Maynard James Keenan
Encyclopedia
Maynard James Keenan is an American rock
singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, winemaker, and actor. Originally from Ohio
, Keenan spent his high school and college years in Michigan
. After serving in the Army
in the early 1980s, he attended Kendall College of Art and Design
in Grand Rapids
. He moved to Los Angeles
, California
in 1988 to pursue a career in interior design and set construction. He formed the band Tool
with Adam Jones
shortly thereafter.
Keenan is best known as the lead singer of the multi-platinum
rock bands Tool
and A Perfect Circle
with whom he has released four and three studio album
s, respectively. In 2003 he created Puscifer
as a side project, financing and releasing its first studio album in October 2007. Since rising to fame, Keenan has been a noted recluse, although he does emerge to support charitable causes.
In addition to his music career, he has performed improvisational stand-up comedy and ventured into acting. He is the current owner of Merkin Vineyards and the associated winery, Caduceus Cellars
, and has part ownership of Stronghold Vineyards, all located in Arizona
, where he lives. Among other business ventures, he is a partner in the Los Angeles restaurant Cobras & Matadors, and owns a produce market
and an organic
market in Cornville, Arizona
, the latter featuring a tasting room for his wines as well as a food court.
, Ohio, on April 17, 1964, the only child of Judith Marie and Michael Loren Keenan. When his parents divorced in 1968, his father, a high school teacher, moved to Michigan
and Keenan would only see him about once a year for the next 12 years. His mother remarried, bringing Keenan into an "intolerant and unworldly household", where his intelligence and creative expression would be stifled. When Keenan was 11, his mother suffered a paralyzing cerebral aneurysm
, which would later serve as the inspiration for many of his creative works. A few years later, she persuaded Keenan to live with his father in Michigan. Keenan considers this "the best move [he] ever made."
Inspired by Bill Murray
's performance in the 1981 comedy film Stripes
, Keenan joined the United States Army
, with the intention of having the G.I. Bill fund his dream of attending art school
. By this point, he had lived in Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey
, New York
, Oklahoma
, Kansas
, and Texas
. He initially served in the Army as a forward observer
before studying at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School (West Point Prep School) from 1983 to 1984. In addition to completing a rigorous math and English curriculum, he ran on the cross country team and sang in the glee club
. It was during his time in the military that he adopted the sobriquet
"Maynard" on a whim. He was distinguished in basic and advanced training, but declined an appointment to West Point
and instead chose to pursue a music career because of his disillusionment with his colleagues' values and because he knew West Point would not tolerate his dissidence.
Upon completing his term of enlistment, he studied art at Kendall College of Art and Design
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
. In 1988, he relocated to Los Angeles where his love of animals led him to practice interior design for pet stores, before he was quickly fired and began working in set construction
. During the 1980s, Keenan played bass guitar
for TexA.N.S. and sang for Children of the Anachronistic Dynasty, both independent bands.
who had heard him singing on a demo
in college. Impressed with Keenan's vocals, Jones suggested that they form a band. Although reluctant at first, Keenan agreed and, in 1990, Tool was formed. Fronted by Keenan, the eventual lineup included guitarist
Jones; his neighbor, drummer
Danny Carey
; and bassist
Paul D'Amour
, who would later be replaced by Justin Chancellor
.
Tool signed to Zoo Entertainment in November 1991 and released the Opiate EP the following year. To support this release, the band toured with Fishbone
and Rage Against the Machine
. During a 1993 show at the Church of Scientology
’s Celebrity Centre
in Los Angeles, Keenan (who would later write the lyrics "F*** L. Ron Hubbard
and f*** all his clones" in "Ænema
") bleated like a sheep for a good portion of the show. "Before our set this guy tries to intimidate me by showing me a gun in his jacket," Keenan recalled. "I explained to him that if he pissed me off I’d start a riot."
Shortly thereafter, Tool released their 1993 debut album, Undertow
, in the United States. It was certified gold after just eight months, and platinum less than a year later. In 1994, the band released their single "Prison Sex
"—a song in which Keenan opted to deliver in a slight grunge-style—with a corresponding music video created and directed by Jones. The video was deemed "too graphic and offensive", and was withdrawn by MTV
after a few airings due to "a symbolic dealing with the sensitive subject of child abuse".
In October 1996, the band released their second studio album, Ænima
. The album was certified gold in ten weeks, achieved double platinum in ten months, and won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
in 1998. After the release of the album, Tool began a prolonged legal battle with their label, Volcano Records
(formerly Zoo Records), over contract violations. Following this legal battle, which resulted in a new three-record deal, the members of Tool decided to take some time off. During the hiatus, the band members were outspokenly critical of peer-to-peer file sharing
networks, due to the negative financial impact on artists dependent on success in record sales. During an interview with NY Rock
in 2000, Keenan stated, "I think there are a lot of other industries out there that might deserve being destroyed. The ones who get hurt by MP3
s are not so much companies or the business, but the artists, people who are trying to write songs."
Five years after the release of Ænima, Tool announced a new album, Systema Encéphale, with a 12-song tracklist in January 2001. A month later, the band revealed that the new album was actually titled Lateralus
and that the previous announcement had been a ruse. The album was released in May 2001 to positive reviews. Known for his "dark, intelligent, compelling, and unexpected lyrical twists", Keenan was acclaimed for his songwriting on the album, in which he "doesn’t cross the line from darkness to ugliness ... as often as he has in the past". In an interview with NY Rock, Keenan explained, "Everything we release with Tool is inspired by our music. It doesn't matter if it is a video or if its lyrics. The lyrics for "Schism
" are nothing more than my interpretation of the music." The album became a worldwide success, reaching #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200
albums chart in its debut week, and Tool received their second Grammy Award for the best metal performance of 2001 for "Schism". In 2002, Keenan recorded a song called "Fallen" with 30 Seconds to Mars
that was released on the band's self-titled debut album
.
Fifteen years after the band's formation, Tool had acquired what Dan Epstein of Revolver
described as a devoted "cult
" following, and in May 2006 the band released 10,000 Days
, an album in which Keenan sang about more personal issues in contrast to previous attempts to inspire change. His mother, who inspired the song "jimmy" on Ænima, also served as the inspiration for the two-part song "Wings for Marie" and "10,000 Days (Wings for Marie, Pt 2)", which deals with her 2003 death after 27 years, or around 10,000 days, of suffering. The album sold 564,000 copies in its opening week in the U.S. and was #1 on the Billboard 200 charts. However, 10,000 Days was received less favorably by critics than its predecessor Lateralus had been.
Following 10,000 Days, Tool has one album remaining to fulfill the obligation of its record contract. Though there is little information available on plans for this album, the band is steadily working towards its fifth studio release. Tool has worked around Keenan and his side projects since 1999, starting with the creation of A Perfect Circle
, which has led to several years between projects. Regarding the future of Tool, Keenan stated in a 2007 interview with Spin, "We'll make music together until one of us is dead."
On March 24, 2009, a summer tour was announced on Tool's website, and in a March 26 press release Tool was confirmed as a headliner for the second annual Mile High Music Festival
in Commerce City
, Colorado
, with Widespread Panic
and The Fray
. Tool also headlined Lollapalooza 2009 in Chicago, Illinois
.
, Tool's guitar tech
through the Ænima tour, on a different project. The supergroup
they formed, A Perfect Circle, began performing in 1999 and released its first album Mer de Noms
in 2000. They released a successful follow-up in 2003 titled Thirteenth Step
, a reference to twelve-step program
s (many of the songs were written from the perspective of recovery). Both albums were eventually certified platinum. Their subsequent 2004 album, eMOTIVe, was primarily composed of covers, except for the singles "Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
"—a song inspired by "Pet" that was originally released on Thirteenth Step—and "Passive". Keenan later characterized the record as a political album with which he "tested the waters" and was subsequently "crucified" for it because of the content. It was certified gold the month after its release. That same year they released the DVD and CD set entitled aMOTION
, which was certified platinum within a month of its release.
Despite its success, the future of A Perfect Circle remains uncertain. It is currently on hiatus, partly due to Keenan's commitments to Tool; Howerdel reported in a May 2006 interview with MTV that the supergroup's work was concluded for the time being. After more than two years since the bands last release, Keenan was asked about the status of A Perfect Circle during an interview with Revolver
. He stated:
When asked, in an interview for Spin
that same month, about the possibility of another A Perfect Circle album, Keenan stated, "Maybe, someday, a song on a soundtrack. But an album? No." A year later, on December 9, 2008, blabbermouth.net
reported that Keenan had announced on The Pulse of Radio that he and Howerdel have been writing new music for A Perfect Circle. Keenan also said that the band has no plans to resume full-scale touring, or even to write and record a new album. Instead, they will focus on "one or two songs at a time", which will most likely be released via the Internet.
