![]() Writing and Photography by Bobby Talamine Edited by Fiza Javid Wintrust Arena Chicago Wednesday - May 1, 2024 Lots of fun. Lots of laughs. Lots of ribbing. As a 60th Birthday Celebration should be. Starting with the tour poster: "A Primus Circle! A Perfect Puscifer! A Puscifect Primcle!". Followed by what looks like an old school graphic illustration embodying all things campy and yet well worn- "B- Movie style". Kinda like a just turned 60 year old, such as Maynard James Keenan, the monthlong tour Birthday Boy. Although he's not alone in the 60 and up society / brotherhood- Les Claypool making that clear from their first foray of four songs in their portion of the set, Act I. The ribbing of "Barnacles on the ass" not going unnoticed, with laughs of course, joining the 60 and up crowd, prompting a revised refrain of a slight apology late on in the set, which by all intent and purposes, proposes that a roast of the Maynard is proper fun, adding to the chicanery that you kinda know in is par for the course with a show that's set up like this. To wit- no headliners. No "1- 2- 3". Bands play, and play amongst and between themselves, collaborating being part of the game, in equal measure to accomplished heavy hitter songs for all three bands having their own just do of course. And when you add to that, all three drummers are perched above on a backstage riser, staircases left and right, interspersed with relaxing and comfy couches, followed by a mini ping pong table stage left, and also to vividly display a nice competitive game of Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots between Carina Round and Maynard, which, when on the LED screens left and right, got resounding applause at the fight- I mean good and loud watching this from the main floor. So- a show that's all things fun, as a birthday party should be. Including Carina Round rolling out a cart with a lit up cupcake for Maynard to blow out- one candle only. Again- lots of ribbing throughout. And I haven't even gotten to the songs yet. Overall- I did my homework a bit prior to the show in Chicago- not just reviews, and YouTube this, YouTube that, especially for the last song of the evening- "Grand Canyon". The issues reared their ugly head on this tour, as any typical tour extravaganza usually does- mostly weather and Mother Nature related. That they know how to pivot and make due and problem solve- that says lots about crew, and solution solving, let alone character. That says lots also about the brotherhood of musicians, and coming in to add support in times of need, especially of the instrument kind. I bring all of this up, without attending to the song selections and overall review from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, because it was amazing witnessing the play by play of the problems with the shows at Red Rocks outside of Denver, and the snow storm that entangled their trucks and equipment and gear to make it to "Sick New World" 24 hours later- and- what to do. How to proceed. Billy Howerdel, lead guitarist for A Perfect Circle, put the plea and word out like literally in transit- asking for assistance, since they're literally going to make the attempt to play at Sick New World, and do their best to make a go of it. And the amount of brotherly assistance....just amazing. I mean gobsmacked amazing. So many people, good people, coming to their aid in time of need. The way Billy told it- the phone calls and help went out like at 8am, contacting anyone and everyone, from borrowing gear, borrowing instruments, let alone assistance from talented technicians, and all assisting in pulling this show together for Sick New World, with literally zero seconds for help right up to show time. So from my perspective, all that does is amp you up even more before their stop in Chicago, knowing that problem solving, what looks like insurmountable hurdles- all of that can be overcome, with the simple ask- and coming through in a clutch. And to add to that, a well oiled machine of a show by this time towards the tour end, at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, with the deep breath blessing of being indoors, not outdoors, where they have control of a few things, especially near freezing temperatures with anything "outside". And the show works, works on many levels, specifically on overall view and display, nary a hiccup in sight, a methodical procedure where all three bands come and go, mainfloor / mainstage not being problematic whatsoever in anything transition related. By the looks of things, poster art wise- it's like also a perception of an old school three ring circus, down to the funny "10 Cents" encircled in the upper right hand corner of the poster artwork. Again, the timing between all three bands was impeccable, starting of course with three songs from A Perfect Circle to set the overall mood- "The Package", "Disillusioned", and "The Contrarian", with Carina Round contributing. Such a delicate, yet forceful way to start the proceedings, Maynard in fine voice, decked out in a comfortable three piece suit front and center. Then immediately up to bat- Les Claypool and the mighty Primus- "Act 1"- an ever ready boot stomping bass onslaught- as tight as they've ever been- drum beat fills equal in measure to sub woofer thumping pulverizing bass this- bass that. Clever these guys. On vinyl and CD- anything Primus related? Decent- kinda cool. How about Primus live?- That's where things get amped and elevated and memorable. Four songs in Act I- opening with "Those Damned Blue- Collar Tweekers", and ending Act I with "Follow the Fool". Such damn gnarly fun, all things Primus. ![]() Then of course- Puscifer's turn at the wheel. Opening with "Galileo", into "Tiny Monsters", and then "Indigo Children". A desolate and observant view of the shape of things, both on a personal level, and also outwardly, at your surroundings and environment. Of the three, Puscifer is the more introspective and analytical thinking of the mind, and creative stream of consciousness writing. Compelling, when you think of it, how through all of the "Acts" in sequence (there are three, followed by the "Sessanta E.P.P.P., and of course the finale, "Grand Canyon"), the song selections go from high energy/ let loose, to delicate and sophisticated art rock at a moment's notice. And it all works, some 30 songs total, where, with music hounds like me, of the oh- so- observant kind- it bears repeats, if so inclined, if anything to resonate the nuances, and little things that are equal to the big moments. A big moment for me- "Weak and Powerless", from A Perfect Circle, in Act II. That song- crafty cranium synapses exploding- that kinda song, especially presented live, fresh and clean. Equal in might with of course "Judith" from APC, coming later in Act III, where the slow build of intensity is equal in measure with Maynard's passionate plea vocals. So when examined in full on unity, all three bands- a deep dive immersion to steady the ship with mighty songs, followed by sophisticated production, followed by high IQ judgement of making things a goofy birthday party, intentional that the professors on stage will zip some jokes by you that will go over your head. But the appeal is beyond standoffish intent- all three bands incorporate a style and appeal that is discovery related, topics of concern well worth investigating, and well worth the deep dive in knowledge and learning beyond the scope of a mighty riff, followed by a mighty lyric. Look no further than Maynard's other band Tool as a case in point. Intellectual shenanigans, sure- for all three. Followed by "let's just have a damn good time, and- "Are in or are you out?" Well, I'm a devotee, is the correct answer- so of course I'm in. I'll cover all three of these bands in equal measure, even if I'm on crutches and arthritic pain, as the years progress, and they're still around. Unforgettable- That's the order of the day with Sessanta. Bobby Talamine - JBTV Music Television Chicago Sessanta, Maynard James Keenan, Primus, Puscifer, A Perfect Circle, Carina Round, Les Claypool, JBTV Music Television, Fiza Javid, Bobby Talamine
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