It is very common for musicians to play in different projects and start completely other bands when their main band may be on a break from writing and touring. Sometimes those side projects can gain a good amount of popularity, but nothing to the degree of their main band. That is not the case for Maynard James Keenan, who is currently bouncing around between three successful bands. From winning accolades with his band Tool, to crafting a rock supergroup with A Perfect Circle, he has taken experimental rock to new heights with Puscifer. Puscifer released a new album called Normal Isn’t at the beginning of the year and hit the road shortly after its release. The last stop of the first leg of the tour brought them to the world-famous Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, where fans could be seen wearing different shirts from Maynard’s decades of bands and eras of music.

Maynard James Keenan is notorious for restricting phone usage during his live shows with Tool, even hiring extra security to watch sections of the audience and flag anyone who pulls out a phone. With Puscifer, he didn’t go to that extreme, instead starting the show off with a video animation of himself and co-vocalist Carina Round locking the audience into a legally binding verbal agreement that they would not pull out their phones during any part of the show. Fans were happy to abide by this agreement to live in the moment and experience the show for what it was - this night only.

It was then that Puscifer got the show started with their song “Thrust.” Maynard and Carina started the show performing on risers behind the drum kit. Here they were cloaked in darkness, only slightly illuminated by the LED screen behind them. With the second song, “Self Evident,” they stepped up toward the front of the stage, still hidden in the shadows. Maynard and Carina crept around the steps hobbled over like goblins. These were not just musicians - these two were performers, transforming their bodies and movements into a type of creature that was giving us a theatrical performance.

While Maynard and Carina were the vocal presence of the band, Mat Mitchell was the instrumental backbone driving the songs on guitar. Mat refuses to let Puscifer sound like one thing, instead changing his guitar tone and playing style to fit the concept of the song. From crafting rhythmic guitar patterns that let the song flow, to driving guitar lines that sit at the front of the song, and everything in between, Mat finds the perfect emphasis in his playing to let each song stand on its own.

This wasn’t just a band playing their best songs - this was a musical experience of bombastic sounds and emotional tones. Puscifer layered their set with music from Normal Isn’t along with songs from across the rest of their discography, featuring “Bad Wolf,” “Normal Isn’t,” “The Algorithm,” “The Quiet Parts,” “Pendulum,” “The Arsonist,” “Mantastic,” “Bullet Train to Iowa,” “The Remedy,” “Horizons,” “ImpetuoUs,” “Momma Sed,” “Seven One,” “Grand Canyon,” “Conditions of My Parole,” and ending with “A Public Stoning.”

Though Maynard James Keenan is beloved and praised by his fans for his musical creativity, versatility, and character, his live shows feel like he doesn’t necessarily want to be that person for fans. It feels like Maynard wants the music to be the focal point of the show, and if he could, he would perform in complete darkness so that fans wouldn’t focus on him or the band. Regardless, he still knows that the live band is the focus of the fans’ live experience, and he still gives these performances his all - not just singing but being a true performer of the stage.

I’ve been fortunate to see A Perfect Circle and Tool before, but now I can check off Puscifer from the bucket list of Maynard projects. Each band has felt different - not just in presentation and musical sound, but Maynard feels like he brings a different aspect of himself to each one. Carina Round was a beautiful counterpart to Maynard, bringing a lighter voice to Puscifer to contrast his, but she could also sing with grit and aggression when needed. Mat Mitchell drove the feeling in the songs, making each one seem like its own musical movement. Three bands in, and I see why Maynard James Keenan is considered the musical genius he is.