Maynard James Keenan’s Puscifer ‘Normal Isn’t Tour’ Is Serious Business (And His Third Band)

More than a few bands can headline and sell out a venue the size of Red Rocks (10,000 capacity), but how many can do it with three different and simultaneously active projects? Such is the case of Maynard James Keenan, whose band Puscifer has somewhat quietly and eccentrically grown into a more than viable touring force on its own. 

“We’re looking good on selling out Red Rocks, which is definitely a bucket-list thing for me,” says Keenan, lead singer of the mostly three-piece Puscifer project that released its first full album in 2007 but has existed in concept since the mid-’90s.  “That’s a feather. I like that.”  

Keenan, already frontman of influential art-prog titans Tool and similarly active alternative supergroup A Perfect Circle, clearly has a chip on his shoulder as leader of the satirical, theatrical and multidimensional artistic endeavor known as Puscifer, which ranges from the quirky and absurd to sinister and mockery.

“Well, we’re still kind of the underdog, kind of the redheaded stepchild,” Keenan says, a sentiment that seems to make him that much more committed and invested in it.  “The budget is always a very serious consideration. We err on the side of caution on the road because the show is much bigger than the band.”

However, on the heels of releasing a new LP Normal Isn’t (Puscifer Ent/Alchemy Recordings/BMG) on Feb. 6 with a theater and amphitheater tour kicking off March 20 at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Keenan is encouraged by the building momentum. 

“I’m feeling pretty positive, it was about four years in the making and it came together really well,” says Keenan from his home in central Arizona (where, by the way, with his Caduceus Cellars, he is credited with being instrumental in growing the local wine industry). To mark the release of the new album, the band released a live video, “Puscifer Live at the Pacific Stock Exchange,” which saw the band perfominginside the historic former L.A. Stock Exchange building  in downtown Los Angeles. The film was screened at more than 100 independent record stores in early-February. 

“We let all the record stores, whoever wanted to, sign up for it to show that film over the weekend just get people in, and give them a little breath of fresh air into the local mom and pop record stores.”

Although still employing clever wordplay and visceral wit like other Puscifer albums, Normal Isn’t is musically a serious affair.

“Every album has a pretty serious side to it,” says Keenan, who has developed characters with extensive lore like “Agent Dick Merkin” and “Major Douche” that have appeared in a “Tales From The Pusciverse” comic book series. “It’s more about the visuals and the comedy that comes with it. Maybe there’s a little more serious subject matter on this one than in the past, but from my perspective, it’s very similar in terms of it’s very serious play for us.“

Opening support for the tour is rockstar comedian/musician Dave Hill.

Normal it isn’t, but hard work and staying busy is par for the course for Keenan, who is credited as a tireless craftsman and loyal creative partner by those who work with him.

“Maybe it’s just a testament to how hard a worker he is to be able to do three bands, and whenever a band is ready to make the record, he’s there, he’s ready,”  says Shelter Management President Dino Paredes. He says Puscifer began as, and has remained, a creative priority, which has paid off with its largest tour hitting major venues including the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, Wang Theater in Boston, Chicago Theatre, DPAC in Durham and Fox Theatre Detroit. 

“Puscifer is meant to be multidimensional and multisensory, not just a band playing a bunch of songs,” says Paredes, with examples including an active wrestling ring and other antics. “It’s clearly got layers of it to go with the performance, the visuals. This particular tour is a little more leaning on what he’s been talking about with the record, a little more guitar driven, so it’s going to be a little bit edgier. It’s a unique stage design.”

In plotting the tour, Paredes said it was natural to build out from the Red Rocks date after securing a Sunday at the bucket-list venue. From there, it became mostly about finding longtime partners and available dates, especially after finding a good start date in the always-convenient Las Vegas and a finale at the Greek. 

“These bigger rooms started being a possibility but we never want to go too far too quickly,” said Paredes, adding that Keenan is patient and deliberate about finding the right fit venue-wise. “It wasn’t an easy one to wrap because it’s a long tour and we wanted to hit these key cities, but when it was all said and done, the sales are great, the routing is great, the rooms are great, and it, it’s gonna be a really good tour. Just looking at the numbers already it’s going to be our most successful tour yet.”

Instrumental in putting together the tour is longtime WME agent John Branigan, who also represents Tool and A Perfect Circle. He’s seen consistent growth for Puscifer across the board, using Denver as an example with the band playing the Paramount Theatre (1,865 capacity), then the Bellco Theatre (5,000), Mission Ballroom (4,000) and now Red Rocks at 10,000. 

The stage was particularly set for the “Normal Isn’t” tour thanks to a special project that started in 2024.

“In 2024, Maynard decided to celebrate his 60th birthday with ‘SESSANTA’ including Puscifer, Primus, and A Perfect Circle,” says Branigan, whose time with Tool dates back to the mid-’90s. Six cities announced in major markets led to sold-out shows at the Hollywood Bowl, two nights at Red Rocks and more than 20,000 at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater in Phoenix.

“At that point, promoters around the country began reaching out and asking, ‘Where is my Sessanta Show?’” Branigan said, leading to another 14 cities being added to that tour and an additional leg of 26 cities for spring 2025.  “This has enabled the upcoming Puscifer ‘Normal Isn’t Tour’ beginning in March to appear in more cities, a total of 32 markets, and in many cases including larger venues where they had never previously performed.”

