Many rumors abound over an upcoming fifth studio album from the group. However no information on an impending album has been confirmed.

Maynard James Keenan, when not serving as Tool’s frontman, works on other musical projects, including the bands Puscifer and A Perfect Circle. He also tends to his vineyard in Arizona, Page Springs Vineyards and Cellars.

During a recent interview, Keenan said in regards to his involvement in the wine industry, this is not a side project for me. It’s my future. I will not be touring forever like The Rolling Stones. The winery is my legacy.

For a few weeks in June, Keenan will be on a US wine signing tour.

Tool, the prog-rock band, has added several dates onto the last leg of their tour of North America. It will now stretch through to the middle of December.

The next slate of shows will kick off in Austin, TX on November 14. The band will then travel through the Midwest and up into Canada as well as out West. The outing will wrap up on December 14 after a stand of two nights in Las Vegas. Dates for San Francisco and Missoula, MT have been added as well.

All year, Tool has been touring the world in support of “10,000 Days,” their latest album which was released in Spring 2006. In addition to their major North American spring trek, the band also made a tour of Europe this summer and earlier this year visited Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

The fourth studio album from Tool, “10,000 Days,” marked the return of the band following a hiatus of three years. The album debuted in the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s 200 chart and earned two Grammy nominations. One of the nominations was for “Vicarious,” for Best Hard Rock Performance.

Recently, Tool announced a new “Vicarious” video will be released in mid-December on DVD. According to the band’s website the package is going to include plenty of bonus material as well as an extended cut.

In other news, Puscifer released “V is for Vagina,” their debut album on October30. The band is a side project for Maynard James Keenan, Tool frontman. A few of the album’s songs are streaming from the MySpace page of Puscifer’s.

Tool had added new dates onto their winter trek. The band continues wracking up frequent flier miles as they support “10,000 Days,” their latest album released last year.

New dates for Tool’s new outing which will be kicking off in Austin, TX on November 14, include a few Canadian shows in addition to the finale on December 10 in Los Angeles, the band’s stomping grounds.

Tool, a hard working band, has been on the road almost non-stop since releasing their latest album. In 2007 alone they performed nearly 100 concerts. In the studio they have taken a slower approach, releasing just four full length sets since 1993.

Upon its release, “10,000 Days” debuted in the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s 200 chart, selling 564,000 copies in its first week out. The album also earned two Grammy nominations for the band. Their song “Vicarious” was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance.

The album released over a year ago, followed the band’s three year hiatus, with “10,000 Days” following their 2001 multi-platinum selling set “Lateralus,” which had a No. 1 debut as well. Over their 16 year career, Tool has sold in the US over 10 million albums along with a half million videos.

Recently, Tool announced a new “Vicarious” video on DVD will be released. The package includes assorted bonus material as well as an extended cut of “Vicarious.”

Tool has made additions and changes to their tour of North America. Last week the trek kicked off with a stand of two nights in Las Vegas. The outing will now stretch through into the middle of July.

Several new cities have been added to the outing of 45 dates, including Reading, PA; Albany, NY; Portland, ME; Montreal; Hamilton Ontario; and Ft. Worth, TX. In July Tool will also be at Summerfest in Milwaukee and in June will be one of the headliners at Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, TN.

Originally, the trek was scheduled to launch in the middle of March. However it had to be postponed when Danny Carey, the band’s drummer, tore a bicep a week following the band’s announcement of their 30 dates dates on the North American trek. Tool blamed the accident, tongue-in-cheek, on a dog on their website.

This year, Tool has also visited Japan, New Zealand and Australia this year, as they have traveled the world to support “10,000 Days,” their latest release. Tool’s fourth studio album debuted in the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s 200 chart and also earned two Grammy nominations for the band.

“10,000 Days” was released after Tool’s three year hiatus, and the set was a followup to “Lateralus” the band’s 2001 multi-platinum set, which also was a No. 1 debut.

Tool, over a span of 16 years, has sold over 10 million albums in the US as well as half a million videos.