On August 2, 2010, a seemingly official (but not "verified") Twitter
account for the band was launched with a tweet reading: "It's on." The tweet also linked to the Twitter accounts of Keenan, Howerdel and Puscifer. The following day the account tweeted, "Go tell Aunt Rosie... The old grey goose is dead not," linking to more accounts including those of Danny Lohner and Josh Freese. It is believed that both Freese and James Iha (the latter of whom still refers to himself as a current member of APC) will both be involved. That same day Billy Howerdel tweeted "The APC dust is shaking off!"
, who had formerly performed live with Nine Inch Nails
, but has since been formed as a manifestation of Keenan's "creative subconscious"—meaning that Keenan is now using the name as a pseudonym
for his solo work. Keenan has stated that it is "a premiere improvisational hardcore band", and his "catch-all, stream of consciousness
, anything goes, etc." project. When comparing the project to Tool in an interview with Rolling Stone
, Keenan described it as his "attempt to make music to inspire people. ... This is definitely not thinking man's music, but groove-oriented music that makes you feel good." In a later interview with Artistdirect
, Keenan said that he did not want the lyrics to be puzzles. He wanted the complexity to be in the music, stating "that's the part that gets under your skin and makes you feel good."
In 2006, Puscifer contributed the song "The Undertaker (Renholder Mix)" to the soundtrack of Underworld: Evolution
, where "Renholder", a moniker for Danny Lohner created by the members of A Perfect Circle, is the reversal of "Re: D Lohner". Keenan financed and released the first studio album, "V" Is for Vagina, in October 2007. Created in a tour bus, in several hotel rooms, and in various studios around the country while Keenan toured with Tool, the album is a radical departure from Keenan's contributions in Tool and A Perfect Circle. Tim Alexander
, best known as the drummer for rock band Primus
, was a guest musician on the album. He called Puscifer "trancy and hypnotic" and a "total 180 from Tool". The album was criticized as unfocused and lacking in the passion and intelligence present in Keenan's previous work.
Puscifer is also a clothing line, with merchandise available for purchase on the band's website. On September 16, 2008, Keenan updated the puscifer.com blog, revealing that the first ever Puscifer store would be opening "hopefully" by October 1 in Jerome
, Arizona
. Occupying a small space above a tattoo parlor, the store opened on October 3, 2008. In addition to the merchandise available on the band's online store, Keenan has also made available locally-roasted coffee, art, and limited edition collectibles.
On February 13–15, 2009, Keenan debuted Puscifer at the Pearl Concert Theater in Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas
, with a cabaret
-style show so abstract it is not easily described. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times
, Keenan stated "we didn’t really have any clue what to call it, so we just kind of called it cabaret." Keenan—who has had previous experience with this type of entertainment, having fronted a similar show in Los Angeles before achieving fame with Tool—went on to add that "you just can’t really describe it, you just have to see it, then it makes sense." Featuring an ever-changing lineup of artists including Milla Jovovich
and Primus
drummer Tim Alexander
, the show was originally said to have a long-term residency at the Pearl; however, Keenan later revealed that it was to be only a two-show performance.
Puscifer continued to perform with a revolving lineup throughout 2009 at venues around the Southwest. However, in a November 2009 interview, Keenan stated: "Efforts to confine our beloved enigma to the Southwestern United States have been thwarted. We are compelled beyond all reason to bring the noise Eastward and share our special sauce. Although authorities suggest you be prepared for any and all possibilities, we simply suggest you arrive happy and hungry."
However, after each release Keenan has eventually published his typed lyrics online via the semi-official fansite, with the exception of "Lateralus
", which was published on the official Tool website. Lyrical arrangements are often given special attention, such as in the lyrics to "Lateralus", wherein the number of syllables per line correspond to an arrangement of the Fibonacci number
s, and "Jambi", in which the metrical foot iamb is used. Keenan's lyrics on Ænima and Lateralus focused on philosophy and spirituality—specific subjects range from evolution
and Jungian
psychology in "Forty-Six & 2" and transcendence
in "Lateralus".
In live performances with Tool, Keenan has often been known to be situated on a platform towards the rear of the stage, without a spotlight, facing the backdrop rather than the audience. Breckinridge Haggerty, the band's live video director, says that the dark spaces on stage "are mostly for Maynard". He explains, "a lot of the songs are a personal journey for him and he has a hard time with the glare of the lights when he’s trying to reproduce these emotions for the audience. He needs a bit of personal space, and he feels more comfortable in the shadows." An exception, which surprised even hardcore Tool fans, occurred when a fan climbed on stage and attempted to hug Keenan during the band's performance of "Pushit". After picking the fan up and dropping him to the ground, Keenan wrapped himself around the man's back. He eventually turned the fan to his stomach and sat on his back, where he stayed for "an uncomfortably long period of time." His appearance with Tool has included the Mohawk hairstyle
, wigs, Kabuki
masks, bras
, tights, and his entire body in blue paint. This is contrasted with a variety of long haired wigs while performing with or promoting A Perfect Circle.
His posture on stage is usually bent.
Describing Keenan's contribution to Tool and A Perfect Circle, The New York Times
wrote that "both groups rely on Mr. Keenan's ability to dignify emotions like lust, anger and disgust, the honey in his voice adding a touch of profundity". Keenan's ability as a vocalist has been lauded by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
: after his performance during an Alice in Chains
reunion concert in 2005, freelance journalist Travis Hay saw him as "a natural fit at replacing Layne Staley
". He ranked #21 in Hit Parader
s 2006 list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists", and his unique style of singing has often been considered influential to artists such as Pete Loeffler
of Chevelle
along with Downfaces' second album within.
in the early 1990s. Keenan did sketch comedy on improv nights in comedy clubs in Los Angeles during that time. The two became acquainted and Hicks later opened
some Tool concerts. Best known is a routine Hicks did while on tour with Tool during the Lollapalooza
tour in 1993, when he asked the audience to look for a contact lens
he had lost. Keenan repeated this joke on a number of occasions.
Keenan is featured in several segments of Mr. Show
, most notably in the Ronnie Dobbs sketch presented in the first season. In one scene, he is seen being arrested with Dobbs. Later in the sketch he is featured wearing a wig as the lead singer of the then-fictitious band "Puscifer
". When asked about the arrest of Dobbs, Keenan replies "Guilty? Yeah. I'm sure he's guilty but... he knows it. I mean, you're guilty, and you don't know it. So... who's really in jail?" He also appears in episode 2.6, "The Velveteen Touch of a Dandy Fop", as one of the viewers of Coupon: The Movie, saying "Now is not the time", waving the cameras off and slapping the microphone out of his face in disgust after walking out of the theater. Later, Keenan would sing on a track for the Mr. Show incarnation Run Ronnie Run
, and appear in the "music video sex scene" on its DVD. Keenan appeared on the cover of the May/June 1999 issue of Pop Smear magazine, portraying Charles Manson
as part of a photo essay, imitating a famous Life magazine
portrait of the imprisoned murderer. He also appeared as Satan
in the 2002 film Bikini Bandits and its 2004 sequel Bikini Bandits 2: Golden Rod. When asked in an interview which role was more difficult, Keenan responded, "Oh, Manson. He’s a real person. People know what he looks like, how he talked. With Satan there’s so much gray area."
In the mid-90s, responding to requests for Tool to perform in benefit shows, Keenan created "Free Frances Bean" tee-shirts to represent his own platform. Frances' mother, Courtney Love
, had previously referred to Keenan as a "media whore" to which he responded, "Isn't that great? I have the distinction of being called a media whore by Courtney Love." He said that after watching "the tornado that is her mother", he thought "Oh my God, how is Frances Bean gonna survive this insanity?" Although it was started as a simple joke, the tee-shirts were soon in high demand and Keenan was giving them away.
On April 1, 2005, the official Tool website announced, as an April Fools' Day
prank, that "Maynard has found Jesus" and would be abandoning the recording of the new album temporarily and possibly permanently. Kurt Loder
of MTV
contacted Keenan via email to ask for a confirmation and received a nonchalant confirmation. When Loder asked again, Keenan's response was simply "heh heh". On April 7, the official site revealed that it was a hoax. During an interview Keenan later stated, "It was April Fools’. If you fall for that on April Fools’ Day, there’s nothing I can do for you." He has been part of other April Fools' pranks related to Tool, including one in which he was said to be in critical condition after a tour bus accident.
