In a short interview with Rock Radio Maynard commented that he likes to take time between Tool albums:

"Some new band, their first two records are the ones that are the freshest, ’cause they’ve had all their lives to write them. And then that third record ends up being all about the inside of a bus and something that happened backstage ’cause what else have they seen? And I’ve pretty much tried my best to avoid that album by taking time between writing projects to kind of absorb life in general — have some experiences, read a few books, get into a different headspace and then wait ’til the time is right."

Not much else of note in the interview…

A quick post this morning before I head off to Soundwave.  Maynard did an interview with Movieweb recently, and it’s results can be found here.  Worth the read, though it only really covers his winemaking.

Here’s a random quote:

You usually have control of your artistic endeavors, but Page and Pomerenke had final cut on this documentary. How difficult was it for you to hand over the reigns on something that is so important to you? Were there aspects of this film that you didn’t necessarily want shown?
Maynard James Keenan: The cut that you see now is not the cut they presented to us initially. There was definitely a reedit before the final cut was approved. This is quite a different film from that first cut. I will say that. It was more about me than it was about wine. That was not my intention. And that should not have been the intention of the film. The intention of the film is to help explain what is possible with effort and due diligence. And focus and commitment.

A new message from Major Douche regarding the upcoming Puscifer tour:

Major Douche Eastern Assault. Spring 2010.
"In this war against complacency and the mundane, we the artists/insane must strive to re-invent, to shadowbox our paranoia, and to adapt to inevitable change while still maintaining a balanced diet. Multi tasking is at the very core of our assault. That is why we are very pleased to unveil a new level of combined art and utility during this Spring Campaign. Along with the comedic, visual, and melodic arsenal, we will also be introducing the latest form of whole body entertainment. By inserting a high fiber brown note to the equation, we will achieve not only an elevated sense of the theatrical, but also provide a non chemical, bio degradable, free range sonic digestif. Forward movement will be achieved. Bon Apetit’!!"

Major Douche,

Battalion Commander.

Maynard had a nice chat with Kat Corbett from KROQ recently, and the interview is available for streaming here.  I haven’t had a chance to listen yet, so let me know if it sucks.

There’s also another Blood Into Wine clip available as well on Youtube:

Maynard features in an article on Billboard this morning where he talks about how much Puscifer costs, as well as the possibility of a DVD:

Approaching the entire project more like a television performance troupe, Keenan says he hopes to release "Puscifer Season 1" later this year on DVD.

I think it was pretty much inevitable that we’d see a DVD of some of these performances, and I’m looking forward to seeing it.

Thanks to acousticphenomena for the tip.

In a recent interview on Metromix.com, Maynard makes a brief mention of the Live DVD.

I have to ask: What’s up with A Perfect Circle and Tool?
Nothing I know of at the moment. There’s always writing, we’re always doing that. But as soon as I say anything…like, I mentioned 15 years ago a possibility of filming a live Tool show, and I still get asked about that! I made the mistake of opening my mouth.

The article is really about the coming Puscifer tour, so don’t go expecting more Tool chatter than what I posted…

In a recent interview with Ryan Page (one of the Blood Into Wine directors) on Movieweb.com, Maynard will be playing the part of a villain on his upcoming movie Queens of Country:

Let me ask you about Queens of Country. Is that a reference to the real Nashville Queens of Country? Like Dolly and Loretta?
Ryan Page: It’s a comedy. It’s not a doc. We are shooting it on May 3rd. We are also shooting it in Arizona. Maynard is going to be in that film, too. It’s about a woman that lives in a small town, and she is obsessed with the queens of country. Dolly, Loretta, Patsy, Wanda Jackson. She even dresses like them. She is totally obsessed. She is in a bad relationship, and she finds an Ipod that has a Queens mix on it. The music really touches her, so she goes on a search to find them. It’s really funny. We are working with (names removed for contractual reasons). I don’t know if I’m aloud to say this. They did a rewrite with us. They helped us polish the script, really.

A Country & Western version of Trekka – Spaghetti Trekka can be found in the Puscifer site. It’s a live version, I imagine recorded at one of the shows from the last tour.  Enjoy and thanks to Rolo on TDN for the find!

There’s a great Blood Into Wine article on RC Reader at the moment, where Maynard and the directors of Blood Into Wine all talk about how the movie was made.  Very interesting read and highly recommended!

