Photo by Kelsey WinterkornA Perfect Circle at the Fillmore
The Fillmore
San Francisco, Calif
November 17

Thirteenth Step is one of those albums that carry the unique ability to instantly transport me back to the time when it was relevant in my life. The last time I had seen A Perfect Circle was in 2003, right after the release of Thirteenth Step; I was excited to see what changes 6 years, a bassist, and a guitarist would bring to the show. Crowds of dedicated fans entered San Francisco’s historic venue, The Fillmore, and anxiety was in the air as to how this reunion was going to stand up to past performances.

These anxieties were silenced as soon as the bass line of “The Package” began. The crowd fell silent and their heads began to bob. The silence didn’t last for long. It appears that the 5-year hiatus was definitely felt by fans. Before I had even realized it, the entire crowd was singing along to “Weak and Powerless.” At times, the crowd’s volume had rivaled that of the band’s lead singer, Maynard James Keenan. Track after track, the crowd remained hooked. Other notable peaks of the performance came during “A Stranger,” “The Outsider” and “The Nurse Who Loved Me.”

With changes in the band’s roster, comes a change in the interpretation of the music. APC’s rework of Thirteenth Step shows a clear step towards a more progressive rock base. Long, slow-building, intros and outros alongside drawn out, improvisation-fueled, breakdowns made for a nice change in scenery. An example of such behavior can be seen in James Iha’s guitar solo during “Blue.” Paying little attention to the original riff, James employed a jazz like, free-form, technique towards whaling guitar sounds. Much skepticism has been attached to the new, relatively unknown, bassist, Matt McJunkins. Throw your apprehensions aside! Matt does an amazing job filling the large, and sexy, shoes of previous bassist, Paz Lenchantin.

Nowadays, it seems that so many bands are reuniting in hopes of recreating past successes. A Perfect Circle’s new interpretation of Thirteenth Step makes a strong statement towards what the band has in store for the future, while still paying homage to the past.