While many artists use alter egos as a vehicle for outlandish behavior, country legend Hank Williams created the moralistic alter ego Luke The Drifter to espouse good deeds and dole out sage wisdom. Wiggles, a rapping underwater DJ, Sir Nose D’Voidoffunk, Lollipop Man, and countless others.Ĭlick to load video 4. His lifelong fascination with sci-fi manifested itself in his characters Starchild (inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey) and Doctor Funkenstein, who sprung from Clinton’s fascination with cloning. Both of his pioneering bands, Funkadelic and Parliament, were part of Clinton’s cosmology that included galactic-themed dancers, costumes, and a replica spaceship on stage during performances. George Clinton created more than just alter egos he created an entire universe with his P-Funk mythology that would pave the way for Afrofuturism. George Clinton: Starchild/Dr Funkenstein/Mr Wiggles Here we pick just a handful of the most famous alter egos from the 50s to today. From country to rock, jazz to hip-hop, these personas embody a specific moment in an artist’s development. And some are just ill-fated from the start, like Garth Brooks’ fictional rock star persona Chris Gaines. When Simon & Garfunkel were told their names were too “ethnic-sounding,” they recorded under “Tom And Jerry,” borrowed from the cartoon adversaries.
For others, it was self-mythologizing, with Robert Zimmerman dropping his supposedly unfashionable moniker for the much hipper Bob Dylan, complete with an itinerant troubadour backstory.įor others, it was due to industry pressure. When The Beatles wanted to retire their mop-top boy band image and be considered serious artists, they created Sgt. Emily Kavanaugh, wrapped in black leather from head to toe, exuded a persona that was part schoolgirl, part provocateuse.More than a stage name, musicians have been creating multiple identities as part of their performance for centuries. Night Club started the evening in good form, with a synthetic pop vibe set.
After all, shouldn’t we be there to feel the moment, let the experience infiltrate us and move us? Screens distract, and detract from that opportunity. No audio or visual recording by the crowd was permitted (except for the last song), which allowed the fans to immerse themselves in the music and visual experience without the distraction of their small screens. Subtleties were not lost, messages were applauded, and the performance was roundly cheered. The overall experience was all Keenan, and the assembled fans were clearly well-established devotees. There were clear messages of maintaining awareness (“Do Not Shut Down”) and skepticism of what we are visually fed through our ever-present media. Puscifer alienįilmed segments sprinkled throughout had Keenan reveal the infiltration of aliens into the celebrity community, with clever references and photos of some specific affected celebrities that elicited laughter from the audience. The overall experience was a quirky yet playful take of “Men in Black meets Maynard Keenan.” What started as random actors milling about the stage with oddly peculiar-shaped heads that vaguely suggested an alien nature, progressed to full-on aliens in suits as the performance unfolded, complete with an on-stage abduction. Keenan’s alter ego, Agent Dick Merkin, donned a black wig with distinctive cartoonish white stripes, and red lipstick that only he can pull off with such panache. Puscifer stageĮach band member (vocalist extraordinaire Maynard Keenan, vocalist Carina Round, multi-instrumentalist Mat Mitchell, bassist Greg Edwards, drummer Gunnar Olsen) were outfitted in a dark suit and sunglasses, with serious expressions that meant business. On either side of the centrally situated scaffolding were large screens that piped in trippy, colorful imagery and filmed segments that advanced the alien-themed storyline.
Indeed, the show was something of a theater experience, complete with actors (both band members and extras) who moved about the stage, and an intermission. The stage was outfitted with a simple but effective scaffold arrangement that allowed band members to move between different locations and heights throughout the night. Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady Music Center was at near-capacity for Puscifer’s Existential Reckoning Tour Part 2, in support of the band’s fourth studio album, Existential Reckoning (released 2020).
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