Keenan made his major feature film debut in the April 17, 2009, release of Crank: High Voltage. Sharing a scene with the movie's lead, Jason Statham
, Keenan portrays a dog walker "who has an electrifying experience [...] in a public park".
In addition to being part-owner of Cobras & Matadors, an LA restaurant run by Steven Arroyo, and owner of a produce market
in Cornville
, Arizona
; Keenan, whose grandparents and great-uncle made wine
in Northern Italy
(in what is now Southern France
), owns Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars
, based in the unincorporated area of Page Springs/Cornville, Arizona, southwest of Sedona
, where he resides. While the winery is named after an ancient symbol for commerce (caduceus
), the vineyard is named after a pubic wig (merkin
). He is also a partner of Stronghold Vineyards, "an 80-acre site dedicated to producing affordable wines in the state", located in the small, unincorporated area known as Kansas Settlement in Sulfur Springs Valley, Arizona. Keenan's mother died in 2003, at the age of 59, due to complications from an aneurysm. Following her death, he scattered her ashes across one of his vineyards, and later named one of his wines after her, honoring her memory with his Cabernet Sauvignon
"Nagual del Judith". In a statement released in April 2009, Keenan stated:
His previous wines were named after relatives of the Chiricahua Apache
chief Cochise
who lived in the area where the vineyard is located, and were produced at Page Springs Cellars, owned by Keenan's business partner. While those wines used some fruits imported from California, "Nagual del Judith" is the first made entirely from Keenan's own vineyard.
During the fall season of 2008, Keenan began a small tour of sorts with his Stronghold Vineyards partner Eric Glomski, promoting his wine with signing sessions at Whole Foods Market
s in California and Nevada
. The tour continued in 2009 with sessions in Texas
kicking off in March, and appearances scheduled during Tool's 2009 summer tour in Florida
, Massachusetts
, and New Jersey
. In July 2009, Keenan opened an organic market which features a tasting room for his Arizona wines as well as a food court. In an interview with Spinner.com
that same month, Keenan stated that he had been taught by Southwestern chefs "how to make spaghettis and pastas and gnocchis and various soup stocks", which would be made fresh and served at the tastings.
Keenan is featured in Blood Into Wine: The Arizona Stronghold
, a documentary
co-produced by Moog
filmmakers Ryan Page and Christopher Pomerenk that chronicles Keenan and Glomski's embarkation into winemaking in the desert conditions of Arizona's Verde Valley, and the success they've seen in the decade since its inception. The film, which includes appearances from Tim & Eric, Patton Oswalt
, and Milla Jovovich
, is to be shown at the Noise Pop
festival on February 25, 2010, along with another documentary produced by Pomerenk, The Heart is a Drum Machine. It investigates why people create and listen to music, and features Keenan, Jason Schwartzman
, Kurt Loder
, Nic Harcourt
, Juliette Lewis
, and Elijah Wood
.
During an interview on the Australian podcast Wine Week Maynard revealed that his touring with various bands will only occur at times when his winemaking endeavours allow it.
for RAINN
(the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) organized by Tori Amos
(who had often referred to Keenan as an unofficial brother). He is one of the notable performers for Axis of Justice
, a non-profit organization
that brings musicians, fans of music, and grassroots
political organizations together to fight for social justice. In 2004, Axis of Justice released Concert Series Volume 1
. Included are two tracks featuring Keenan on vocals. The second track on the album, "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding
", was recorded live during Lollapalooza in Seattle, Washington
on August 23, 2003. The first track, "Where the Streets Have No Name
", was recorded live during the Axis of Justice Concert Series at The Avalon in Hollywood, California on July 19, 2004. In February 2005, Keenan appeared as a surprise vocalist at a Seattle benefit concert for victims of the 2004 earthquake and tsunami
in southern Asia, performing with the partly reformed Alice in Chains
, in place of the deceased vocalist Layne Staley
, on the songs "Them Bones
", "Man in the Box
", and "Rooster
".
on Keep Telling Myself It's Alright
—the debut album of Ashes Divide
, Billy Howerdel
's post-A Perfect Circle project. It was after the birth of his son that it occurred to Keenan to obscure his own identity in order to prevent his son from being "victimized by [his] career". The song "H.
" is written about Keenan's son, along with mentioning that the title of it is derived from his son's middle name. The song "Wings for Marie (Pt. 1)" holds his mother, Judith Marie Keenan's middle name. The song "Breña" by A Perfect Circle uses the middle name of Keenan's former fiancée, while "Judith
" bears the first name of Keenan's mother.
Keenan has a reputation for being reclusive, elliptical and controlling of his public image. He dislikes the manner in which rock star
s are worshipped, and at one point carried business card
s with the name "Jesus H. Christ" printed on them. Often having to deal with stalkers, Keenan has resorted to using a paintball marker
to run trespassing fans from his property. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
is one of Keenan's pursuits, and he studied under Rickson Gracie
, who is widely considered one of the martial art's greatest practitioners.
With TexA.N.S.
With Children of the Anachronistic Dynasty
With Tool
With A Perfect Circle
As Puscifer
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, winemaker, and actor. Originally from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Keenan spent his high school and college years in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. After serving in the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in the early 1980s, he attended Kendall College of Art and Design
Kendall College of Art and Design
Kendall College of Art and Design, of Ferris State University, is a college of the visual arts in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States...
in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. He moved to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1988 to pursue a career in interior design and set construction. He formed the band Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
with Adam Jones
Adam Jones (musician)
Adam Thomas Jones is a three time Grammy Award-winning Welsh-American musician and visual artist, best known for his position as the guitarist for Grammy-Award winning band Tool. Jones has been rated the 75th Greatest Guitarist of all time by the Rolling Stone and placed 9th in Guitar World's Top...
shortly thereafter.
Keenan is best known as the lead singer of the multi-platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
rock bands Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
and A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle is an American rock supergroup formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. The original incarnation of the band also included Paz Lenchantin on bass, Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, and Tim Alexander on drums...
with whom he has released four and three studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
s, respectively. In 2003 he created Puscifer
Puscifer
Puscifer is a side project of Maynard James Keenan from the bands Tool and A Perfect Circle. As Keenan is the only permanent member and he considers the project to be his "creative subconscious", Puscifer could also be considered a pseudonym for his solo work....
as a side project, financing and releasing its first studio album in October 2007. Since rising to fame, Keenan has been a noted recluse, although he does emerge to support charitable causes.
In addition to his music career, he has performed improvisational stand-up comedy and ventured into acting. He is the current owner of Merkin Vineyards and the associated winery, Caduceus Cellars
Caduceus Cellars
Caduceus Cellars is a winery in the Verde Valley of Arizona, United States owned by Maynard James Keenan, a musician descended from Northern Italian winemakers...
, and has part ownership of Stronghold Vineyards, all located in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, where he lives. Among other business ventures, he is a partner in the Los Angeles restaurant Cobras & Matadors, and owns a produce market
Farmers' market
A farmers' market consists of individual vendors—mostly farmers—who set up booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, to sell produce, meat products, fruits and sometimes prepared foods and beverages...
and an organic
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
market in Cornville, Arizona
Cornville, Arizona
Cornville is a census-designated place in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 3,335 at the 2000 census. The Cornville CDP includes the communities of Cornville and Page Springs....
, the latter featuring a tasting room for his wines as well as a food court.
Early life
James Keenan was born in AkronAkron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, Ohio, on April 17, 1964, the only child of Judith Marie and Michael Loren Keenan. When his parents divorced in 1968, his father, a high school teacher, moved to Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and Keenan would only see him about once a year for the next 12 years. His mother remarried, bringing Keenan into an "intolerant and unworldly household", where his intelligence and creative expression would be stifled. When Keenan was 11, his mother suffered a paralyzing cerebral aneurysm
Cerebral aneurysm
A cerebral or brain aneurysm is a cerebrovascular disorder in which weakness in the wall of a cerebral artery or vein causes a localized dilation or ballooning of the blood vessel.- Signs and symptoms :...
, which would later serve as the inspiration for many of his creative works. A few years later, she persuaded Keenan to live with his father in Michigan. Keenan considers this "the best move [he] ever made."
