A Perfect Circle

A Perfect Circle at The Greek Theatre, Berkeley, California – July 30, 2011

When A Perfect Circle announced that they were going to tour again and there was no Las Vegas date, I immediately searched for a Saturday date on the West Coast. I did not want to miss them. With Maynard James Keenan so heavily involved in other projects (Tool & Puscifer), chances to see A Perfect Circle perform live are not guaranteed to happen again.

Founding members, Maynard James Keenan (vocals) and Billy Howerdel (lead guitar/vocals) have created beautiful music through the years with various supporting members of A Perfect Circle. This tour featured James Iha on guitar (formerly of Smashing Pumpkins); Matt McJunkins on bass (who is in Ashes Divide with Billy Howerdel and has worked with Maynard James Keenan in Puscifer); and Jeff Freidl on drums (Jeff, like Matt has also worked with Puscifer and is the drummer for Ashes Divide).

The Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California, is a beautiful amphitheatre and I doubt there is a bad seat in the house. The band flawlessly performed to a sold out crowd on this beautiful northern California night. The audience response after each song was overwhelming. I spent the first two songs in the photo pit next to the people who arrived hours early to make sure they had prime real estate for the performance. Then I moved up to the level just below the soundboard, and at times watched the audience behind me up to the top of the theatre. The crowd was fully engaged in the show from the rail to the back row. The nineteen song set highlighted their most recent album, featuring 10 songs off eMotive, and 4 songs each off Mer De Noms and Thirteenth Step. They closed the show with a new song, By and Down, perhaps a prelude to a future full length album.

For more info on upcoming dates, visit A Perfect Circle’s facebook or website: https://www.facebook.com/aperfectcircle or https://aperfectcircle.com

Setlist: Annihilation, Imagine, Weak and Powerless, The Hollow, What’s Going On, People Are People, The Outsider, Rose, Peace, Love and Understanding, When the Levee Breaks, The Noose, 3 Libras, Gravity, Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie, Orestes, Passive, Counting Bodies, Fiddle and the Drum, By and Down.