Photos by BRIDGET O’BRIEN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Vocalist Maynard James Keenen, also a member of
the band Tool, took center stage during A Perfect Circle’s Tuesday
night performance at UC Irvine.
By Chris Moriates
Daily Bruin Contributor
Good music cannot be kept a secret.
Five months ago the rock band A Perfect Circle, fronted by
Maynard James Keenan (also of Tool), played to a large, but less
than capacity crowd at UCSD. Tuesday, however, was a very different
experience. The band performed in front of a rowdy, sold-out crowd
at the UCI Bren Center, illustrating A Perfect Circle’s
astronomical growth.
The moment the lights went out and female bass player Paz
Lenchantin took center stage with her electric violin, the crowd
erupted. But that was nothing compared to the chaos that ensued a
few minutes later when Keenan, clothed in a simple outfit, with his
trademark long brown wig and beanie, finally arrived to take the
microphone.
The show was full of emotion and gothic imagery, relying on a
dark ambiance and simple but captivating lighting. The onslaught of
music was intense and alive with constant mood swings, as Keenan
and company led the crowd through the intricate tosses and turns of
their compositions.
Keenan seemed very subdued at the beginning of the performance,
appearing as if he was going to fall asleep at any moment during
the mellow introduction. However, as the set progressed Keenan
loosened up, as did his shirt (which slowly worked its way off over
the course of the set).
 Photos by BRIDGET O’BRIEN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Guitarist Billy Howerdel of A Perfect Circle
intensely plays the second song of the night,”Thinking of
You.”
Guitarist Billy Howerdel and Keenan are captivating showmen,
leading the audience into a trance and then ripping them out of it
without a seconds warning.
The sullen violin intro worked into the mellow instrumental
“Renholder” and then broke into the fiery
“Thinking of You,” with the crowd jumping on top of
themselves to scream the tagline “sweet
revelation.”
The quintet delivered a solid performance of songs from its
debut album, the successful “Mer de Noms,” along with a
special David Bowie cover song, “Ashes to Ashes.”
Although the show unfortunately lacked the gripping
“Sleeping Beauty” and A Perfect Circle’s
trademark “Diary of a Love Song” (an unbelievable
hybrid of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Diary of a Madman” and
The Cure’s “Love Song”), fans were not left with
much to complain about after the over-one-hour-long
performance.
Surprisingly, one of the highlights of the performance was the
obligatory appearance of the radio hit “Judith,” which
came as the third to last song.
“Yesterday this was a love song, but today it’s
not,” Keenan explained before the soaring guitars broke into
the recognizable “Judith” riff and a powerful crowd
sing-a-long broke out.
The set also featured a hard-hitting version of the quiet
“Mer de Noms” as the band breathed new life into the
song, “Over.” The compelling performance came to a
close with the next single from “Mer de Noms,” the
high-energy “The Hollow.”
Keenan seemed content on turning his back to the crowd and
concentrating on his vocal delivery more than theatrics. But then
again, Keenan has one of the most naturally entrancing stage
presences in modern rock.
A major drawback to the concert was its location. The sound
system was merely adequate and did not do the intricate music or
Keenan’s smooth voice justice. The crowd was just plain
dangerous, as they seemed willing to trample people that fell to
the ground in an effort to get closer to Keenan, and some even
moshed during calm songs like “3 Libras” (were they
listening to the same song as the rest of the crowd?). The show
also ended at a not-so-rock-‘n’-roll time of 10:30 p.m.
sharp. A band with such depth and tone is not a perfect fit in a
college basketball stadium, but the show was magical
nonetheless.
Keenan continually thanked the crowd for their
“ever-loving support.” He also discussed his upcoming
birthday about halfway through the show.
“So, my birthdays coming up soon,” Keenan informed.
“What are you going to get me?”
Overall the concert was an amazing experience. Howerdel’s
guitar prowess was magnetic and Keenan’s characteristic vox
and mesmerizing presence were inspiring.