Inspired by Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
's performance in the 1981 comedy film Stripes
Stripes (film)
Stripes is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P. J. Soles, and John Candy. It also featured several actors in their first significant film roles, including John Larroquette, Sean Young, John Diehl, and Judge Reinhold. It was one...
, Keenan joined the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, with the intention of having the G.I. Bill fund his dream of attending art school
Art school
Art school is a general term for any educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. The term applies to institutions with elementary, secondary, post-secondary or undergraduate, or graduate or...
. By this point, he had lived in Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He initially served in the Army as a forward observer
Artillery observer
A military artillery observer or spotter is responsible for directing artillery fire and close air support onto enemy positions. Because artillery is an indirect fire weapon system, the guns are rarely in line-of-sight of their target, often located tens of miles away...
before studying at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School (West Point Prep School) from 1983 to 1984. In addition to completing a rigorous math and English curriculum, he ran on the cross country team and sang in the glee club
Glee club
A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
. It was during his time in the military that he adopted the sobriquet
Sobriquet
A sobriquet is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. It is usually a familiar name, distinct from a pseudonym assumed as a disguise, but a nickname which is familiar enough such that it can be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation...
"Maynard" on a whim. He was distinguished in basic and advanced training, but declined an appointment to West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
and instead chose to pursue a music career because of his disillusionment with his colleagues' values and because he knew West Point would not tolerate his dissidence.
Upon completing his term of enlistment, he studied art at Kendall College of Art and Design
Kendall College of Art and Design
Kendall College of Art and Design, of Ferris State University, is a college of the visual arts in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States...
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. In 1988, he relocated to Los Angeles where his love of animals led him to practice interior design for pet stores, before he was quickly fired and began working in set construction
Set construction
Set construction is the process by which a set designer works in collaboration with the director of a production to create the set for a theatrical, film or television production...
. During the 1980s, Keenan played bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
for TexA.N.S. and sang for Children of the Anachronistic Dynasty, both independent bands.
Tool
After moving to Los Angeles, Keenan met Adam JonesAdam Jones (musician)
Adam Thomas Jones is a three time Grammy Award-winning Welsh-American musician and visual artist, best known for his position as the guitarist for Grammy-Award winning band Tool. Jones has been rated the 75th Greatest Guitarist of all time by the Rolling Stone and placed 9th in Guitar World's Top...
who had heard him singing on a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
in college. Impressed with Keenan's vocals, Jones suggested that they form a band. Although reluctant at first, Keenan agreed and, in 1990, Tool was formed. Fronted by Keenan, the eventual lineup included guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Jones; his neighbor, drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Danny Carey
Danny Carey
Daniel Edwin "Danny" Carey is an American drummer best known for his work in American Grammy Award-winning rock band Tool...
; and bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Paul D'Amour
Paul d'Amour
Paul D'Amour was the original bass guitarist for Tool. His bass sound was recognized by the aggressive picked tone he developed with his Chris Squire Signature Rickenbacker 4001CS, which can clearly be heard on Tool's first full length album, Undertow.Originally a guitar player, D'Amour became...
, who would later be replaced by Justin Chancellor
Justin Chancellor
Justin Gunnar Walter Chancellor is an English musician formerly in the band Peach but best known as the bass player for Grammy Award-winning rock band Tool. Chancellor is of Norwegian and English descent...
.
Fishbone
Fishbone is a U.S. alternative rock band formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California, which plays a fusion of ska, punk rock, funk, hard rock and soul. Critics have noted of the band: "Fishbone was one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late '80s...
and Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
. During a 1993 show at the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
’s Celebrity Centre
Celebrity Centre
Celebrity Centres are Church of Scientology facilities that are open to the public but serve mostly artists and celebrities and other "professionals, leaders and promising new-comers in the fields of the arts, sports, management and government", as "those are the people who are sculpting the...
in Los Angeles, Keenan (who would later write the lyrics "F*** L. Ron Hubbard
L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...
and f*** all his clones" in "Ænema
Ænema
"Ænema" is a Grammy Award-winning song by rock band Tool, released as the third single from their second album Ænima. Adam Jones made a video for the song using stop-motion animation that appears on Salival. The song reached number twenty-five on the U.S...
") bleated like a sheep for a good portion of the show. "Before our set this guy tries to intimidate me by showing me a gun in his jacket," Keenan recalled. "I explained to him that if he pissed me off I’d start a riot."
Shortly thereafter, Tool released their 1993 debut album, Undertow
Undertow (Tool album)
"Disgustipated" is track 69 on most pressings in North America . It also appears as track 39, track 10 or as a hidden track following "Flood" on track 9...
, in the United States. It was certified gold after just eight months, and platinum less than a year later. In 1994, the band released their single "Prison Sex
Prison Sex (song)
"Prison Sex" is a song by American rock band Tool. The song was released as their first single from their debut album Undertow. The song is unique for its use of modified drop-B tuning.-Music video:...
"—a song in which Keenan opted to deliver in a slight grunge-style—with a corresponding music video created and directed by Jones. The video was deemed "too graphic and offensive", and was withdrawn by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
after a few airings due to "a symbolic dealing with the sensitive subject of child abuse".
In October 1996, the band released their second studio album, Ænima
Ænima
Ænima is the second studio album by American rock band Tool. The album was released on September 17, 1996 in vinyl format and on October 1, 1996 in Compact Disc format. The album was recorded and cut at Ocean Way, Hollywood, California and The Hook, North Hollywood, California from 1995 to 1996...
. The album was certified gold in ten weeks, achieved double platinum in ten months, and won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre...
in 1998. After the release of the album, Tool began a prolonged legal battle with their label, Volcano Records
Volcano Records
Volcano Entertainment is an American rock record label founded in 1996 best known for reissuing albums by Scotti Brothers Records and releasing albums by Tool, 311, Survivor and "Weird Al" Yankovic...
(formerly Zoo Records), over contract violations. Following this legal battle, which resulted in a new three-record deal, the members of Tool decided to take some time off. During the hiatus, the band members were outspokenly critical of peer-to-peer file sharing
Peer-to-peer file sharing
P2P or Peer-to-peer file sharing allows users to download files such as music, movies, and games using a P2P software client that searches for other connected computers. The "peers" are computer systems connected to each other through internet. Thus, the only requirements for a computer to join...
networks, due to the negative financial impact on artists dependent on success in record sales. During an interview with NY Rock
NY Rock
NY Rock is a music website that covers the New York City music scene. Founded in 1996, it contains music and movie news, interviews, concert reviews, a gig guide, feature articles and blogs....
in 2000, Keenan stated, "I think there are a lot of other industries out there that might deserve being destroyed. The ones who get hurt by MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
s are not so much companies or the business, but the artists, people who are trying to write songs."
Five years after the release of Ænima, Tool announced a new album, Systema Encéphale, with a 12-song tracklist in January 2001. A month later, the band revealed that the new album was actually titled Lateralus
Lateralus
Lateralus is the third studio album by American rock band Tool. The album was released on May 15, 2001, and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. On August 5, 2003, Lateralus was certified double platinum by the RIAA. On August 30, 2004 the album was certified Silver by the BPI for...
and that the previous announcement had been a ruse. The album was released in May 2001 to positive reviews. Known for his "dark, intelligent, compelling, and unexpected lyrical twists", Keenan was acclaimed for his songwriting on the album, in which he "doesn’t cross the line from darkness to ugliness ... as often as he has in the past". In an interview with NY Rock, Keenan explained, "Everything we release with Tool is inspired by our music. It doesn't matter if it is a video or if its lyrics. The lyrics for "Schism
Schism (song)
"Schism" is a song by American rock band Tool. It was the first single and music video from their third full-length album, Lateralus. In 2002, Tool won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the song....
" are nothing more than my interpretation of the music." The album became a worldwide success, reaching #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
albums chart in its debut week, and Tool received their second Grammy Award for the best metal performance of 2001 for "Schism". In 2002, Keenan recorded a song called "Fallen" with 30 Seconds to Mars
30 Seconds to Mars
30 Seconds to Mars is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1998. Since 2007, the band has consisted of actor Jared Leto , Shannon Leto and Tomo Miličević...
that was released on the band's self-titled debut album
30 Seconds to Mars (album)
30 Seconds to Mars is the debut studio album by American rock band 30 Seconds to Mars, released on August 21, 2002. The album was produced by Bob Ezrin, Brian Virtue and 30 Seconds to Mars, and was recorded in Los Angeles during 2001 and early 2002...
