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Puscifer Showcases ‘Existential Reckoning’ at Toronto’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre [Photos]

Throughout 18 songs in just under two hours, Puscifer delivered the goods at Toronto’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Coverage by Mike Bax.

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With Existential Reckoning, Maynard James Keenan’s Puscifer project has transcended from a quirky side gig into a musical tour-de-force. The current Puscifer line-up consists of Keenan, Mat Mitchell, Carina Round, Greg Edwards, and Gunnar Olsen – five incredible musicians firing on all cylinders with this latest album and tour. The musical backbone delivered by Greg Edwards (Failure) and Gunnar Olsen was stunning throughout the concert. Edwards’ performance showcasing a six-string bass at one point during the show was a standout moment for many. Gunnar’s heavy-hitting drum style was a thrill to behold live. “Vagina Mine,” “Flippant,” and “Conditions of My Parole” packed a three punch of incredible percussion; fans could be seen nodding amongst themselves at the end of each song, quietly acknowledging they’d just witnessed something magical.

The evening’s festivities started with 30 minutes of live music from Night Club, a New York two-piece act with three albums of dance-darkwave anthems to their credit. Emily Kavanaugh strutted about the stage, actively trying to warm up the audience as Mark Brooks programmed the music from a small table adorned with a neon crossed-out heart. The audience seemed to enjoy their material; the eight songs played derivative of some of the remixes Puscifer has put out over the past decade. Mark Brooks plays Peter Merkin in some of the recent Puscifer videos. Emily Kavanaugh has also acted in Puscifer videos. There is a high possibility both members of Night Club were on stage during Puscifer’s set as two of their masked performance artists.

Puscifer performed live this evening as a five-piece band. Gunnar Olsen’s drum kit was set up underneath a two-story scaffolding at center stage. The Scaffolding allows two people to stand atop Olsen at specific points during the performance. A comical video presentation on SPAM started the show, suggesting that members of the audience ignoring the evening’s no-camera policy would be ground up as the secret ingredient to the mystery meat. Maynard James and Keenan Carina Round walked out on stage on the left of Gunnar Olsen, with Mat Mitchell and Greg Edwards on the right to start the evening with “Bread and Circus.” “Postulous” then brought Keenan and Round to the stage front, gesticulating in synchronization during the song to cheers from the audience. As the song ended, someone in the photo pit dressed as Billy D taking cell phone photos of the band got lifted onto the stage and thrown over a security worker’s shoulder as Maynard repeatedly declared him as ‘SPAM’ (to comedic effect).

Following a loose theme of alien infiltration into our masses via celebrity cloning, this evening’s concert was peppered with aliens on stage scanning the audience and attempting to thwart the musicians as songs got played. A Puscifer show features elements of video, lighting, stage performance, and live skits/miming. Maynard James Keenan and Carina Round underwent a series of wardrobe changes throughout the show, at one point utilizing a microphone stand mounted to their midsections to clever effect. For the last five songs of the evening, Keenan was on stage as Billy D, drinking glass in hand, trying to get a refill from band members and random aliens on stage at the time.

In summary, everyone’s favourite Arizona winemaker and his collective of like-minded entertainers delivered the goods. Throughout 18 songs in just under two hours, Puscifer entertained. The combination of theatrics, comedy, musicality, and stage synchronization proved to be a feast for the ears and eyes. Attendees left the venue satisfied with the treasures the evening revealed.

Puscifer Toronto Setlist:

Agent Dick Merkin Video (Spam)
Bread and Circus
Postulous
Fake Affront
The Underwhelming
Grey Area
Theorem
UPGrade
Agent Dick Merkin Video (Celebrity Clone)
Apocalyptical
The Remedy
A Singularity
Momma Sed
Horizons
The Humbling River
Agent Dick Merkin Video (Afflictions)
Bullet Train to Iowa
Vagina Mine
Flippant
Conditions of My Parole
Bedlamite

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