Puscifer Closes Out “Normal Isn’t” Tour with Sonic Precision and Absurdist Humor at The Greek Theater
There is something profoundly refreshing about a concert where the performance is not viewed through a sea of glowing smartphones. Per Maynard James Keenan’s strict, career-long policy, devices were banned at Greek Theatre until the final song of the night, forcing the crowd into full, undivided presence, a fitting atmosphere for the final chaotic stop of Puscifer’s “Normal Isn’t” tour.
The evening traced a brilliant narrative arc, beginning as a serious, somber and deeply artistic performance before gradually devolving into glorious, lighthearted absurdity. Visually, the production was striking, centered around an imposing two-tier stage. For much of the night, Keenan and Carina Round loomed on the upper level bathed in shadows, operating like avant-garde puppet masters over a flawless sonic landscape.
Musically, the band was in pristine form, delivering a performance that leaned heavily on their newest material. True to the tour’s name, the setlist was anchored firmly in their latest output, featuring a massive 10-track run from Normal Isn’t, including openers “Thrust” and “Self Evident,” alongside deeper cuts such as “Seven One” and “A Public Stoning.” The live instrumentation, spearheaded by Matt Mitchell on the left side of the stage, and the vocal harmonies were executed with immaculate precision, allowing the complex arrangements to sound remarkably close to their polished studio counterparts. The crowd was particularly receptive to “ImpetuoUs” and “Conditions of My Parole,” the latter being one of the older songs performed.
Yet as the night progressed, the serious artistic veneer of the newer tracks began to crack in the best way possible, giving way to a masterclass in surrealist humor. Comedian Dave Hill made a memorable and bizarre entrance by riding a BMX bike around the stage. The theatricality peaked during the Money Shot classic “The Remedy,” which featured a hilariously choreographed mock argument between Keenan and Round. The dispute escalated into a full-blown duel involving increasingly ridiculous weapons, including a crossbow and a Nerf gun. Not to be outdone in the comedy department, Keenan also whipped out a Shake Weight during the new track “Mantastic,” keeping perfect time with the rhythm while deadpanning toward the audience.
By the end of the night, the grueling reality of the road had clearly caught up to the frontman. Right before launching into the final song, Keenan candidly confessed, “I’m fucking tired,” while addressing the crowd, a weary nod to the relentlessness of a major tour.
Once the band took their bows and exited, the stage was not left empty. Hill returned to officially close out the tour, unleashing a wave of blistering guitar shreds that echoed through the venue as the crowd filtered out. It was a perfectly strange and technically flawless conclusion to a tour that proved, if nothing else, normal really is not Puscifer’s style.
Setlist;
01. Thrust
02. Self Evident
03. Bad Wolf
04. Normal Isn’t
05. The Algorithm
06. The Quiet Parts
07. Pendulum
/’Bangers and Mashups’ Video Interlude/
08. The Arsonist
09. Mantastic
10. Bullet Train To Iowa
11. The Remedy
/10 Minute Intermission/
12. The Humbling River
13. ImpetuoUs
14. Momma Sed (Versatile remix)
15. Seven One
16. Grand Canyon
17. Conditions of My Parole
18. A Public Stoning
Photo Credit: [Martin Watson]
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