.
Fifteen years after the band's formation, Tool had acquired what Dan Epstein of Revolver
Revolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
described as a devoted "cult
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
" following, and in May 2006 the band released 10,000 Days
10,000 Days
10,000 Days is the Grammy Award-winning fourth studio album by American rock band Tool. The album was released on April 28, 2006 in parts of Europe, April 29 in Australia, May 1 in the United Kingdom, and May 2 in North America...
, an album in which Keenan sang about more personal issues in contrast to previous attempts to inspire change. His mother, who inspired the song "jimmy" on Ænima, also served as the inspiration for the two-part song "Wings for Marie" and "10,000 Days (Wings for Marie, Pt 2)", which deals with her 2003 death after 27 years, or around 10,000 days, of suffering. The album sold 564,000 copies in its opening week in the U.S. and was #1 on the Billboard 200 charts. However, 10,000 Days was received less favorably by critics than its predecessor Lateralus had been.
Following 10,000 Days, Tool has one album remaining to fulfill the obligation of its record contract. Though there is little information available on plans for this album, the band is steadily working towards its fifth studio release. Tool has worked around Keenan and his side projects since 1999, starting with the creation of A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle is an American rock supergroup formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. The original incarnation of the band also included Paz Lenchantin on bass, Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, and Tim Alexander on drums...
, which has led to several years between projects. Regarding the future of Tool, Keenan stated in a 2007 interview with Spin, "We'll make music together until one of us is dead."
On March 24, 2009, a summer tour was announced on Tool's website, and in a March 26 press release Tool was confirmed as a headliner for the second annual Mile High Music Festival
Mile High Music Festival
The Mile High Music Festival is an annual two-day concert held in Commerce City, Colorado at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, first done on July 19 and 20, 2008...
in Commerce City
Commerce City, Colorado
The city of Commerce City is a Home Rule Municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. Commerce City is a northern suburb of Denver and now the 18th most populous municipality in the state of Colorado...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, with Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring...
and The Fray
The Fray
-Literature:*Fray, a phenomenon in Terry Pratchett's The Carpet People*Fray , a comic book series by Joss Whedon**Melaka Fray, titular character of the comic book series-Music:*"Fray", a song from the album 14 Shades of Grey by Staind...
. Tool also headlined Lollapalooza 2009 in Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
A Perfect Circle
During Tool's post-Ænima hiatus to deal with their legal issues, Keenan began working with Billy HowerdelBilly Howerdel
Billy Howerdel is the founding member, guitarist, songwriter, and producer for the bands A Perfect Circle and Ashes Divide. He has recorded three acclaimed studio albums with the former, and in 2008, Ashes Divide released their debut album, Keep Telling Myself It's Alright.-Early life:Howerdel was...
, Tool's guitar tech
Guitar technician
A guitar technician is a member of a music ensemble's road crew who maintains and sets up the musical equipment for one or more guitarists during a concert tour...
through the Ænima tour, on a different project. The supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
they formed, A Perfect Circle, began performing in 1999 and released its first album Mer de Noms
Mer de Noms
- Symbols :Inside the insert the track names appear to be randomly spelled out in symbols. One way to decipher the symbols is to match the song titles using the normal alphabet with the song titles inside the insert....
in 2000. They released a successful follow-up in 2003 titled Thirteenth Step
Thirteenth Step
Thirteenth Step is the second studio album by American rock band A Perfect Circle, released under Compact Disc format on September 16, 2003. It was a major success reaching the #2 position on the Billboard 200 in its premiere week, selling over 231,000 copies and staying on the charts for 78 weeks....
, a reference to twelve-step program
Twelve-step program
A Twelve-Step Program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems...
s (many of the songs were written from the perspective of recovery). Both albums were eventually certified platinum. Their subsequent 2004 album, eMOTIVe, was primarily composed of covers, except for the singles "Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
"Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums" is the tenth track on the album eMOTIVe by alternative rock band A Perfect Circle. While the rest of the album is filled with covers of songs by earlier artists such as John Lennon, "War Drums" is often regarded as a remix of "Pet", from...
"—a song inspired by "Pet" that was originally released on Thirteenth Step—and "Passive". Keenan later characterized the record as a political album with which he "tested the waters" and was subsequently "crucified" for it because of the content. It was certified gold the month after its release. That same year they released the DVD and CD set entitled aMOTION
AMOTION
-Personnel:* Christopher Abbas – Director* Josh Abrahams – Remixing* Tim Alexander – Group member* Ken Andrews – Mixing* Wes Borland – Remixing* Brothers Strause – Director* Jerry Casale – Director...
, which was certified platinum within a month of its release.
Despite its success, the future of A Perfect Circle remains uncertain. It is currently on hiatus, partly due to Keenan's commitments to Tool; Howerdel reported in a May 2006 interview with MTV that the supergroup's work was concluded for the time being. After more than two years since the bands last release, Keenan was asked about the status of A Perfect Circle during an interview with Revolver
Revolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
. He stated:
When asked, in an interview for Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
that same month, about the possibility of another A Perfect Circle album, Keenan stated, "Maybe, someday, a song on a soundtrack. But an album? No." A year later, on December 9, 2008, blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was officially launched in March 2001...
reported that Keenan had announced on The Pulse of Radio that he and Howerdel have been writing new music for A Perfect Circle. Keenan also said that the band has no plans to resume full-scale touring, or even to write and record a new album. Instead, they will focus on "one or two songs at a time", which will most likely be released via the Internet.
On August 2, 2010, a seemingly official (but not "verified") Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account for the band was launched with a tweet reading: "It's on." The tweet also linked to the Twitter accounts of Keenan, Howerdel and Puscifer. The following day the account tweeted, "Go tell Aunt Rosie... The old grey goose is dead not," linking to more accounts including those of Danny Lohner and Josh Freese. It is believed that both Freese and James Iha (the latter of whom still refers to himself as a current member of APC) will both be involved. That same day Billy Howerdel tweeted "The APC dust is shaking off!"
Puscifer
In 2003, Keenan surfaced under the name "Puscifer" for the song "REV 22:20" on the Underworld film soundtrack. Puscifer was once advertised as a side project with Danny LohnerDanny Lohner
Daniel Patrick "Danny" Lohner , frequently known as Renholdër, is an American rock musician who plays bass guitar, electric guitar, and keyboards. He worked with Trent Reznor on numerous occasions, both with Nine Inch Nails and on the now defunct Tapeworm project...
, who had formerly performed live with Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, but has since been formed as a manifestation of Keenan's "creative subconscious"—meaning that Keenan is now using the name as a pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
for his solo work. Keenan has stated that it is "a premiere improvisational hardcore band", and his "catch-all, stream of consciousness
Stream of consciousness (psychology)
Stream of consciousness refers to the flow of thoughts in the conscious mind. The full range of thoughts that one can be aware of can form the content of this stream, not just verbal thoughts...
, anything goes, etc." project. When comparing the project to Tool in an interview with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Keenan described it as his "attempt to make music to inspire people. ... This is definitely not thinking man's music, but groove-oriented music that makes you feel good." In a later interview with Artistdirect
ARTISTdirect
Founded in 1994, Artistdirect, Inc. is an online digital media entertainment company. It owns several websites including Artistdirect.com, UBL.com and the Artistdirect Network...
, Keenan said that he did not want the lyrics to be puzzles. He wanted the complexity to be in the music, stating "that's the part that gets under your skin and makes you feel good."
In 2006, Puscifer contributed the song "The Undertaker (Renholder Mix)" to the soundtrack of Underworld: Evolution
Underworld: Evolution
Underworld: Evolution is the second installment in the Underworld series, following Underworld in 2003...
, where "Renholder", a moniker for Danny Lohner created by the members of A Perfect Circle, is the reversal of "Re: D Lohner". Keenan financed and released the first studio album, "V" Is for Vagina, in October 2007. Created in a tour bus, in several hotel rooms, and in various studios around the country while Keenan toured with Tool, the album is a radical departure from Keenan's contributions in Tool and A Perfect Circle. Tim Alexander
Tim Alexander
Tim "Herb" Alexander is an American musician, best known as the former drummer for the rock band Primus. Tim played on the Primus recordings Suck on This to Tales from the Punchbowl, before leaving the band in 1996, only to rejoin in 2003 for the EP Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People...
, best known as the drummer for rock band Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
, was a guest musician on the album. He called Puscifer "trancy and hypnotic" and a "total 180 from Tool". The album was criticized as unfocused and lacking in the passion and intelligence present in Keenan's previous work.
