The Strombo Show presents Maynard James Keenan in a rare and intimate conversation to celebrate his memoir, A Perfect Union Of Contrary Things. They explore the inception of the written works, his artistry, evolution of artistry, the current state of humanity, the struggle he feels toward audiences, acceptance of the idea of selfishness, fandom, what people aren't getting when they demand a new Tool / A Perfect Circle album, religion, natural disasters, misogyny, songwriting, honesty, his children, how he learned how to question authority, the future of Tool and President Donald Trump. 

Listen in at this location; a couple of excerpts can be read below.

MJK on what is next for Tool, A Perfect Circle:
"Lots... For some I see a plan and for others, I just see roadblocks. I can't say [which one has the roadblocks]. Respect."

MJK on President Trump, when he was President Elect:
"Oh God. Beyond. That's terrifying. I don't know if I want to go into that. The bigotry and the racism and the negativity and everything about it. There is a war coming. There is a war coming and it is not going to be pretty."

MJK on Muslims, humanity and how we "need a meteor": 
"Those people in the States that would marginalize Muslims around the world and denounce them for they archaic views, they're demonstrating the exact same archaic views - the fundamentalist, crazy, extreme Salem witch trail mentality that we thought we were beyond. I guess that's the message that I've tried to explain to people in the past is that we are not beyond that. We are the same people that did those awful things to each other. We're not beyond that. Our genetic makeup is no different to what it was thousands of years ago. There is no difference. We are still monsters that trick us to keep your monster in check. There is no way out. We need a meteor, and that is just metaphorical - I don't think it is the meteor of hate because I think that is going to make things pretty awful. What we need is something that is an outside meteor that brings people together to start realizing that they need to help each other and let go of some of that crap." 

MJK on if he can perform, write, run his business from the same place emotionally:
"No. I think my creative process is going to be unconsciously similar, just because it is coming from me, but I think a lot of these things are - especially with the winery, especially with all the other businesses and with Puscifer, there's definitely a freedom and a breath that is attached to those projects that is meant to be not quite as constrictive, not quite as it is structured, but not in an inflexible way."

Photo credit: Katrina Thorn (2016)