14 April 11th-April 17th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | O n April 17, Maynard James Keenan will take the stage in Phoenix on his 60th birthday. It’ll be the second night of Sessanta at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, Keenan’s birthday tour that brings together his bands Puscifer and A Perfect Circle, along with Primus, for a night of music and celebration. And what does Keenan want from his audience on this auspicious occasion? Put your goddamn phone away. “You’re annoying the person behind you,” he says. “They shouldn’t have to watch the show through your phone. It’s not going to look good. You’re just wasting your time.” Keenan emphasizes the importance of being present in the moment, a solid modus operandi for any concertgoer. But that focus on intentionality, on engaging with life directly, is exemplified in everything Keenan has accomplished in 60 years. Three bands, including the legendary Tool. Multiple vineyards around Arizona. Tasting rooms in Jerome and Scottsdale. Two restaurants in Cottonwood: Four 8 Fried Chicken, a new concept that Keenan opened the day before our interview, and Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria. Two Brazilian jiu-jitsu dojos in the Verde Valley — earlier this month, Keenan earned his black belt in the martial art. Keenan doesn’t look 60; he’s fit and energetic. And he doesn’t act 60, opening Four 8 Fried Chicken in the brief down- time between the recently ended Tool tour and the kickoff of Sessanta. But he’s got six decades of experience, perspective and dare we say, wisdom, which he shared with Phoenix New Times during a March interview in Cottonwood, when we talked about Sessanta, work and reflecting on life on a milestone birthday. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Phoenix New Times: Cinquanta, your 50th birthday show in Los Angeles, was a one- night concert with Puscifer, A Perfect Circle and Failure. When did you start thinking about a 60th birthday event? Maynard James Keenan: Of course, (there were a) lot of things going on between then and now, but the idea, the seed was planted about five years ago, and I went, “You know, let’s do it again, but do it for the 60th,” but then it was a matter of figuring out who was going to be a part of it. How did you choose Primus to come along on the tour? It just made sense. I’ve worked with those guys for years. Les (Claypool, of Primus) has worked with Danny (Carey, Tool drummer) and Justin (Chancellor, Tool bassist) on a couple things. And Tim (Alexander, Primus drummer) was on A Perfect Circle music, he was on Puscifer music, he was my neighbor here in Jerome for a while, so yeah, it just made sense. What can people expect at Sessanta? They can expect to be very angry if they show up late, because there is no opener, the show starts right off the top, so be in your seat as the show starts. Don’t miss the opening. What’s the format like? Well, it’s just very similar to the Cinquanta. It’s a rotation, band rotation, we all basically hang out in spots on the stage. You step up, you play your songs, you sit back down while the other guys play their songs. Of course there will be some guest appearances, we’ll be guesting on each other’s songs. Everybody’s going to get to do about nine or 10 songs. You’re quite adamant at all your shows that people put their phones away. Why is that? It’s rude. Not to us, I mean, I just did a whole photoshoot. I’m not afraid of cameras and I’m not afraid of phones. I’ve got mine right here. It’s a very useful tool. There’s no way you can actually capture what’s happening in that live moment on a phone. You’re missing the opportunity of actually absorbing in real time what’s happening. The art of storytelling. Being able to actually recount what you saw without having to record it. Training your brain to live in the moment and see the thing, but more importantly, stop annoying the person behind you. It’s annoying, it’s distracting and it’s distracting for us, too. So put it the fuck away, grow the fuck up. It’s only two hours. And at the end of the show, we usually let you film a song, so you get your souvenir. Have you ever, at the end of a show, decided against letting the crowd film? Absolutely, if we have to throw out a dozen people because they’re being arrogant assholes, selfish Maynard James Keenan talks music, living in the moment and a milestone year. BY JENNIFER GOLDBERG >> p 17 Maynard James Keenan, photographed at Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria in Cottonwood. (Photo by Jim Louvau)
