May 30

May 30 Review: Puscifer at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

In recent times, the presence of cell phones at concerts has sparked significant debate with each artist grappling with the issue in different ways. While some musicians request politely for fans to pocket their devices and embrace the moment, others have adopted more creative strategies. For instance, during his stop at Rabbit Rabbit last summer, Jack White required attendees to store their phones in locked pouches.

Puscifer approached this issue differently on May 23 at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium with a short Max Headroom-style video before its set, wherein the agent Dick Merkin, portrayed by frontman Maynard James Keenan, issued a stern warning against phone and camera use. Aiming to dissuade the audience in an amusing manner, Keenan threatened that anyone breaking the rules would be fed to a meat grinder and turned into SPAM. This move fit well with Puscifer's darkly humorous style, which contrasts with the more serious reputations of Keenan’s other bands, Tool and A Perfect Circle.

Indeed, Puscifer has provided the artist a chance to let loose a different side of his personality. No better proof of this is that the origin of the band’s name is derived from a 1995 sketch on the very first episode of the comedy series Mr. Show, in which Keenan appears as a member of a fictional band of the same name. The synth-laden art rock project has shapeshifted since its origins with a rotating cast joining the mastermind before solidifying into the current formation of Keenan and multi-instrumentalists Carina Round and Mat Mitchell. The latest live lineup is rounded out by Greg Edwards (bass) and Gunar Olsen (drums).

The band kicked off its performance with "Bread and Circus" from its latest record, Existential Reckoning (2020), immersing the crowd in mystique before Keenan and Round moved to the front for a captivating rendition of "Postulous," culminating in someone from the audience being pulled onto the stage, perhaps to be fed to the meat grinder.

At this point, my fellow photographer Bryce Lafoon and I intended to return to our seats to experience the rest of the performance. However, as the lines "Heard it all before / Shut up, (shut the fuck up)" reverberated during "Fake Affront," a staff member directed all photographers to leave the venue, abruptly cutting short our experience.

As such, it’s difficult to determine the exact number of concert-goers at the Asheville show who were transformed into SPAM by the end of Puscifer's performance, as we were not present for the conclusion. However, given the band's strict stance on camera usage during its shows and considering the amount of alcohol consumed by attendees, it’s highly probable that a sizable contingent of fans fell victim to this unusual fate as the group delved deeper into their set, with meat production likely peaking into the dozens during the encore performance of fan favorite “Conditions of My Parole.” We all know that fans just can’t help but reach for their phone when a band plays their favorite song.

Prior to abrupt dismissals and Skinny Puppy-esque theatrics, Night Club, the LA-based electronic duo of producer Mark Brooks and singer Emily Kavanaugh, offered an enthusiastic set of darkwave-influenced pop that sounded perfectly suited for a goth strip club. With layers of pre-recorded vocals added to the mix, it was tough to distinguish how much sugar-coated singing Kavanaugh was actually doing, but her lively stage presence was entertaining enough to overlook any Milli Vanilli-ing going on. Plus it appeared to loosen up Puscifer’s fans to an adequate condition for the meat-grinder.

No gelatinous meats were consumed in the making of this review…only sour grapes.

(Photo by Jonny Leather)