Here’s and excerpt:

But while there are no imminent releases from any of his bands, Keenan said he hasn’t given up music for wine. "If it’s a positive, healthy experience, then it’s always going to be a part of my life," he said. "I’m not going to abandon my brothers. I just think we have to re-think what the healthy steps are."

Enjoy!

A recent email from the Puscifer Mailing List recaps a whole load of information regarding the upcoming shows and Blood Into Wine screenings.  Here it is in case you missed it:

As Puscifer’s first East Coast tour draws near tickets for Meet & Greets and Wine Classes will become unavailable two weeks prior to each show date.  The only way to guarantee admission to those events is to purchase tickets via Puscifer.com.

Meet & Greet.  Package includes: Exclusive meet and greet with Maynard James Keenan, and 1 single Premium Price Level 1 ticket, and perhaps a bonus if you behave.

Wine Class. The pre-show wine class is an exclusive event in a private environment with one of Maynard’s personal liaisons leading you along the educational path. Learn how Caduceus wines are made. Understand the basic concepts of wine tasting and what goes into the vinification process.**Must be over 21 TO ATTEND!!** (IDs must be provided for entry) Wine Class package includes: Attendance to the wine class, and 1 single Premium Price Level 1 ticket.

The tour dates:

Mar. 2 Atlanta, GA CW Center Stage
Mar. 3 Atlanta, GA CW Center Stage
Mar. 5 Washington, DC Lincoln Center
Mar. 6 Washington, DC Lincoln Center
Mar. 8 Philadelphia, PA Theater of Living Arts
Mar. 9 Philadelphia, PA Theater of Living Arts
Mar. 11 New York, NY Grand Ballroom
Mar. 12 Stamford, CT Palace Theater
Mar. 13 New York, NY Apollo Theater
Mar. 15 Boston, MA Berklee Academy of Music
Mar. 16 Boston, MA Berklee Academy of Music
Mar. 19 Toronto, ON Queen Elizabeth Theater
Mar. 20 Toronto, ON Queen Elizabeth Theater
Mar. 21 Lorain, OH Lorain Theater
Mar. 23 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Theater
Mar. 24 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Theater
Mar. 26 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Mar. 27 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Mar. 28 Columbus, OH LC Indoor Pavilion
Mar. 30 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
Apr. 2 Minneapolis, MN Pantages Theater
Apr. 3 Minneapolis, MN Pantages Theater

Win(!) a Pair of Tickets

Join Puscifer’s Facebook page and take part in our ticket giveaway, click here

Blood Into Wine – new screenings and DVD pre-order

DVD pre-order available now at www.bloodintowine.com

Two additional theaters showing Blood Into Wine:

Feb. 19 & 21 at La Paloma Theater in Encinitas, CA  (San Diego)

Mar. 12 – 18 at Cinema Salem in Salem, MA

Tickets available now for these screenings:

Albuquerque – NM – Guild Cinema – Mar. 13

Austin – TX – Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek

Feb 19 screening with dinner and wine pairings – tickets here

Feb. 20 general admission screening – tickets here

Boston – MA – Somerville Theatre (Box Office: 617-625-5700) – Feb. 26 – 28

Davenport – IA – Capitol Theatre – Feb. 19, 21 & 26 – tickets here

Houston – TX  – Alamo Drafthouse West Oaks

Feb. 19 screening with dinner and wine pairings – tickets here

Feb. 20 general admission screening – tickets here

Los Angeles – CA – Laemmle Sunset (Box Office: 310-478-3836) – Feb. 25 – 28

Minneapolis – MN – Riverview Theatre – Mar. 4 – tickets here

Phoenix – AZ

Premiere – W Hotel Scottsdale – Feb. 19 – SOLD OUT

Harkins Valley Art Theater (Box Office: 480-446-7272) – Feb 26 – Mar. 4

Salt Lake City – UT – Tower Theatre (Box Office: 801-359-5158) – Mar. 5 – 11

San Antonio – TX – Alamo Drafthouse Park North (Box Office: 210-677-8500)– Feb. 19

San Antonio – TX – Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes (Box Office: 210-677-8500)– Feb. 20

San Francisco – CA – Viz Cinema– Feb. 25