Puscifer is also a clothing line, with merchandise available for purchase on the band's website. On September 16, 2008, Keenan updated the puscifer.com blog, revealing that the first ever Puscifer store would be opening "hopefully" by October 1 in Jerome
Jerome, Arizona
Jerome is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 353.-History:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. Occupying a small space above a tattoo parlor, the store opened on October 3, 2008. In addition to the merchandise available on the band's online store, Keenan has also made available locally-roasted coffee, art, and limited edition collectibles.
On February 13–15, 2009, Keenan debuted Puscifer at the Pearl Concert Theater in Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, with a cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
-style show so abstract it is not easily described. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, Keenan stated "we didn’t really have any clue what to call it, so we just kind of called it cabaret." Keenan—who has had previous experience with this type of entertainment, having fronted a similar show in Los Angeles before achieving fame with Tool—went on to add that "you just can’t really describe it, you just have to see it, then it makes sense." Featuring an ever-changing lineup of artists including Milla Jovovich
Milla Jovovich
Milla Jovovich December 17, 1975)is an American model, actress, musician, and fashion designer. Over her career, she has appeared in a number of science fiction and action-themed films, for which music channel VH1 has referred to her as the "reigning queen of kick-butt".Milla Jovovich began...
and Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
drummer Tim Alexander
Tim Alexander
Tim "Herb" Alexander is an American musician, best known as the former drummer for the rock band Primus. Tim played on the Primus recordings Suck on This to Tales from the Punchbowl, before leaving the band in 1996, only to rejoin in 2003 for the EP Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People...
, the show was originally said to have a long-term residency at the Pearl; however, Keenan later revealed that it was to be only a two-show performance.
Puscifer continued to perform with a revolving lineup throughout 2009 at venues around the Southwest. However, in a November 2009 interview, Keenan stated: "Efforts to confine our beloved enigma to the Southwestern United States have been thwarted. We are compelled beyond all reason to bring the noise Eastward and share our special sauce. Although authorities suggest you be prepared for any and all possibilities, we simply suggest you arrive happy and hungry."
Writing and performance style
A primary purpose of Keenan's lyrics for Tool involves a desire to connect with the listeners on a personal level; to encourage them to look within themselves for self-identity, understanding and reflection. Tool does not include lyrics with any releases as Keenan believes most people "don't get it" and it is not a priority of the band that people do.However, after each release Keenan has eventually published his typed lyrics online via the semi-official fansite, with the exception of "Lateralus
Lateralus (song)
"Lateralus" is a song by American rock band Tool. The song is the third single and title track of their third studio album Lateralus.-Overview and background:...
", which was published on the official Tool website. Lyrical arrangements are often given special attention, such as in the lyrics to "Lateralus", wherein the number of syllables per line correspond to an arrangement of the Fibonacci number
Fibonacci number
In mathematics, the Fibonacci numbers are the numbers in the following integer sequence:0,\;1,\;1,\;2,\;3,\;5,\;8,\;13,\;21,\;34,\;55,\;89,\;144,\; \ldots\; ....
s, and "Jambi", in which the metrical foot iamb is used. Keenan's lyrics on Ænima and Lateralus focused on philosophy and spirituality—specific subjects range from evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
and Jungian
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as "by nature religious" and make it the focus of exploration. Jung is one of the best known researchers in the field of dream analysis and...
psychology in "Forty-Six & 2" and transcendence
Transcendence (philosophy)
In philosophy, the adjective transcendental and the noun transcendence convey the basic ground concept from the word's literal meaning , of climbing or going beyond, albeit with varying connotations in its different historical and cultural stages...
in "Lateralus".
In live performances with Tool, Keenan has often been known to be situated on a platform towards the rear of the stage, without a spotlight, facing the backdrop rather than the audience. Breckinridge Haggerty, the band's live video director, says that the dark spaces on stage "are mostly for Maynard". He explains, "a lot of the songs are a personal journey for him and he has a hard time with the glare of the lights when he’s trying to reproduce these emotions for the audience. He needs a bit of personal space, and he feels more comfortable in the shadows." An exception, which surprised even hardcore Tool fans, occurred when a fan climbed on stage and attempted to hug Keenan during the band's performance of "Pushit". After picking the fan up and dropping him to the ground, Keenan wrapped himself around the man's back. He eventually turned the fan to his stomach and sat on his back, where he stayed for "an uncomfortably long period of time." His appearance with Tool has included the Mohawk hairstyle
Mohawk hairstyle
The mohawk is a hairstyle in which, in the most common variety, both sides of the head are shaven, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair...
, wigs, Kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
masks, bras
Drag (clothing)
Drag is used for any clothing carrying symbolic significance but usually referring to the clothing associated with one gender role when worn by a person of another gender. The origin of the term "drag" is unknown, but it may have originated in Polari, a gay street argot in England in the early...
, tights, and his entire body in blue paint. This is contrasted with a variety of long haired wigs while performing with or promoting A Perfect Circle.
His posture on stage is usually bent.
Describing Keenan's contribution to Tool and A Perfect Circle, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
wrote that "both groups rely on Mr. Keenan's ability to dignify emotions like lust, anger and disgust, the honey in his voice adding a touch of profundity". Keenan's ability as a vocalist has been lauded by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
: after his performance during an Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
reunion concert in 2005, freelance journalist Travis Hay saw him as "a natural fit at replacing Layne Staley
Layne Staley
Layne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
". He ranked #21 in Hit Parader
Hit Parader
Hit Parader is an American music magazine focusing on the genres of hard rock, pop, and heavy metal.The magazine was originally started as a pop song lyric magazine by Charlton Publications in 1942. Charlton sold off the magazine before the company went under in 1991...
s 2006 list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists", and his unique style of singing has often been considered influential to artists such as Pete Loeffler
Pete Loeffler
Pete Loeffler is the lead guitarist and lead singer for the Chicago alternative metal band Chevelle. His vocal delivery varies from clean melodic singing to a gut-wrenching scream....
of Chevelle
Chevelle
Chevelle is an American alternative metal trio that formed in 1995 in Grayslake, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The band was originally composed of two brothers and a local friend: Pete Loeffler , Sam Loeffler , and Matt Scott . Matt was later replaced by brother Joe Loeffler...
along with Downfaces' second album within.
Comedy and acting
Keenan became friends with comedian Bill HicksBill Hicks
William Melvin "Bill" Hicks was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material largely consisted of general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy, and personal issues. Hicks' material was often controversial and steeped in dark comedy...
in the early 1990s. Keenan did sketch comedy on improv nights in comedy clubs in Los Angeles during that time. The two became acquainted and Hicks later opened
Opening act
An opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
some Tool concerts. Best known is a routine Hicks did while on tour with Tool during the Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
tour in 1993, when he asked the audience to look for a contact lens
Contact lens
A contact lens, or simply contact, is a lens placed on the eye. They are considered medical devices and can be worn to correct vision, for cosmetic or therapeutic reasons. In 2004, it was estimated that 125 million people use contact lenses worldwide, including 28 to 38 million in the United...
he had lost. Keenan repeated this joke on a number of occasions.
Keenan is featured in several segments of Mr. Show
Mr. Show
Mr. Show with Bob and David is an American sketch comedy series featuring former Saturday Night Live writer/actor Bob Odenkirk and stand up comedian/actor David Cross...
, most notably in the Ronnie Dobbs sketch presented in the first season. In one scene, he is seen being arrested with Dobbs. Later in the sketch he is featured wearing a wig as the lead singer of the then-fictitious band "Puscifer
Puscifer
Puscifer is a side project of Maynard James Keenan from the bands Tool and A Perfect Circle. As Keenan is the only permanent member and he considers the project to be his "creative subconscious", Puscifer could also be considered a pseudonym for his solo work....
". When asked about the arrest of Dobbs, Keenan replies "Guilty? Yeah. I'm sure he's guilty but... he knows it. I mean, you're guilty, and you don't know it. So... who's really in jail?" He also appears in episode 2.6, "The Velveteen Touch of a Dandy Fop", as one of the viewers of Coupon: The Movie, saying "Now is not the time", waving the cameras off and slapping the microphone out of his face in disgust after walking out of the theater. Later, Keenan would sing on a track for the Mr. Show incarnation Run Ronnie Run
Run Ronnie Run
Run Ronnie Run is an American direct-to-video comedy film produced in 2001 and released in 2003, a spin-off from the HBO sketch comedy show Mr. Show. The recurring character Ronnie Dobbs is the focal point of the movie...