The Sessanta tour, featuring the already-strong draws of A Perfect Circle and the Les Claypool-fronted oddity known as Primus, was a prime opportunity to introduce a like-minded audience to the spectacle of Puscifer.

“Definitely, Sessanta set the stage for it because a lot of people that came to see A Perfect Circle all of a sudden rediscovered Primus and discovered Puscifer for the first time,” says Keenan. “That show was put on by Puscifer Entertainment and produced from the ground up by Mat (Mitchell), our music director. That kind of shows what happens when Puscifer has a budget. For this tour, we’re still on a budget because we’re a small band, but we have Gunnar Olsen playing drums and Josh Moreau playing bass, and of course it’s still Mat (Mitchell) and Carina Round. It’s going to be a fun tour.”

While available dates and other factors come into play when routing a tour, Keenan’s bands are largely known for working with longtime promoter partners, such as Andy Cirzan at Chicago’s Jam Productions, Brent Fedrizzi at AEG Presents in Denver, Terry Burke at Live Nation in Arizona and Mike Quinn at Monqui Presents in Portland, Oregon.

 “I’d say it’s very unique, with Tool and A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, he’s a hard working son of a gun,” Monqui Presents founder Quinn says. The promoter’s upcoming Puscifer dates are at the WAMU Theater in Seattle and Theater of the Clouds at the Moda Center in Portland. “They’re a hardworking bunch, no nonsense. They really care about their art and their presentation and their fans. It’s a pleasure to work with them.”

Quinn, who remembers doing Tool shows in clubs in the Pacific Northwest (although the details are a little fuzzy), says he’s eager to be part of any related project. 

“It’s all very well-thought out and there’s a lot of attention and detail to every aspect of the deal,” says Quinn. “They don’t overplay the market, and it’s always welcome knows when anything from them is coming.”

Balancing the three projects mostly becomes a matter of planning around album releases as well as individual band member schedules for one-offs or shorter engagements, including upcoming Tool festival dates and one other crucial aspect: the wine grape harvest season, which Keenan likes to be on-hand for.

“It basically comes down to time of day, right? It’s what’s happening in front of me and, you plan ahead, but I enjoy writing with all projects, I just enjoy creating,” says Keenan. “It’s fun to create with different people. Over here, I’ve got Mat and Carina, and I’ve got the other guys in the other bands. They’re just beautiful, different conversations. It’s fun.”

With a new A Perfect Circle album expected later this year, Paredes says his job is to be ready, or make things able to be ready.

“My job is to keep things fluid enough so that when something comes close to being ready to be shared with the public, that I can then build a campaign around it,” says Paredes, who works in a management capacity with both A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, but not Tool.  “And of course, that means touring.” Overseas dates are possible for the fall.

As the touring grows for Puscifer, the focus appears to be on maximizing the visual and theatrical aspect in a financially and physically feasible manner, although no one is going to question Keenan’s ability to outwork anyone around him.

“I’m not 41 anymore, I’m not 31 anymore, I’m 61, pushing 62,” says Keenan about life on the road. “So, we have to have some of the creature comforts out there, but we’ve kind of crammed more people on the bus than there would be for my larger bands. But that’s how you make do.”

He says rock bands today have to grow by word of mouth, making fans as well as industry relationships.

“Someone used to be able to just look at the BIllboard chart. Well that doesn’t work for rock bands anymore. They’ve done everything they can to make sure that you don’t show up on their streaming charts,” Keenan says.  “It really does come down to doing the show. We play shows and when we go back next time, we play to more people. You’re putting the work in, but you have to deliver. You can’t just have a clever marketing plan. You really have to get your ass up there and do it. Historically, I guess that’s what I’ve done. I show up. I don’t leave. We leave the departing the stage early to Morrissey. That’s his job (laughs).”

Normal Isn’t North American tour dates:

March 20 Las Vegas, NV The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

March 21 Phoenix, AZ Arizona Financial Theatre

March 24 Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall

March 25 Dallas, TX Music Hall at Fair Park

March 27 Nashville, TN The Pinnacle

March 28 Atlanta, GA Coca-Cola Roxy

March 31 Asheville, NC Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

April 1 Durham, NC DPAC – Durham Performing Arts Center

April 3 Bethlehem, PA Wind Creek Event Center

April 4 Boston, MA Boch Center – Wang Theatre

April 7 New York, NY Terminal 5

April 8 Hershey, PA Hershey Theatre

April 10 Mashantucket, CT Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino

April 11 Atlantic City, NJ Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort

April 15 Niagara Falls, ON OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino

April 16 Akron, OH Akron Civic Theatre

April 18 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre

April 19 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre

April 21 Louisville, KY The Louisville Palace

April 23 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre

April 25 Chicago, IL The Chicago Theatre

April 26 Milwaukee, WI Landmark Credit Union Live

April 28 Madison, WI The Sylvee

April 30 St. Louis, MO The Factory

May 1 Kansas City, MO The Midland Theatre

May 3 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre

May 5 Salt Lake City, UT Maverik Center

May 8 Portland, OR Theater of the Clouds

May 9 Seattle, WA WAMU Theater

May 11 San Francisco, CA Golden Gate Theatre

May 13 San Diego, CA San Diego Civic Theatre

May 14 Los Angeles, CA The Greek Theatre