The “Pusci-verse” expanded a little further this past Halloween weekend as Maynard James Keenan and his core art-rock troupe of Mat Mitchell and Carina Round celebrated the holiday with the release of not one, but two live-stream concert experiences dubbed “V Is for Versatile” and “Parole Violator.” Puscifer, no stranger to these online events, explored what the at-home concert experience could be like during the pandemic. In October 2020, they took their fans to the Arizona desert with the critically-acclaimed and conceptual “Existential Reckoning: Live at Arcosanti.” The following year, Puscifer delivered a music-meets-theater incarnation with “Billy D & the Hall of Feathered Serpents featuring ‘Money $hot’ by Puscifer.”
While Keenan’s creative mind is no longer being confined to online endeavors forced upon him by COVID-19 – Puscifer are winding down their “Existential Reckoning” tour with an added leg of North American Fall dates this month – his appetite for such events cannot be assuaged. Joined by Greg Edwards (bass), Juliette Commagere (keyboards) and Gunnar Olsen (drums), Puscifer have won the internet all over again with these final two films (created and co-directed by Keenan) in their album-by-album streaming events. Known for their thematic, multimedia-laced tours, Puscifer‘s transition from live performances to film is a natural extension of the music-meets-acting troupe, a trait that is absolutely palpable throughout the duration of these two.
“V is for Versatile: A Puscifer Concert Film featuring music from the V is for… era” – Photo by Priscilla C. Scott
“V Is for Versatile” (running time 1:08:27)
The first of the two films, filmed in Studio 3 at the legendary Sunset Sound recording studio in Los Angeles, gives Puscifer fans a behind-the-scenes look at the band’s re-recording and re-interpretation of songs from their 2007 debut studio album “V Is for vag**a.” At approximately the midway point of the film, we step away from the studio and into the War Room as we follow Agent Dick Merkin, Major Douche (pronounced “do-shay” by the major himself) and a cast of characters discuss the rescue mission to save Billy D who has apparently been abducted and drugged by the Mexican cartel until he tells them were ‘the briefcase’ is located. A few songs from ““V Is for vag**a” were not re-arranged for the film, including “Drunk with Power,” “Sour Grapes” and “REV 22:20.” However, these tracks were replaced by V Is For era offerings “Potions” (from the 2009 EP “C Is for (Please Insert Sophomoric Genitalia Reference Here)”, “Dear Brother” and “Breathe” (both from the 2013 EP “Donkey Punch the Night”) and “Humbling River” (from the soundtrack for the documentary film Sound Into Blood Into Wine, about Maynard‘s Arizona vineyard and winery).
“V Is for Versatile” Cast: Maynard James Keenan as Agent Dick Merkin / Jacob Vargas as General 1 / Esme Bianco as General 2 / Billy Howerdel as General 3 / Laura Milligan as General 4 / Mark Fite as General 5 / Mat Mitchell as Pusciforce Agent / Carina Round as Pusciforce Agent / Tim Cadiente (Puscifer’s in-house photographer) as himself
”Parole Violator: A Puscifer Concert Film featuring Conditions of My Parole” – Photo by Priscilla C. Scott
“Parole Violator” (running time 1:09:55):
Continuing with the theme of old songs becoming new songs all over again, the second cinematic live-stream performance by Puscifer is a track-by-track re-imagination of 2011’s “Conditions of My Parole,” filmed live at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles. The theater’s onstage segments are supplemented with the new adventures of Billy D and Hildy Berger, and of course Peter Merkin, all of which are hilariously chronicled in short vignettes from a bar, jail cell and courtroom where Billy D faces multiple charges including 4 counts of public intoxication, 57 counts of public urination, 8 parole violations, 497 counts of public nuisance and disturbing the peace and 16 counts of jaywalking. As the film nears its conclusion, we find the band moving from The Wiltern stage to Maynard’s Arizona homestead for campfire renditions of “Conditions of My Parole” and “Tumbleweed,” before exiting into an Airstream travel trailer.
“Parole Violator” Cast: Maynard James Keenan as Judge Douche and Billy D / Laura Milligan as Hildy Berger and jury / Mark Brooks as Peter Merkin / Adam Rothlein as Bailiff 1 / Dino Paredes as Bailiff 2 / Emily Kavanaugh as the bartender / Anna Oliver as the girl at the bar / Tim White as the cop
Both “V Is for Versatile” and “Parole Violator” have album companions (available on vinyl and CD), as well as a selection of Limited-Edition merchandise, available now via puscifertv.com. The live-stream films premiered October 28 and were originally available on-demand for 72 hours. However, for those of you not able to catch them yet, you are in luck, as they have each been extended to November 7. Do not miss them!