, and appear in the "music video sex scene" on its DVD. Keenan appeared on the cover of the May/June 1999 issue of Pop Smear magazine, portraying Charles Manson
Charles Manson
Charles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
as part of a photo essay, imitating a famous Life magazine
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
portrait of the imprisoned murderer. He also appeared as Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
in the 2002 film Bikini Bandits and its 2004 sequel Bikini Bandits 2: Golden Rod. When asked in an interview which role was more difficult, Keenan responded, "Oh, Manson. He’s a real person. People know what he looks like, how he talked. With Satan there’s so much gray area."
In the mid-90s, responding to requests for Tool to perform in benefit shows, Keenan created "Free Frances Bean" tee-shirts to represent his own platform. Frances' mother, Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
, had previously referred to Keenan as a "media whore" to which he responded, "Isn't that great? I have the distinction of being called a media whore by Courtney Love." He said that after watching "the tornado that is her mother", he thought "Oh my God, how is Frances Bean gonna survive this insanity?" Although it was started as a simple joke, the tee-shirts were soon in high demand and Keenan was giving them away.
On April 1, 2005, the official Tool website announced, as an April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
prank, that "Maynard has found Jesus" and would be abandoning the recording of the new album temporarily and possibly permanently. Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder is an American film critic, author, columnist, and television personality. He served in the 1980s as editor at Rolling Stone, during a tenure that Reason later called "legendary". He has contributed to articles in Reason, Esquire, Details, New York, and Time. He has also made cameos on...
of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
contacted Keenan via email to ask for a confirmation and received a nonchalant confirmation. When Loder asked again, Keenan's response was simply "heh heh". On April 7, the official site revealed that it was a hoax. During an interview Keenan later stated, "It was April Fools’. If you fall for that on April Fools’ Day, there’s nothing I can do for you." He has been part of other April Fools' pranks related to Tool, including one in which he was said to be in critical condition after a tour bus accident.
Keenan made his major feature film debut in the April 17, 2009, release of Crank: High Voltage. Sharing a scene with the movie's lead, Jason Statham
Jason Statham
Jason Statham born 12 September1967) is an English actor and former diver, known for his roles in the Guy Ritchie crime films Revolver, Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels...
, Keenan portrays a dog walker "who has an electrifying experience [...] in a public park".
Winemaking and other endeavors
Farmers' market
A farmers' market consists of individual vendors—mostly farmers—who set up booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, to sell produce, meat products, fruits and sometimes prepared foods and beverages...
in Cornville
Cornville, Arizona
Cornville is a census-designated place in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 3,335 at the 2000 census. The Cornville CDP includes the communities of Cornville and Page Springs....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
; Keenan, whose grandparents and great-uncle made wine
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
in Northern Italy
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
(in what is now Southern France
Southern France
Southern France , colloquially known as le Midi is defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Gironde, Spain, the Mediterranean, and Italy...
), owns Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars
Caduceus Cellars
Caduceus Cellars is a winery in the Verde Valley of Arizona, United States owned by Maynard James Keenan, a musician descended from Northern Italian winemakers...
, based in the unincorporated area of Page Springs/Cornville, Arizona, southwest of Sedona
Sedona, Arizona
Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona...
, where he resides. While the winery is named after an ancient symbol for commerce (caduceus
Caduceus
The caduceus is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology. The same staff was also borne by heralds in general, for example by Iris, the messenger of Hera. It is a short staff entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings...
), the vineyard is named after a pubic wig (merkin
Merkin
A merkin is a pubic wig. Merkins were originally worn by prostitutes after shaving their genitalia, and are now used as decorative items, erotic devices, or in films, by both men and women.-Origin of term:...
). He is also a partner of Stronghold Vineyards, "an 80-acre site dedicated to producing affordable wines in the state", located in the small, unincorporated area known as Kansas Settlement in Sulfur Springs Valley, Arizona. Keenan's mother died in 2003, at the age of 59, due to complications from an aneurysm. Following her death, he scattered her ashes across one of his vineyards, and later named one of his wines after her, honoring her memory with his Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
"Nagual del Judith". In a statement released in April 2009, Keenan stated:
His previous wines were named after relatives of the Chiricahua Apache
Chiricahua
Chiricahua are a group of Apache Native Americans who live in the Southwest United States. At the time of European encounter, they were living in 15 million acres of territory in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona in the United States, and in northern Sonora and Chihuahua in Mexico...
chief Cochise
Cochise
Cochise was a chief of the Chokonen band of the Chiricahua Apache and the leader of an uprising that began in 1861. Cochise County, Arizona is named after him.-Biography:...
who lived in the area where the vineyard is located, and were produced at Page Springs Cellars, owned by Keenan's business partner. While those wines used some fruits imported from California, "Nagual del Judith" is the first made entirely from Keenan's own vineyard.
During the fall season of 2008, Keenan began a small tour of sorts with his Stronghold Vineyards partner Eric Glomski, promoting his wine with signing sessions at Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market is a foods supermarket chain based in Austin, Texas which emphasizes "natural and organic products." The company has been ranked among the most socially responsible businesses and placed third on the U.S...
s in California and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. The tour continued in 2009 with sessions in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
kicking off in March, and appearances scheduled during Tool's 2009 summer tour in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. In July 2009, Keenan opened an organic market which features a tasting room for his Arizona wines as well as a food court. In an interview with Spinner.com
Spinner.com
Spinner is an AOL Music property, which bills itself as "the ultimate music blog for free MP3s, free CD listening, [and] discovering new artists."...
that same month, Keenan stated that he had been taught by Southwestern chefs "how to make spaghettis and pastas and gnocchis and various soup stocks", which would be made fresh and served at the tastings.
Keenan is featured in Blood Into Wine: The Arizona Stronghold
Blood into Wine
Blood into Wine is a documentary about the Northern Arizona wine industry focusing on Maynard James Keenan and Eric Glomski and their Caduceus brand wine. It was released in February 2010 theatrically and on DVD and Blu-ray in September 2010....
, a documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
co-produced by Moog
Moog (film)
Moog is a 2004 documentary film by Hans Fjellestad about electronic instrument pioneer Dr. Robert Moog. The film features scenes of Dr. Moog interacting with various musical artists who view Moog as an influential figure in the history of electronic music....
filmmakers Ryan Page and Christopher Pomerenk that chronicles Keenan and Glomski's embarkation into winemaking in the desert conditions of Arizona's Verde Valley, and the success they've seen in the decade since its inception. The film, which includes appearances from Tim & Eric, Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and voice actor. He is best known for portraying Spencer Olchin in the popular sitcom The King of Queens, voicing Remy from the film Ratatouille and Thrasher from the Cartoon Network original series Robotomy.-Early life:Oswalt was born...
, and Milla Jovovich
Milla Jovovich
Milla Jovovich December 17, 1975)is an American model, actress, musician, and fashion designer. Over her career, she has appeared in a number of science fiction and action-themed films, for which music channel VH1 has referred to her as the "reigning queen of kick-butt".Milla Jovovich began...
, is to be shown at the Noise Pop
Noise pop
Noise pop is a subgenre of alternative rock developed in the mid 1980s in the UK and US, that mixes atonal noise or feedback, or both, with the melodic instrumentation and production elements more often found in pop music, making it more melodic and angst-free than noise rock.-History:Noise pop has...
festival on February 25, 2010, along with another documentary produced by Pomerenk, The Heart is a Drum Machine. It investigates why people create and listen to music, and features Keenan, Jason Schwartzman
Jason Schwartzman
Jason Francesco Schwartzman is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Rushmore, Spun, I Heart Huckabees, Shopgirl, Marie Antoinette, The Darjeeling Limited, Funny People, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World...
, Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder is an American film critic, author, columnist, and television personality. He served in the 1980s as editor at Rolling Stone, during a tenure that Reason later called "legendary". He has contributed to articles in Reason, Esquire, Details, New York, and Time. He has also made cameos on...
, Nic Harcourt
Nic Harcourt
Nic Harcourt was, most recently, the Music Director for Santa Monica, California-based radio station KCRW. Before joining KCRW, Harcourt worked for eight years as a news director and music director at radio station WDST in Woodstock, New York...
, Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis is an American actress and musician. She gained international fame for her role in the 1991 thriller Cape Fear for which she was nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress...
