ION INDIE MAGAZINE December 2015, Volume 19 | Page 31

When I heard PUSCIFER was coming back to the ORPHEUM THEATER in Boston, MA, on the MONEY
SHOT TOUR, I immediately reached out to them requesting credentials for the show and the
opportunity to interview one of the band members. Many have heard and seen the likings of front
man (or back man, now with CARINA ROUND) MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN of TOOL and A PERFECT
CIRCLE, but for those of you who don’t know MAT MITCHELL, he wears quite a few hats in the
industry and constructs the Puscifer “skeleton” with Maynard. He is the guitarist, music and video
producer, Maynard’s “doppelganger” and “stunt double” (according to Maynard himself), and
overall creative genius. This was a unique opportunity to peel back a few layers of the onion that is
Puscifer with Mat. If you have an opportunity to see the show, make sure you get there early to see
the opening act. It will unmask many strange and uncomfortable thoughts that you will be wrestling
around with for days. You got it, Maynard--I won’t be spoiling all of Christmas.
***
Dagda: You wear many hats, besides being an artist yourself. Which one are you wearing right now?
Mat: (Says chuckling) Shoot…a couple hats…working on the album “Money $hot”, songwriting,
engineering, and producing. At this point, it’s musical directing--how we play the record live, who is
playing what, and how best to make this come off live where it is interesting and fun for us and the
fans. I am video director for the live content you see while the show is happening and the technical
stuff. Basically we are trying to figure out how it will happen live. I’m also working on what we will be
using for hardware and software and all that kind of stuff.
Dagda: Will the camper be making an appearance on the tour?
Mat: Umm, I don’t know how much I want to give away. I will say, yes, we will definitely see the camper.
Whether or not we see it on stage…that will be a surprise.
Dagda: It is hard to describe Puscifer to someone who hasn’t listened to an album or have been to a
show. This is not just another Tool album or A Perfect Circle album. In your own words, can you tell
the readers what Puscifer is? (I think the “side project” rumor has been squashed by now)
Mat: It is different people, different tastes and personality. It’s the sound of the people in the project;
the sounds that I bring, that Carina brings, the others, and Maynard. I don’t think we have to think
much past involving different people and letting them do their thing. We aren’t doing much more than
making Puscifer an artistic output for everybody. I think that alone makes it unique and makes it
interesting.
Dagda: Sitting in the audience, this is not your typical show. Clearly there is a lot of planning, props,
video and layout. Is that something that happens organically? How does that come together?
Mat: That’s something that Maynard was super heavy-handed in. He really enjoys the theatrical side
of this project. It’s an outlet that he really has fun with. That is his playground. He also coordinates
all of the outside characters and comes up with the stories of who these people are. He tells the story
of the characters and brings them to life. It’s 90% him and 10% the people who he decides to involve
in that aspect of the show.
Dagda: Will we see Billy D?
Mat: I imagine we will be seeing a lot of the old cast. You might see some new people and get
introduced to some new characters. There is definitely going to be a roller coaster of a story going on.