A Perfect Circle Live At Verizon Theatre – Grand Prairie, TX 4/23/17

There are very few supergroups (that I can think of) that have an incredible impact among music fans in general. The concept is a group of artists from different backgrounds that get together to play something different. They’re treated as side projects, of course, but most of the times it doesn’t seem like any of those talent combinations aim for the long run. There’s a returning band that doesn’t perfectly fit into the concept that I just described. Formed in 1999 by Billy Howerdel and TOOL’S Maynard James Keenan, A PERFECT CIRCLE announced a Spring Tour this year for the first time in six years, and A&GS was there to catch all the action at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie in Texas..

Before I walked into the show, I knew very little about A PERFECT CIRCLE. One of the few things that surprised me before catching this gig was that this band only released three albums in their career (from 2000 – 2004) and yet the show seemed to be so successful. Strong proof of that were all the fans attending the venue, with their TOOL shirts and an imminent hype to finally see an extremely popular band come back to the city.

Most of the tour dates were sold out within a couple of weeks after the tickets went on sale, which is pretty impressive, and it’s also a sign to have a high expectation once the show date arrives. The setlist was comprised of a long list of nineteen songs, from different albums and also different artists to the delight of the thousands of attendants.

It was very surprising to imagine that a lot of people in the venue had never seen A PERFECT CIRCLE (myself included, of course) and maybe others saw the band in their teenage years. An awesome gathering of fans with an awesome production from the band and crew were they key elements for this to be a great night.


The songs included “Magdalena”, “Rose”, “The Hollow”, “Thinking of You” and “Thomas” from their debut album Mer de Noms. The song “Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums” from their album eMOTIVe was present in the setlist, along with a couple of covers: Brinsley Schwarz’ “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” and John Lennon’s “Imagine”, which was a spectacular cover that I had never heard before. The rest of the setlist was made up of their Thirteenth Step album almost completely.

The experience that involves watching A PERFECT CIRCLE from the center of the stage is bizarre, but nothing too extravagant. The band barely used lights on themselves, instead using those resources to create different views according to each song instead. The sound was incredibly clear, and all the people around my section were very much into each and every single song. I remember I’ve been that excited at other shows just like they were, so I was very happy to see that.


The musical experiences that the band offers definitely makes as much sense as their ticket prices. This supergroup definitely holds a bunch of talented people that seem to know and enjoy every single aspect of what they’re doing.

The band also sings and plays music that goes further than just simple music; they deliver anti-war messages that we very much need right now in this crappy world.

Overall, A PERFECT CIRCLE falls into the better than average section for me given the fans excitement to listen to their favorite songs.

Looks like the tour is about halfway to its end, so make sure you’re willing to spend more than an average ticket price if you want to go see this band. I recommend it if you’re into slow rock music and especially if you’ve been a TOOL fan since their last release back in 1492.

LIVE IMAGES: GUZPIX

LIVE WORDS: THE ALCALDE