Sessanta V2 Comes to the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Tampa, FL (May 8th, 2025)
Sessanta is defined as Italian for 60. This number holds deep significance for the mercurial and enigmatic Maynard James Keenan. Not only does it reflect his Italian heritage, but it also marks the age he recently turned—a milestone most would celebrate with a quiet dinner or a reflective vacation. But if you’re as innovative as the Tool frontman is, you don’t settle for conventional celebrations. You create one of the most unique, genre-defying tours the live music world has seen in years. Sessanta is not just a birthday party; it’s a reimagined musical offering, a journey through sound, spectacle, and surrealism.
The tour brings together two of Keenan’s bands—Puscifer and A Perfect Circle—and enlists long-time collaborators and friends Primus to complete a trio of musical oddities and brilliance. But rather than follow the traditional concert structure, where each band performs a full set and exits stage left, Sessanta reinvents the format entirely. It unfolds in acts, with each group taking turns playing a few songs before passing the baton to the next. There are no set changes, no long transitions—each band’s gear is set up onstage from the start. This seamless, round-robin format keeps the show moving at a brisk, deceptive pace, allowing the audience to stay constantly engaged, never quite knowing what will come next.
On a warm evening at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre, the crowd was immersed in this genre-blending spectacle from the very first note. A Perfect Circle opened the night with their brooding, emotionally heavy soundscapes. Songs like “Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums” and “Weak and Powerless” immediately cast a haunting spell over the amphitheater, with Billy Howerdel’s atmospheric guitar work and Keenan’s unmistakable vocals setting the tone. Their melancholic yet powerful performance provided a strong and steady foundation for what was to come.
Without missing a beat, Primus crashed onto the stage with their signature blend of bizarre humor, technical precision, and bass-heavy madness. Les Claypool’s slap-bass mastery and surreal storytelling injected the night with a playful chaos that contrasted yet complemented the preceding mood. Tracks like “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver” and “My Name Is Mud” had the crowd roaring with delight, proving once again that Primus exists in a musical universe all their own.
Then came Puscifer, a band known for their theatricality and experimental sound. With Keenan donning one of his many personas—part frontman, part absurdist character—the performance morphed into something that felt half-concert, half-art installation. Keenan and co-vocalist Carina Round delivered eerie harmonies and performance art interludes that pushed the boundaries of conventional stagecraft. Songs like “Conditions of My Parole” and “The Humbling River” stood out as spellbinding highlights.
What makes Sessanta work so well is not just the talent of the individual bands, but how they interact and bleed into one another. Members of each act often cross over into other sets, creating a collaborative, hybrid experience. Keenan might be singing backup for Primus, or Claypool could be adding twisted basslines to a Puscifer track. These spontaneous overlaps give the performance an improvisational energy, as if the audience is watching something that might never be repeated in quite the same way.
Keenan himself was in rare form—aloof and mysterious, yet playful and deeply engaged. Whether he was at center stage, or off in a corner on the elevated drum riser his presence was undeniably felt throughout the show. Either as frontman or silent observer, he steered the evening’s strange ship with a confident, creative hand. And while this was clearly his birthday celebration, it never felt self-indulgent. Instead, Sessanta felt like a shared experience—an offering to fans that honored past, present, and future.
Visually, the show was just as distinctive. Moody lighting and minimalistic staging kept the focus on the music while subtly enhancing the eerie, dreamlike quality of the performances. Unlike other arena tours that lean on overwhelming pyrotechnics or LED overloads, Sessanta opts for nuance, reinforcing the idea that this is something altogether different.
And then, just when the audience might have thought they’d seen it all, the unexpected happened: in the middle of a Puscifer set, two members of one of the bands wheeled out a ping pong table and engaged in an impromptu match. The moment was absurd, hilarious, and entirely on-brand. It was a reminder that while the music might be complex and intense, there’s room for humor, spontaneity, and joy in Keenan’s creative world.
The night built toward a climactic finale, culminating in a performance of Puscifer’s “Grand Canyon.” For this final act, all the musicians from all three bands shared the stage, creating a unified wall of sound that was both massive and moving. The song’s expansive, soaring quality felt like the perfect conclusion—both a musical peak and a symbolic one. It was a moment that underscored everything Sessanta represents: collaboration, celebration, and fearless creativity.
In the end, Sessanta is not just a concert—it’s a ritual, a variety show for the musically adventurous, and a triumphant celebration of the eccentric genius of Maynard James Keenan. It challenges the norms of live performance, rewards long-time fans, and welcomes newcomers with open, weirdly wonderful arms. If you’re lucky enough to catch it, you’re not just witnessing a birthday party—you’re experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime convergence of three of alternative music’s most daring forces.
MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre:
Sessanta:
A Perfect Circle:
Puscifer:
Primus: