Maynard James Keenan has never been one to mince words and he certainly isn’t going to start now as he considers the importance of a separation between church and state.
The Tool/A Perfect Circle/Puscifer lead singer was recently asked about the subject during a wide-ranging interview with the Arizona Republic.
How Maynard James Keenan Responded to Question About Religion
Eventually, the conversation turned toward religious fundamentalism, which may seem like a heady topic to tackle in an interview previewing Puscifer’s March 21 show in Phoenix. Keenan was undeterred.
“The separation of church and state, I absolutely believe that, because when it comes to state, it’s like… It’s a mechanism,” Keenan said.”It’s a car, it’s an engine, it’s mechanics. There’s no faith involved. There’s a mechanics to this thing. You can have your faith, but it shouldn’t affect how your car runs.”
For those unfamiliar with the concept, the separation of church and state is the philosophy that religion and politics should not influence each other. It’s the idea that religion shouldn’t drive governmental decisions and the government shouldn’t control your religious beliefs and practices.
“That’s why separating church and state is important to me, ’cause the government should not be an emotional being,” Keenan continued. “It should be a mechanism. It’s a machinery. No faith involved.”
Why Maynard James Keenan Wants CDs to Return
Keenan has a strong connection with Arizona. In 2024, he and his wife, Jennifer, opened The Queen B Vinyl Cafe in Cottonwood, Arizona. The business is a combination of a coffee shop, wine bar, barber and, of course, record store.
But don’t think that the 61-year-old singer only wants vinyl in his music collection.
“I’m hoping that CDs make a comeback because I can’t play vinyl in my car,” Keenan told the Arizona Republic.
He heralded the compact disc as “such a beautiful, rich format.”
“The MP3s, when you crank it in your car, it just doesn’t hold up. It starts to fall apart.”
Puscifer’s North American tour begins March 20 in Las Vegas. Here is everywhere the band is going to be in the next couple of months.
Puscifer 2026 Tour Dates
March 20 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las VegasMarch 21 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Arizona Financial TheatreMarch 24 – Austin, Texas @ Bass Concert HallMarch 25 – Dallas, Texas @ Music Hall at Fair ParkMarch 27 – Nashville, Tenn. @ The PinnacleMarch 28 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Coca-Cola RoxyMarch 31 – Asheville, N.C. @ Thomas Wolfe AuditoriumApril 1 – Durham, N.C. @ DPAC – Durham Performing Arts CenterApril 3 – Bethlehem, Pa. @ Wind Creek Event CenterApril 4 – Boston, Mass. @ Boch Center – Wang TheatreApril 7 – New York, N.Y. @ Terminal 5April 8 – Hershey, Pa. @ Hershey TheatreApril 10 – Mashantucket, Ct. @ Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort CasinoApril 11 – Atlantic City, N.J. @ Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino ResortApril 15 – Niagara Falls, Ontario @ OLG Stage at Fallsview CasinoApril 16 – Akron, Ohio @ Akron Civic TheatreApril 18 – Detroit, Mich. @ Fox TheatreApril 19 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ Taft TheatreApril 21 – Louisville, Ky. @ The Louisville PalaceApril 23 – Indianapolis, Ind. @ Murat TheatreApril 25 – Chicago, Ill. @ The Chicago TheatreApril 26 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ Landmark Credit Union LiveApril 28 – Madison, Wis. @ The SylveeApril 30 – St. Louis, Mo. @ The FactoryMay 1 – Kansas City, Mo. @ The Midland TheatreMay 3 – Morrison, Colo. @ Red Rocks AmphitheatreMay 5 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ Maverik CenterMay 8 – Portland, Ore. @ Theater of the CloudsMay 9 – Seattle, Wash. @ WAMU TheaterMay 11 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Golden Gate TheatreMay 13 – San Diego, Calif. @ San Diego Civic TheatreMay 14 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Greek Theatre
Want even more rock and metal tour dates? We’ve got you covered below.
2026 Rock + Metal Tour Guide
These are the biggest rock and metal tours happening in 2026 so far, including Metallica, Iron Maiden, My Chemical Romance and more.
Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner
