Puscifer Has The Remedy For An Existential Reckoning At Toyota Oakdale Theater
Puscifer: The Existential Reckoning Tour 2022
Maynard James Keenan might just be the hardest working man in music. The frontman’s musical endeavors include Tool, A Perfect Circle, and of Course Puscifer. Add to that a restaurant and winemaking and one has got to wonder how Maynard does it all and more impressively how he does all of them so well.
MJK just finished up dates in the U.S and overseas with Tool and instead of relaxing, he’s putting his foot back on the gas pedal for the Existential Reckoning Tour. I’ve had the pleasure of covering both Tool and A Perfect Circle as well as seeing both bands more than I can count but I’ve never witnessed Puscifer live till now!
Puscifer released their newest album Existential Reckoning back in October of 2020 while the world was in shambles but the band did give us a live stream performing the album in its entirety and it was mind-blowingly good so I was pretty excited to see what the live experience was like.
Maynard James Keenan, Carina Round, Mat Mitchell, Gunnar Olsen, and Josh Moreau took the stage at The Toyota Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Connecticut. The show begins with an important video message by Agent Dick Merkins (Maynard’s Agent alias). As always with MJK shows, cellphones and photography are strictly prohibited!
The set begins with Maynard and Carina Round on the right side of the stage with just a screen behind them as they break into The Existential Reckoning album’s opening track “Bread and Circus.” Maintaining their positions in front of their respective mic stands, the entire band is dressed as if they’re members of the secret service.
Things begin to get weird once we get to the second song “Postulous” as we meet some other characters, bald head partially alien-looking black suit agents. As Agent Merkins and Agent Round skip across the stage, these men spot someone suspicious in the audience. They then pull the man up on stage, put him over one agent’s shoulder, and carry him away never to be seen again.
The action continues with the band changing positions in almost every song, sometimes on stage and sometimes on a larger platform. The stage was set up just like from the live stream which looks fantastic in person. This is most certainly the most intimate of concert experiences you can get with Maynard. These small theaters with such a spectacle really make for a fun evening.
Puscifer powered through “Fake Affront,” “The UnderWhelming,” “Grey Area,” and “Theorem,” all from the most recent album before transmitting another video message from Agent Merkins. This time Merkins shows the crowd how there are fakes and doubles in Hollywood running through everyone from Justin Bieber and Tom Hardy to Brittney Spears, Miley Cyrus, and Mila Kunis.
The skit is absolutely hilarious and had the crowd laughing and cheering. Puscifer shows are completely different from any other show I’ve ever seen. It’s part concert, part broadway, and part comedy show. It’s an absolute blast to experience in person.
The band returns to the stage kicking into Existential Reckoning’s single “Apocalyptical” before both Keenan and Round have mic stands coming out of their torsos as they glide across the stage trading lyrics and dancing the night away. The strange bald men appear throughout the night dancing and searching the crowd for anomalies of some sort.
One of the absolutely mind-blowing moments of the night came during a performance of “The Remedy” from 2015’s Money Shot album. It’s on this track that it becomes ever so apparent the chemistry between Maynard and Carina Round, the sound huge and flawless as they harmonize and trade turns with the verses and choruses.
Puscifer sound absolutely incredible live front to back, the sound perfectly balanced with every instrument and voice heard clearly. During the entire 18-song setlist not a moment of boredom crept in, not even the slightest. The audience’s eyes were locked on that stage and I must say I saw two people being escorted out for their cell phones being out. Puscifer had the crowd’s full attention.
The set also contains “Bullet Train To Iowa,” “Conditions of My Parole,” and the night’s final track “Bedlamite.” Overall Puscifer‘s performance is 12 Songs from Existential Reckoning, two tracks from Conditions Of My Parole, two from Money Shot, and one each from V is for Vagina and C is For.
I can’t possibly recommend this show enough. You’ll have moments where you dance, bob your head, laugh, and cry from the complete and hilarious ridiculousness. This show is worth every penny and it’s a fun night out with some friends or your lover. Check out the dates on the band’s website HERE!
Click Here for the Full Gallery of the Evening!
If you happened to capture any shots of the night, feel free to tag us on social media at Shutter 16 Magazine and throw in #Shutter16 and #TwitFromThePit for the world to see.
