Les Claypool and Maynard James Keenan hop on a Zoom call, and within seconds, the vibe is already unhinged. Claypool’s sporting a fake injury from wrestling a bear, while Keenan tosses out lines about thwarting kidnappings. It’s the perfect setup for what might be the most gloriously absurd rock interview ever, marking the 1,000th episode of Kyle Meredith With….
Both are in good spirits, maybe because they’ve been on the road together for the Sessanta Tour—a project that seems like it could’ve only been dreamed up by two artists who thrive on the unexpected. Claypool’s Primus and Keenan’s A Perfect Circle & Puscifer have been sharing the stage, playing each other’s songs, and pulling off a chaotic blend of rock theater that defies easy categorization.
Their friendship goes back decades. “We met during Lollapalooza,” Claypool says, grinning. “It was like Tinder for ’93. Message boards, but the sticky kind… eventually.” Keenan doesn’t miss a beat. “Les left me a note, I swiped right. The rest is history.”
The Sessanta Tour originally started as Keenan’s 60th birthday idea. “I wanted to throw a show with all these different bands I’m connected to,” he says. “But no one could figure out what I meant, so I just did it myself.”
And if the tour sounds chaotic, that’s because it is. Everyone plays, whether it’s their song or not, with random appearances sprinkled in between. “We’re trying to add a pond behind the stage,” Claypool jokes. “So I can get some fishing in while I wait to come back out.” Keenan deadpans, “It’s going to be a goldfish bowl with magnets. Very rock and roll.”
For both musicians, creating characters and leaning into theatrics has been part of their DNA. Claypool, known for his masks and storytelling onstage, says it started out of insecurity. “I didn’t think I had a good voice, so I became a character. It’s like stepping into someone else’s skin—it makes performing easier, more fun.”
Keenan agrees. “The costumes are as much for me as the audience. They remind me I’m there to entertain, not just work through my weird daddy issues on stage.”
When asked about the challenge of playing each other’s music on this tour, Keenan says it’s like covering a song you love. “You’re conscious of not stepping on their toes. You want to fit in with the band, not stand out like it’s a solo act.”
Claypool jumps in with his signature humor. “The best part for me has been Maynard the Cat. Especially in the beginning—those first few shows were such a glorious disaster. It was like watching someone fall in slow motion.”
But for all the humor, there’s a genuine respect between the two. “We’ve both always been drawn to the fringe,” Keenan says. “Back in the day, alternative wasn’t a genre—it was literally anything that wasn’t what everyone else was doing. That’s why it worked.”
Claypool nods. “It wasn’t about fitting in. It was about doing something interesting, even if it didn’t make sense to anyone else.”
That ethos is alive and well on the Sessanta Tour. From Keenan’s outlandish promo videos to Claypool’s masked antics, it’s clear that neither has lost their edge—or their willingness to throw themselves into something totally off the wall.
As for what’s next, both have plenty of projects in the works. Claypool’s working on finishing a long-delayed Delirium record with Sean Lennon and maybe picking up where he left off with Billy Strings. Keenan? “Always working on something. It’s just a matter of who’s ready to dig in and make it a priority.”
For now, though, the focus is on keeping the Sessanta Tour rolling with more dates scheduled for April, embracing the chaos, and having fun with it. “It’s not about perfection,” Claypool says. “It’s about those moments where things go off the rails, and you figure out how to make it work. That’s when the magic happens.”
Keenan laughs. “And if nothing else, we’ve got wine backstage to make up for it.”
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