Concert Reviews

Puscifer Concert Photos and Review

by Brooks Robinson

Updated May 16, 2026

Puscifer – San Diego Civic Theatre – May 13, 2026

I was completely unprepared for Wednesday night’s Puscifer show in San Diego. I’ve been to hundreds of concerts, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard cleaner sound, with the possible exception of David Gilmour at the Hollywood Bowl in 2016, and that’s rarified air. The lighting, choreography, and musicianship were off the chart, and the 3000 people packed inside the San Diego Civic Theatre got the show of their lives.

Puscifer

I became aware of Puscifer almost 20 years ago when “Cuntry Boner” suddenly came blasting out of my satellite radio, and I almost crashed my car listening to the lyrics. I had no idea they were a Maynard James Keenan project at first, but as I did a deep dive into them, I soon came to realize what an interesting venture it was. Despite having the same vocalist and leader, Puscifer sounded nothing like Tool or A Perfect Circle – comedic at times, theatrical always, with live shows that could easily be considered performance art, they looked and sounded like no one else.

The new album Normal Isn’t came out in February, and ten of the eighteen songs performed on this night were from it. While leaning heavily into the new material, the evening’s setlist was curated like a favorite record from the 1970’s, where extreme care was taken so that one song would set up the next, and you’d be taken on a sonic journey as the evening unfolded and revealed itself.

The stage had two levels, and the show started with Maynard and Carina Round atop the upper level in front of a video screen displaying “Puscifer” and behind the drums and dual Moog keyboards. They descended the stairs during the second song, and both spent most of the night close to the audience. The lighting was moody and theatrical, and continually shifting in intensity, color, and what was being hidden or revealed. The third full-time member Mat Mitchell on guitar and keyboards sounded incredible – I can’t stress how amazing the musicianship was at this show, further complimented by Gunnar Olsen on drums, and Josh Moreau on bass. As mentioned earlier, the sound was superb, with each instrument and voice clearly definable, with nothing getting muddied in the mix. The stellar acoustics provided exactly the right atmosphere for Carina’s haunting and ethereal voice to form a textured and symbiotic bond with Maynard vocals, creating an unreal sonic experience. In addition to the next-level acoustics, the visuals and choreography between Maynard and Carina demanded your full attention, with the only decision required was who to look at.

While “Cuntry Boner” was nowhere to be found in the setlist, Maynard did bring out a Shake Weight during “Mantastic”, and opening act comedian Dave Hill appeared on stage during “The Remedy” to present a wooden box holding two Nerf handguns for a duel between Maynard and Carina. Both faced off, before taking ten paces, turning, and firing. When toy pistols proved ineffective, Maynard moved to a crossbow, while Carina emerged holding a large, over-the-top Nerf gun to get in the final word.

A cool element was the no photo/video policy. Signs were posted everywhere, and security was roaming the theater to keep people from pulling out their phones and causing a distraction, both to the performers and the audience. I’ve been to shows where phones were placed in a sealed bag for the duration of the show, but this version using the honor system proved to be effective, with zero phones coming out from my vantage point. It was a welcome addition – while we’d all like to have a souvenir to take home from the show or to post online, being in the moment and enjoying the incredible visual showcase without someone in front sticking their arms up in the air to get their phone higher than the person in front of them was refreshing.

This was one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen. The musicianship was outstanding, and the setting it was presented in was more like a Broadway show than a rock concert, and I mean that in the best possible way. Every element was considered and thought of, and the spectacle was unlike anything I’ve seen at a concert, making for a truly memorable night.

Puscifer is:

Maynard James Keenan – Vocals
Carina Round – Vocals
Mat Mitchell – Guitar/Production
Gunnar Olsen – Drums
Josh Moreau – Bass

Setlist:

1) Thrust

2) Self Evident

3) Bad Wolf

4) Normal Isn't

5) The Algorithm

6) The Quiet Parts

7) Pendulum

"Bangers and Mashups" Short Film

8) The Arsonist

9) Mantastic

10) Bullet Train to Iowa

11) The Remedy

Intermission

12) Horizons

13) ImpetuoUs

14) Momma Sed (Versatile Mix)

15) Seven One

16) Grand Canyon

17) Conditions of My Parole

18) A Public Stoning

Dave Hill

I discovered Dave Hill a few years ago while scrolling on Instagram. Suddenly there was some awkward guy riding his bike poorly, doing sad parkour, ripping sweet guitar solos, and knocking over and flipping off traffic cones…all to a Pantera soundtrack. Who is this guy?

Not to bore you, but my wife and I went to Europe a few years ago to see concerts. I paid the guitarist of the band we were traveling to see to make a Cameo video to surprise my wife with details of the trip, but it was terrible. Unsolicited, he sent a second video, which was also hilariously awful. Determined to make things right, I hired Dave to do a Cameo video for $40. Dave was great, and went on and on for about six minutes, culminating by suggesting I take my wife to a restaurant in Stokholm Sweden called Rolfs Kök (sound it out phonetically), which we made a point of Ubering to when we were in Stokholm.

Dave’s humor is slightly off kilter, nervous, and uncomfortable. Tonight’s show was filled with an unmotivated demonstration of nunchucks, a rundown of local San Diego locations, pushups, berating his band, and (as he described them) “sweet ass bike tricks” that I would describe as semi-underwhelming and child-like BMX tricks executed in slow motion. I couldn’t gauge if the audience initially knew what was going on, but if not, they figured it out quickly and were soon cheering wildly. He was a perfect fit for Puscifer, and I can see why Maynard chose him to open.

Brooks Robinson Photographer & Writer

Brooks Robinson is an LA-based concert photographer, and 30+ year freelance camera operator for film, television, and music videos. He has photographed some of the largest film/TV projects in history, and hundreds of music videos in MTV's heyday.

Thanks for reading!