“Life is too short NOT to create something with every breath we draw.”
Simply put, that is EXACTLY what Puscifer is; the culmination of Maynard James Keenan and company breathing life into every outlandish idea that’s sparked their minds. Described as his creative subconscious, Puscifer has become Maynard James Keenan’s project alongside Mat Mitchell and Carina Round.After experiencing and witnessing it live, there is no better way to describe it. Let me take you through the night…
On November 10th, Cincinnati spent the night probing for alien life with Puscifer.
In preparation for what was imagined to be an eventful mission, electro-goth duo, Night Club, entered the room. The lights were down low but the energy was HIGH. Hiding in the shadows, Mark Brooks laid down the beats while Emily Kavanaugh commandeered the stage. Strobe lights flashed, hair whipped back and forth. Emily brought the dark disco to life with eerily soft vocals and a stage presence that left nothing untouched.
The exact energy rush needed for an existential reckoning.
At the request of the artist, phones and any recording devices were prohibited. Cut off from our only point of contact and constant distraction, we were now in our own cosmos.
The stage was set like the inside of a space station. The lights went out and the members were illuminated in tube lights as if they were transported through
Throughout the night, Maynard James Keenan and Carina Round orbited around the stage. From moments of synchronized choreography to unruly runnings about, the two embraced the space. As we looked on, a gaggle of secret agents tracked down the extraterrestrial. Yes, there were most definitely alien sightings. It was mesmerizing.
There is jamming to Puscifer in the real world, then there is jamming with them in their own little world. You can’t help but groove along. The music is going to getcha. All the men in black t-shirts (mostly TOOL) stood around just itching to let loose, and once ‘The Remedy’ began, their guard let down and the room really started to move.
Performing the majority of Existential Reckoning, Puscifer mixed in pieces from their discography bringing it all together to tell a full-length story we were all glued to. At no point did I know what to expect next. They kept us on our toes quite literally and figuratively.
Puscfier’s performance was so serious yet so unserious. It toed the line of don’t you dare-crack-a-smile to I-can’t-help-but-chuckle. The presence of Keenan’s multiple larger than life characters, Agent Dick Merkin and Billy D were guilty for a lot of this. From beginning to end, they left a smile on my face and my head tilted in curiosity.
Overall, it was one of the most visually pleasing and captivating performances I’ve been to all year. Well done, Puscifer, well done.
*Click photos to enlarge.
