LIVE: SESSANTA 2.0 – Tampa, FL, USA – May 8, 2025

Photo by James Zambon

Venue: MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Ampitheatre

City: Tampa, FL

Date: May 8, 2025

Review and Photographs by: James Zambon (https://jameszambon.com)

The Sessanta V2.0 tour rolled into the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Ampitheatre in Tampa on May 8, 2025, bringing together three titanic acts—A Perfect Circle, Primus, and Puscifer—for a collaborative birthday bash celebrating Maynard James Keenan’s 61st year on Earth. Billed as a rotating supergroup experience, the evening blurred band lines, swapped drummers like trading cards, and delivered a genre-hopping, multi-act performance that managed to be both unpredictable and surgically precise. Act 1 opened with A Perfect Circle launching into “Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drum”—a brooding, militaristic march that immediately set a tone of high drama. “Disillusioned” brought welcome contrast, all shimmering restraint and elegance, before they closed the segment with the always-evocative “Blue.” Then came Primus, who promptly hijacked the night with a set that felt like an alien carnival. “Here Come the Bastards” slithered in like a sci-fi intro, followed by the tightly coiled chaos of “Groundhog’s Day” and the twisted prog-funk of “Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread.” Les Claypool’s bass roared, Larry Lamond’s abstract solos were captivating, and the crowd responded in kind. Puscifer was the wildcard of the lineup for me, and the biggest surprise of the night. On record, I found their music could feel cold and abstract—but live, they were kinetic and commanding. “Man Overboard,” “Tiny Monsters,” and “Indigo Children” were delivered with theatrical flair and electronic menace, especially with Carina Round’s voice slicing through the synth haze.

Photo by James Zambon

Act 2 began with Primus debuting their entertaining new single, “Little Lord Fentanyl,” before barreling into “Welcome to This World,” “My Name Is Mud,” and the ever-chaotic “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver.” By this point, the crowd had fully surrendered to the madness, and rightly so. Puscifer followed with a four-song set that leaned into dystopian weirdness—“Flippant,” “No Angel,” “Bullet Train to Iowa,” and “The Algorithm”—each laced with choreography, glitchy visuals, and a tone that felt equal parts satire and sci-fi sermon. Act 2 closed with A Perfect Circle reclaiming the stage for a tightly focused four-song set that leaned into their brooding, cinematic strengths. “The Contrarian” unfolded with eerie precision, setting a somber tone that gave way to the thunderous impact of “The Doomed,” bolstered by the dramatic presence of two drummers—an arrangement that added depth and gravity to an already imposing track. “Weak and Powerless” provided a moment of vulnerable tension, its soaring chorus resonating with long-time fans, before the band delivered a searing rendition of “The Outsider” to finish. It was a potent reminder that while A Perfect Circle often moves with restraint, their emotional weight hits like a slow-building storm.

Act 3 well… unfortunately, all credentialed photographers were ushered out at this point, just as the evening’s climactic final act began. When we were escorted back in by security, now with our cameras, I managed to catch the very tail end of Primus’ “Southbound Pachyderm,” with Larry LaLonde shredding a double-neck guitar and Claypool rocking a mirrored disco-ball motorcycle helmet. Subtlety? Never on the menu for Les. The finale brought all three bands to the stage for a full-cast performance of Puscifer’s “Grand Canyon.” Keenan, breaking his usual distance, addressed the crowd with thanks and humor: “Now, as promised, you can take out your stupid cell phones and film this last song.” I was excited to see them all perform “Grand Canyon,” having enjoyed videos of it from the OG Sessanta tour. Curiously, the energy from the performers felt muted—almost like a contractual obligation rather than a rousing finale. Still, the audience erupted, satisfied by the scale of the spectacle if not the emotion behind it. Sessanta V2.0 is not just a concert—it’s a collaboration, a concept, and sometimes a circus. But when it works, it works brilliantly. Even only being allowed to see two-thirds of the show, I left with ringing ears and more than enough moments burned into memory to make the night unforgettable. And while all three bands brought something distinct to the stage, it was Primus who ultimately stole the show. From Claypool’s snarling basslines to LaLond’s surrealist whirlwind of guitar-artistry, and the band’s masterclass in absurdist showmanship, their sets crackled with an energy that no one else matched. Whether in the spotlight or lurking between acts, they were the unpredictable heartbeat of the night—and the band everyone was still buzzing about on the way out.

Setlist:

Act I:

• A Perfect Circle: Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums – Disillusioned – Blue
• Primus: Here Come the Bastards – Groundhog’s Day – Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread
• Puscifer: Man Overboard – Tiny Monsters – Indigo Children

Act II:

• Primus: Little Lord Fentanyl (with Puscifer) – Welcome to This World – My Name Is Mud – Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
• Puscifer: Flippant – No Angel – Bullet Train to Iowa – The Algorithm
• A Perfect Circle: The Contrarian – The Doomed (double drummers) – Weak and Powerless – The Outsider

Act III:

• Puscifer: The Humbling River – Polar Bear – The Remedy
• Primus: Pablo’s Hippos – Too Many Puppies
• A Perfect Circle: The Noose – Kindred – Judith
• Primus: Southbound Pachyderm

Finale:

• All Bands: Grand Canyon (Puscifer)

[Show as slideshow]

SESSANTA 2.0 LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

X – TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries