Puscifer’s “V is for Viagra” tour came to the historic Moore Theater in Seattle on November 11, 2009, an intimate setting with a little over 1,400 seats.
SweetHead opened the evening with eight songs, most of them sounding identical. The lead singer has a great gravelly voice a la Kim Carnes, but she shouts through her songs and needs work on her stagecraft.
Maynard James Keenan appeared on a large video screen inside a tent, appearing to be confused that he was still in Seattle. Like a good egg, he agreed to do one more show for us and the rest of the band got up out of their sleeping bags, lit the BBQ, and made their way to their instruments.
Yes, I said tents and sleeping bags. Camp chairs. Bottles of Chupacabra wine. And a BBQ. OK it had a Disney-esque flame, but it’s the thought that counts.
And the thoughts in the Tool front-man’s head is what we were treated to for about a two-hour show, complete with video billboards, visitors drifting on and off the stage, and Talking–Heads style monitors scattered at all angles. If you like Tool or APC, you will love Puscifer, and if you haven’t gotten around to listening to either of the former, Puscifer is a grand introduction to Keenan’s genius. This show had material from the two already-released albums and selections from their upcoming offering.
Throughout this tour, the props and band members change, but tonight Ted Alexander, Matt Mitchell, Johnny Polonski, and Jeffrey Brooks did the honors. Every few songs or so, a video interlude played that asked the burning question: “What Is A Puscifer?”
Keenan’s voice is a classic, able to project thought and emotion while leading listeners deeper into the tracks. Powerful anthem songs “DoZo” and “The Undertaker” took full advantage of the acoustics at the Moore, especially when Alexander let loose on the kettle set.
I didn’t catch the name of the female vocalist onstage tonight, but she and Keenan stood behind monitors that projected them at the mics so the effect was that of a giant video head and a normal sized body standing below. Although that was disconcerting, it lent a techno air to the retro stage props and actually worked out all right.
I’m the type of music fan who can listen to a good musical score, but if the lyrics don’t make sense or are just stupid, I won’t download it. There were no negatives to the music from Puscifer: lots of bass and drums and an orchestral feeling to the keyboard work made songs like “The Mission” and “Queen B” a pure listening pleasure, but the lyrics are satirical enough to satisfy the alternative/industrial poet in anyone, and both of those songs are definitely in my playlists now.
“The Humbling River” closed the show, and is a compelling plea for peace laced between hypnotic drums and guitar with dynamic harmonies. Afterwards, the audience was treated to copies of V Is For Vagina CDs and if there was anyone who wasn’t convinced that they had already scored with this small-venue extravaganza, this should have done it.
I’ve seen Tool in concert and loved them, but this show made Keenan seem somehow more personal and responsive to the audience. If this is the kind of project that he does between Tool albums, me and those other 1400+ fans will be just fine with that.
And yes, Tim Alexander in a Little Red Riding outfit is funny.
DOWNLOAD: Puscifer - Queen B (MP3) or Follow us for more Puscifer MP3s (Twitter)
Two songs go in, one comes out. Pick a side.
Columbus Short Would be an excellent match for Sam Cooke (especially if this movie was to include Sam’s Soul Stirrer years). Just as long as in the movie Sam does the singing of course lol. But as far as physical resemblance my boy Columbus Short all the way. View this clip of Cadillac Records were he played lil walter… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmxTbcnW6bY
by Akin Z on Wed Feb 1, 2012 at 12.37 am from the entry: Sam Cooke to get a movie
Oops meant Aloe Blacc not Black. Sorry about the typo. If you doubt that he should play Sam check him out here on you tube singing Loving you is Killing me. The likeness is uncanny - but the voice is quite different.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yJuyaVcL2I&feature=artist
by Tamara L on Tue Jan 31, 2012 at 08.30 am from the entry: Sam Cooke to get a movie
I have read the Peter Guralnick book and it is thoroughly researched down to the minutest detail. Amazing.
I would go for Aloe Black because he looks so much like Sam, but for heaven’s sake why are we talking about the quality of the actor’s singing? Sam’s singing has got to be dubbed in. We want the real thing not an impersonator. There is only one Sam Cooke. The actor can act, let Sam do the songs.
by Tamara L on Tue Jan 31, 2012 at 08.24 am from the entry: Sam Cooke to get a movie
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by Dirty Ice on Tue Jan 24, 2012 at 11.04 pm from the entry: Yasiin Bey - Fete (Providence, RI; Dec.10, 2011)
John Boutte should play Sam Cooke. Except the point someone made about him dying young, this is true. Boutte may be a bit too old.
by Brendan on Tue Jan 17, 2012 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Sam Cooke to get a movie
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by asdsad on Tue Jan 17, 2012 at 04.29 am from the entry: Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic Weigh In On Kurt Avatar
Blacks say the word 50+ times a day. Fuck the double standard, stop trying to create controversy.
by Steve C on Fri Jan 13, 2012 at 02.00 pm from the entry: John Mayer is about to get swallowed up in public outrage
sounds like a really interesting show. I didn’t know you were allowed to bbq indoors…
nice job!