By: Brian Maddox
Huntsville, AL (The Hollywood Times) 05/05/2025 –
Just imagine if you will; you’re a world-renowned vocalist, with multitudes of platinum selling albums under your belt from at least 3 different musical projects in your repertoire. In the span of 3 decades, you’ve amassed a monumental following that numbers in the multi-millions and you’re turning 61. How would you celebrate such a milestone birthday?
For Maynard James Keenan, frontman of prominent bands like Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, this occasion is marked by putting together a special event known as Sessanta V 2.0. Unlike traditional concerts, all three bands share the stage simultaneously, rotating through interwoven setlists and occasionally joining each other’s performances, creating a seamless, genre-defying experience.
The format includes a double-decker stage, dynamic lighting, and a no-phones policy to ensure immersion. The tour emphasizes creative collaboration, blending Primus’ funky basslines, A Perfect Circle’s atmospheric rock, and Puscifer’s experimental sound.
Sessanta V 2.0 builds on the success of the 2024 Sessanta tour, which Keenan described as “probably one of my favorite tours I’ve ever done.” The tour’s innovative format sees all three bands sharing the stage simultaneously, rotating through interwoven sets and swapping musicians for dynamic performances. This seamless integration, coupled with Puscifer’s circus-like theatricality, creates a show that feels more like a collaborative celebration than a traditional concert. One highlight included Keenan and Primus’s Les Claypool playfully jabbing at each other’s age with each frontman planted on a stair chair lift situated on either side of the stage in a race to the top. Keenan won by a mere few inches.
A brief birthday nod included a cake and balloon, met with a standing ovation, before the bands dove into a seamless setlist. Keenan, visibly relaxed, leaned into the chaos, with the show described as “one of the most underrated live experiences out there” for its bold, ego-free format.
Running through June 2025, Sessanta V 2.0 visits cities like San Antonio, Toronto, and Grand Rapids, bringing Keenan’s “extended birthday party” to fans who missed the first round. The tour recently made a stop at Huntsville’s prestigious Orion Amphitheater on Sunday May 4th to a near sold out crowd that happily withstood the brief bout of rain during the opening of A Perfect Circle’s “The Package,” which was beautifully fitting with the song’s ethereal tone.
With its blend of musical mastery and irreverent fun, the tour cements Keenan’s legacy as a boundary-pushing artist who thrives on action over nostalgia.
For more information about the tour, please visit:
