Puscifer Bring Wrestling, Smoke and Mirrors to Phoenix
“Life is too short not to create something with every breath we draw” -- this is Puscifer’s creative motto and they celebrate it with pride during every live performance. Puscifer seemed especially inspired at their March 18 show at Comerica Theatre in Phoenix and we were there to document the occasion.
The band, made up of the ever-enchanting vocalist Carina Round, master-mixer and guitarist Mat Mitchell, ex-Ministry bassist Paul Barker, time-keeper Jeff Friedl, keyboardist/vocalist Masha Zargaran (Omniflux) and Maynard James Keenan, are currently touring the United States on Round Two of the group's Money Shot Tour. Entrancing audiences with stunning visuals and a ringside wrestling match, Puscifer's show is actually headed by a luchador group known as Luchafer.
With a packed house and the stage set for a wrestling match, the lights slowly dimmed and the audience was divided into two halves; red and blue. Both halves of the crowd took sides cheering for the red and blue tag teams duking it out. Punches were thrown, hair was pulled and missile dropkicks were landed as the fighting ensued to no end.
After an enthralling wrestling match, the lights were dimmed again, and a friendly PSA on opposing ends of the stage was shown just before Jeff Friedl’s familiar beat to the song “Simultaneous” began. The dark amphitheater suddenly lit up as the rest of Puscifer took their respective spots onstage.
Maynard James Keenan’s vocals were in beautiful harmony with Carina Round’s while Mat Mitchell’s guitar, in tune with Paul Barker’s bass and Omniflux’s keyboard, made the brilliance of the act's music even more evident. This, all in tune with the stunning visuals that accompanied Puscifer's show throughout the night, made for an incredible gig that won't be easily forgotten.
Playing songs from the new album Money Shot such as the hit “Grand Canyon,” along with older favorites like “Vagina Mine” and “Conditions of My Parole,” Puscifer never ceased to amaze. The traveling circus' stage performance is unlike anything you have ever witnessed, and is a must-see. As Maynard James Keenan puts it, “There are those who know, and there are those who will know soon enough.”
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