Review: A Perfect Circle, Puscifer & Primus

Here’s an idea.  You’re turning 60, you’re a rock star with three ongoing bands, and you’re in between a Domestic and European tour.  Chill?  No!  Not for Maynard James Keynan, singer/writer for Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer.  You gather your other two bands, get your friend Les Claypool to join with his band Primus, and keep on rocking!

It’s Keenan’s birthday (in a week), but the gift is yours to catch three great bands at a single show.  “Sessanta” may not have caught the eye of every fan when it was announced.  For those who don’t know Spanish, it’s “60.”  If you dismissed it and didn’t read the details… you’ve missed or will miss out on an amazing 3-hour show.

Sessanta: Maynard James Keenan's 60th Birthday tour with A Perfect Circle, Primus and Puscifer

For those familiar with Keenan, you should already know that he has no love of photography during the show.  A humorous opening video about the ingredients of SPAM relate to those caught recording or taking photos by Live Nation staff and escorted out of the venue.  There are arguments for and against this, but… it’s his show.  The crowd was observably compliant, perhaps satisfied that photos could be taken during the final song.  At this stop, the same applied for media photographers as well. 

Also, while the stage lighting is excellent, the musicians generally are not well-lighted, and at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre (kudos!), the video feed did a better job of illuminating the musicians than with the naked eye.  All things considered, at 60, for both this show and Tool, Keenan seems to be stepping into the light.  Briefly!

Sessanta: Maynard James Keenan's 60th Birthday tour with A Perfect Circle, Primus and Puscifer,

The concert unfolds with each band holding court for several songs before another takes over.  The stage has a second level for the drum sets for each band, and a “green room” of sorts is off to the sides of the drums where band members can wait their turn.  Basically, black the lights, count to three, and the next band is ready to go.

The final song has members of all bands playing, and there is a little mix and match during the course of the concert as well.

Sessanta: Maynard James Keenan's 60th Birthday tour with A Perfect Circle, Primus and Puscifer,

Highlights:

  • Les Claypool.  He does things with his bass that you should have heard already.  You need to see him.  If you’re a fan, Geddy Lee’s “Are Bass Players Human Too?” series on Paramount+ is worth it for his time spent with Claypool.
  • Puddles Pity Party.  I don’t know if he’s well known enough to be an Atlanta favorite, but he’s certainly a favored son.  You never know when he’ll show up, but you’re glad when he does.  His baritone voice is no laughing matter and was a great accent to A Perfect Circle’s “The Hollow.” Name a musical style and he’ll suit it.
  • Carina Round.  We all love Maynard’s voice.  When she sings a background melody, the dynamic range takes you to another place.    
  • “My Name is Mud” – Primus fans were an obvious presence.  Whatever one thinks of his lyrics, the fans know them and his songs give them room to sing along.  Again, a fascinating player, and on this song, his bass is more percussive than the drums.
  • “Tommy the Cat” – Another Primus song where Claypool changes it up a bit and welcomes Maynard to join in with faux-Claypool voice.  The song transitions to Maynard the Cat.  It makes a fun song even more fun.
  • Mat Mitchell’s Waldorf Iridium Desktop Synthesizer – A camera was placed above the keyboard so the audience could watch Mat or Carina play.  Really cool tool but not a simple one (see 18:00 min mark).

And of course, the rest of the show.  Great sound, Keenan’s in great voice and there’s a ton of great songs.  The band appears to mix up the setlist 2-3 songs each stop, which keeps it fresh for those who peek into prior setlists.  This night’s setlist and more photos follow.
Sessanta: Maynard James Keenan's 60th Birthday tour with A Perfect Circle, Primus and Puscifer
Mat Mitchell - Puscifer

SETLIST:

A Perfect Circle:

  • The Package
  • Disillusioned
  • The Contrarian (with Carina Round)

 

Primus:

  • Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers
  • Too Many Puppies
  • Baker
  • Follow the Fool

 

Puscifer:

  • Galileo
  • Tiny Monsters
  • Indigo Children

 

Primus:

  • Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
  • My Name is Mud
  • Tommy the Cat

 

Puscifer:

  • Flippant
  • Momma Sed
  • Bullet Train to Iowa
  • The Underwhelming

 

A Perfect Circle:

  • The Hollow (with Atlanta’s Puddles Pity Party)
  • So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
  • Weak and Powerless
  • The Outsider

 

Puscifer:

  • The Humbling River
  • The Remedy

 

A Perfect Circle:

  • Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of War Drugs
  • Judith

 

Primus:

  • Southbound Pachyderm

 

Sessanta E.P.P.P.

  • Kindred (A Perfect Circle)
  • No Angel (Puscifer)
  • Pablo’s Hippos (Primus)

 

Puscifer, Primus, A Perfect Circle:

  • Grand Canyon (Puscifer)
Sessanta: Maynard James Keenan's 60th Birthday tour with A Perfect Circle, Primus and Puscifer
Carina Round - Puscifer
Sessanta: Maynard James Keenan's 60th Birthday tour with A Perfect Circle, Primus and Puscifer
Billy Howerdel - A Perfect Circle
Sessanta: Maynard James Keenan's 60th Birthday tour with A Perfect Circle, Primus and Puscifer
The birthday boy!
Sessanta: Maynard James Keenan's 60th Birthday tour with A Perfect Circle, Primus and Puscifer
Les Claypool, Primus, otherwise unmasked during his performance

7 Responses

  1. Salivating about catching one of these shows! Full Support on the bloody photography! 60 never looked so good!

    Reply

  4. Saw the show in Raleigh on April 7th.
    AWSOME AWESOME, did I say AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!.

    O😀😃😄MG

    Reply

  5. I absolutely love all 3 bands… The setlist sounds great and I wish I could attend the concert in Red Rocks… Unfortunately I can’t afford to pay the high cost of a venue like this in the Mile High City…
    I’m not going to complain much but it’s the cost of all venues here in Colorado…

    Reply

  6. Good review. Saw them in Phoenix and it was a great show. However, in the first paragraph, you have a typo. Maynard is the singer/songwriter for Puscifer, not Primus.

    Reply

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