, and Elijah Wood
Elijah Wood
Elijah Jordan Wood is an American actor. He made his film debut with a minor part in Back to the Future Part II , then landed a succession of larger roles that made him a critically acclaimed child actor by age 9. He is best known for his high-profile role as Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's...
.
During an interview on the Australian podcast Wine Week Maynard revealed that his touring with various bands will only occur at times when his winemaking endeavours allow it.
Philanthropy
Keenan has used his voice on numerous occasions to support charitable causes. He performed at a 1997 benefit concertBenefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a concert, show or gala featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis. Such events raise both funds and public awareness to address the cause at...
for RAINN
RAINN
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is an American anti-sexual assault organization, the largest in the United States. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline and carries out programs to prevent sexual assault, help victims, and to ensure that rapists are brought to justice.RAINN...
(the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) organized by Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
(who had often referred to Keenan as an unofficial brother). He is one of the notable performers for Axis of Justice
Axis of Justice
Axis of Justice is a non-profit organization co-founded by Serj Tankian and Tom Morello. Its purpose is to bring together musicians, fans of music, and grassroots progressivism to fight for social justice together.-Formation:...
, a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that brings musicians, fans of music, and grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
political organizations together to fight for social justice. In 2004, Axis of Justice released Concert Series Volume 1
Concert Series Volume 1
Axis of Justice: Concert Series Volume 1 is a live CD/DVD by various artists in support of the Axis of Justice organization.-Track listing:Audio: *Interview with Michael Moore...
. Included are two tracks featuring Keenan on vocals. The second track on the album, "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding
" Peace, Love, and Understanding" is a 1970s song written by English musician Nick Lowe and recorded in the best-known version by Elvis Costello....
", was recorded live during Lollapalooza in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
on August 23, 2003. The first track, "Where the Streets Have No Name
Where the Streets Have No Name
"Where the Streets Have No Name" is a song by rock band U2. It is the opening track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree and was released as the album's third single in August 1987. The song's hook is a repeating guitar arpeggio using a delay effect, played during the song's introduction and...
", was recorded live during the Axis of Justice Concert Series at The Avalon in Hollywood, California on July 19, 2004. In February 2005, Keenan appeared as a surprise vocalist at a Seattle benefit concert for victims of the 2004 earthquake and tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
in southern Asia, performing with the partly reformed Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
, in place of the deceased vocalist Layne Staley
Layne Staley
Layne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
, on the songs "Them Bones
Them Bones
"Them Bones" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains. The song was released as the second single from their second album, Dirt . The song was also included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box , Music Bank , Greatest Hits , The Essential Alice in Chains...
", "Man in the Box
Man in the Box
"Man in the Box" is a single by the rock group Alice in Chains. It was released as a single in 1991 after being featured on the group's debut full-length album Facelift...
", and "Rooster
Rooster (song)
"Rooster" is a grunge song by the band Alice in Chains. The song was released as a single in 1993 and is featured on the band's second studio album, Dirt . The song was included on the compilation albums Unplugged , Music Bank , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains...
".
Personal life
Keenan, who has described himself as "happily unmarried", was in a relationship , when he stated "For the first time in my life, I have someone who's taking care of me, rather than the other way around." He has a son named Devo H Keenan (born 1995) who sang backing vocals on A Perfect Circle's Thirteenth Step, and later was credited as the cellistCello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
on Keep Telling Myself It's Alright
Keep Telling Myself It's Alright
Keep Telling Myself It's Alright is the debut studio album by American rock band Ashes Divide. The album was released on CD and as a digital download on April 8, 2008. Its first single is "The Stone," which entered radio circulation in January of that year...
—the debut album of Ashes Divide
Ashes Divide
Ashes Divide is an American rock band formed by guitarist Billy Howerdel, who had also formed A Perfect Circle. Howerdel is the primary songwriter, musician, producer, and vocalist for the band....
, Billy Howerdel
Billy Howerdel
Billy Howerdel is the founding member, guitarist, songwriter, and producer for the bands A Perfect Circle and Ashes Divide. He has recorded three acclaimed studio albums with the former, and in 2008, Ashes Divide released their debut album, Keep Telling Myself It's Alright.-Early life:Howerdel was...
's post-A Perfect Circle project. It was after the birth of his son that it occurred to Keenan to obscure his own identity in order to prevent his son from being "victimized by [his] career". The song "H.
H.
"H." is a song by American rock band Tool. The song was released as the second single from their second album, Ænima, and reached number 23 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart....
" is written about Keenan's son, along with mentioning that the title of it is derived from his son's middle name. The song "Wings for Marie (Pt. 1)" holds his mother, Judith Marie Keenan's middle name. The song "Breña" by A Perfect Circle uses the middle name of Keenan's former fiancée, while "Judith
Judith (song)
"Judith" is a song by American rock band A Perfect Circle. It was released as the first single from their debut album Mer de Noms. The single was released as a 1-track Compact Disc single in North America, and a 4-track single on both disc and vinyl format in Australia.-Structure:During an...
" bears the first name of Keenan's mother.
Keenan has a reputation for being reclusive, elliptical and controlling of his public image. He dislikes the manner in which rock star
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
s are worshipped, and at one point carried business card
Business card
Business cards are cards bearing business information about a company or individual. They are shared during formal introductions as a convenience and a memory aid. A business card typically includes the giver's name, company affiliation and contact information such as street addresses, telephone...
s with the name "Jesus H. Christ" printed on them. Often having to deal with stalkers, Keenan has resorted to using a paintball marker
Paintball marker
A paintball marker, also known as a paintball gun, is the main piece of equipment in the sport of paintball. Markers use an expanding gas, such as carbon dioxide or compressed air, to propel paintballs through the barrel. Some paintball players refer to the piece of equipment as a "marker" rather...
to run trespassing fans from his property. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...
is one of Keenan's pursuits, and he studied under Rickson Gracie
Rickson Gracie
Rickson Gracie is a Brazilian 8th degree black and red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin and Royler Gracie.-Biography:Rickson...
, who is widely considered one of the martial art's greatest practitioners.
Selected discography
With TexA.N.S.
- Live at Sons and Daughters Hall (1986)
- Never Again (1986)
With Children of the Anachronistic Dynasty
- Fingernails (1986)
- Dog.House (1987)
With Tool
- UndertowUndertow (Tool album)"Disgustipated" is track 69 on most pressings in North America . It also appears as track 39, track 10 or as a hidden track following "Flood" on track 9...
(1993) - ÆnimaÆnimaÆnima is the second studio album by American rock band Tool. The album was released on September 17, 1996 in vinyl format and on October 1, 1996 in Compact Disc format. The album was recorded and cut at Ocean Way, Hollywood, California and The Hook, North Hollywood, California from 1995 to 1996...
(1996) - SalivalSalivalSalival is a limited edition box set in CD/VHS and CD/DVD formats released in 2000 by American rock band Tool. It includes a 56-page book of photos and stills from their music videos. As the box set has now been out of print for some time, it can only be found secondhand, usually at a price...
(2000) - LateralusLateralusLateralus is the third studio album by American rock band Tool. The album was released on May 15, 2001, and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. On August 5, 2003, Lateralus was certified double platinum by the RIAA. On August 30, 2004 the album was certified Silver by the BPI for...
(2001) - 10,000 Days10,000 Days10,000 Days is the Grammy Award-winning fourth studio album by American rock band Tool. The album was released on April 28, 2006 in parts of Europe, April 29 in Australia, May 1 in the United Kingdom, and May 2 in North America...
(2006)
With A Perfect Circle
- Mer de NomsMer de Noms- Symbols :Inside the insert the track names appear to be randomly spelled out in symbols. One way to decipher the symbols is to match the song titles using the normal alphabet with the song titles inside the insert....
(2000) - Thirteenth StepThirteenth StepThirteenth Step is the second studio album by American rock band A Perfect Circle, released under Compact Disc format on September 16, 2003. It was a major success reaching the #2 position on the Billboard 200 in its premiere week, selling over 231,000 copies and staying on the charts for 78 weeks....
(2003) - eMOTIVe (2004)
As Puscifer
- "V" Is for Vagina (2007)
- Conditions of My ParoleConditions of My ParoleConditions of My Parole is the second studio album by Puscifer. The album was produced by Keenan, Mat Mitchell and Josh Eustis. Contributing musicians for the album include the aforementioned Keenan, Mitchell, and Eustis as well as Carina Round, Juliette Commagere, Matt McJunkins, Jeff Freidl, Gil...
(2011)