According to consequence.net last Sunday Tool’s lead singer Maynard James Keenan dressed up in drag during Tool’s headlining performance at Welcome to Rockville in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Despite the band’s show happening days after Governor Ron DeSantis signed an anti-drag bill into law, Keenan insisted that his outfit “had nothing to do with Florida.”
According to reports, the singer wore a blond wig, red lipstick and prosthetic breasts during the performance. It was not the first time Keenan dressed in drag onstage but the timing seemed to go against the new Florida law that restricts minors from attending drag shows.
During an interview with The Messenger Keenan mention that his actions had nothing to do with Florida.
“I’ve been cross-dressing since long before these clickbait-junkie dupes were out of diapers… It’s pretty crazy the technology and the prosthetics nowadays, how they’ve come along, and I just was considering bringing the look back.”
The singer adds: “And that’s really all there is to it. I’m not a political fella — had nothing to do with Florida.”
While Keenan may not have been making a political statement with his outfit, he did condemn the new law.
“I think limiting people’s access to anything is absurd. Good parenting allows you to teach your kids how to be reasonable and reason and puzzle things out and decide for themselves what the fuck they wanna see or not wanna see.”
Keenan continues: “Nobody’s enforcing it. They just do that and they throw it out there to shore up their base for an election year.”
The singer was asked whether he thought of himself as a member of the drag community, Keenan responded, “I guess so, yeah. On occasion, I am a drag queen; I’ve been a drag queen. I’m casual, so the hardcore people are going to dismiss me as being a tourist.”
As for his look at Welcome to Rockville, the rock star said, “Let’s be honest, I’m 59. So [Sunday] night’s performance looked more like [Game of Thrones‘] Brienne of Tarth on her worst day.”
Keenan concluded, “People that want to express themselves in whatever fucking way they want to express themselves, as long as they’re not physically directly hurting someone? Yeah, go for it. I’m all for ya. If there’s any takeaway, it’s be yourself. Don’t be afraid to be yourself.”
Photo Credit: Marv Watson
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