A strange, immersive night with Puscifer at Terminal 5 in NYC
I consider myself pretty well versed in a variety of music genres. My own vinyl collection feels like it has a multiple personality disorder. But somehow, I had never heard of Puscifer, the experimental project of Maynard James Keenan, the frontman Tool and A Perfect Circle.
I put on the first track that popped up on my phone and that was it. I was hooked. Keenan’s voice is unmistakable, paired with hypnotic rhythms from Mat Mitchell’s guitar work and echoed with the haunting voice of Carina Round.
Honestly, I’m always drawn to artists who create something that’s instantly recognizable as their own. But what caught me off guard was realizing this project has been around since the early 2000s and somehow our paths never crossed.
Puscifer sits on an experimental rock foundation, layered with post-industrial textures, and coated with clever songwriting to seal it all together. It all comes together in a way that doesn’t really sound like anything else. Or maybe anything from this timeline.
Which explains how I ended up at a no-phone show at Terminal 5 in Hell’s Kitchen on a Tuesday, transported into a dark, theatrical universe, greeted by futuristic messengers sent to warn us about the dysfunction and absurdity of right now.
DAVE HILL
But before entering the portal to Keenan’s creative kingdom, fans were greeted by a jester of sorts, dressed in a linen jumpsuit embroidered with large, colorful, tattoo-like designs.
That jester came in the form of comedian Dave Hill. He leaned fully into the role, from a clumsy entrance on a BMX bike to a slightly unhinged routine, before riffing on a brightly colored Flying V guitar and delivering New York–themed pickup lines.
Somehow it all worked.
PUSCIFER
During the intermission, a large set was unveiled, elevated with a staircase running down the center to the main stage. Behind it, a large video screen that played crucial element in the visuals for the night.
Before the set, with animated cartoons of Bellendia Black and Fanny Grey, two eccentric characters in the Puscifer universe, warning fans to put their phones away or be vaporized, repeating the message until the crowd was prompted to verbally confirm their compliance, like some sort of cultish oath.
The video ended, and for a moment the crowd went quiet. Then Black and Grey emerged at the top of the elevated set, singing the opening lines to “Thrust” as they met at the staircase and began descending together. By the time they reached the main stage, they were already locked into each others orbit, moving in a slow, deliberate rotation, their vocals swirling above the pulsing guitars and bass.
There was a narrative in the way they moved, how they interacted with each other, the entire set, even the smallest props (yes, even the shake weight). It kind of had a shaman-like presence to it.
About half the set pulled from their 2026 release Normal Isn’t, and woven together with older material, the whole thing flowed seamlessly. Like turning pages in a graphic novel, each song was its own chapter, building on the last until a larger story. And fittingly, those same comics were waiting over at the merch table.
After taking in the first half of the set from GA, I made my way up to the balcony. Watching from above, a fan next to me mentioned how you could just feel the music resonating through you. I completely agreed with him. The whole room at Terminal 5 felt like a multi-sensory, almost multi-dimensional space.
Despite all the theatrics, it never felt forced. It was believable, if that makes sense. And the best part, everyone in the crowd complied. No phones, no distractions. It completely changed the experience.
And in its own slightly cultish way, what happened in that room stayed there. You either were there to see it or you hear about it after, passed along in stories the same way Black and Grey did that night.
Puscifer is still on the road through mid-May, and this show is one worth prioritizing, even if it means grabbing a resale ticket. And if you’re anything like me when it comes to merch, each city on the run has its own customized pieces, something specific to take home that ties you back to that night.
Keep scrolling for the setlist and the remaining tour dates!
PUSCIFER SETLIST
Terminal 5, New York, New York (4/7/2026)
We Understand (Video)
Thrust
Self Evident
Bad Wolf
Normal Isn’t
The Algorithm
The Quiet Parts
Pendulum
Bangers and Mashups (Video)
The Arsonist
Mantastic
Bullet Train to Iowa
The Remedy
[Intermission]
The Humbling River
ImpetuoUs
Momma Sed (Versatile Mix)
Seven One
Grand Canyon
Conditions of My Parole (with Dave Hill)
A Public Stoning (with Dave Hill)
