Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘A Perfect Circle’ Category

Sessanta V.2: Primus, Puscifer, A Perfect Circle (PNC Bank Center, Holmdel, NJ, May 17, 2025)

Posted in A Perfect Circle, Holmdel, NJ, PNC Bank Center, Primus, Puscifer on May 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: May 17, 2025] Sessanta V.2: Primus, Puscifer, A Perfect Circle

II really liked Tool when they first came out.  Sober is one of my favorite songs of the 1990s.  I enjoyed the second Tool album and then was excited by A Perfect Circle, but I felt that the two bands were too similar. And I kind of lost interest in Maynard Keenan.  So I never knew anything about Puscifer.  When I heard the name I assumed they were like a hardcore/death metal band.  Which they are not.

My friend Doug is a huge fan, though, and he encouraged me to go to this show. I was mostly interested in Primus, but the more he talked about this show, the more I wanted to see the Maynard spectacle.  And it did not disappoint.

Before the show started, there was a video of Maynard in a hospital room.  He looked old and frail and was telling really dumb jokes trying to make a nurse laugh.

This tour package was designed to celebrate Maynard James Keenan’s 60-ish birthday celebration and it was designed to be a lot of fun.  The ad talked about all three bands being on stage and then being together as: Puscimus, Perfmus Circifer, and A Pripusper Circfermus.

The stage was designed in an industrial and very cool way.  Three drum sets sat on the top tier of the stage.  Stairs on either side led down to the stage level where guitars and vocals were.  It was very cool the way the bands could come and go from their gear at will.

Evidently, Maynard does not like recording devices at his shows.  Maynard opened the show with his earnest request that all phones and devices be put away in an effort to detach from distractions and fully immerse oneself into the musical experience. They also had videos showing that anyone who brought out a phone during the show would be ground into meat.  There was no evidence of people being ground up at our show.

The lights dimmed and the drummer for A Perfect Circle came out to his kit.  Then the rest of the band filled out below and they played three songs.  I only know the first album, and they played one from each of the other three.  But I really got into it. The bands sounded great and Maynard has a wonderful stage presence.  (more…)

Read Full Post »

Tim Parks–“Reverend” (New Yorker, December 8, 2014)

Posted in A Perfect Circle, Attention Deficit, Larry LaLonde, Laundry, New Yorker, No Forcefield, Primus, Religion, Short Story, Tim Alexander, Tim Parks on January 27, 2015| Leave a Comment »

dec8SOUNDTRACK: LER & HERB during the hiatus (1999-2003 & 1994-2003)

1201_Tim_Alexander_Lead lerDuring the years that Ler and Herb were out of Primus, it’s a fair question to wonder what they were up to.

Larry “Ler” LaLonde was only “on hiatus” for a couple of years.  During that time, Ler created an electronic band (no guitars!) with Brain (who mastered the business and the beats) and DJ Disk (who drank grappa), and The Filthy Ape (who enjoyed a casual snack and read a good book), while Ler himself was on the flying boat (whatever that means).   Take what you will from that.  They released two albums which I’ve written about earlier: Lee’s Oriental Massage 415-626-1837 and God is an Excuse.

They are both electronic and or full of spoken nonsense and neither one is really worth hunting down.

Tim “Herb” Alexander was out of Primus for about 8 years.  And during that time he was rather busy. He started a band called Laundry, which released two albums Blacktongue (1994) (which you can listen to on Youtube) and Motivator (which is on Spotify). He also made an album with a supergroup called Attention Deficit (with Alex Skolnick – Guitar and Michael Manning – Bass).  They made two albums, Attention Deficit (1998) and The Idiot King (2001).  he also drummed on one song on the A Perfect Circle album Mer de Noms.

I haven’t really listened to all of his stuff that much.  Laundry is a sort of noisy kinda Primusy prog metal outfit Blacktongue is noisy than Motivator (and Herb sings lead on the second disc, and his voice is better suited to the music).  I’m curious about Attention Deficit, so I’ll have to give them a listen one of these days.

[READ: January 21, 2015] “Reverend”

This story was actually quite simple in plot, but it revealed a great deal that was hidden.  A man who has just lost his mother, reflects back upon the life he led with his parents and siblings.

The narrator’s father was the titular reverend.  Being a reverend was an extremely important part of his father’s life.  Indeed, he even met his wife when they both considered becoming missionaries.

They had three children–their oldest son–who grew up to be extremely anti-religion; a daughter who was very religious but not very smart and then the narrator who was, by his own admission, completely middle of the road in front of his parents. He didn’t believe in religion, but he never made waves with his parents.  He was smart but he never showed off.  And he believes that this milquetoast attitude may have upset his father more than anything. (more…)

Read Full Post »