First show at Viper Club Reception

A Perfect Circle was originally conceived by Billy Howerdel , a former guitar technician for Nine Inch Nails , the Smashing Pumpkins , Fishbone and Tool . Howerdel met singer Maynard James Keenan in 1992, when Tool was opening for Fishbone, and the two became friends. Three years later, Keenan offered Howerdel, who was looking for lodging, a room in his North Hollywood home. This provided Howerdel the opportunity to play demos of his music for Keenan. Pleased with what he heard, Keenan remarked, “I can hear myself singing [those songs].” Howerdel originally wanted Cocteau Twins lead singer Elizabeth Fraser to be A Perfect Circle’s vocalist, but she was unavailable. Howerdel agreed that Keenan would be a good fit, and A Perfect Circle was formed a short time later. The two rounded out the band’s initial lineup with bassist and violinist Paz Lenchantin , former Failure guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen , and Primus drummer Tim Alexander . The band played their first show in Los Angeles at the Viper Club Reception in August 1999 followed by a performance at the Coachella Festival that October, by which time Alexander had been replaced by Josh Freese , who worked with Howerdel on Guns N’ Roses recording sessions that would later lead to the album Chinese Democracy . While initially in talks to release the album on Volcano Records – Tool’s record label – Keenan stated that they instead chose to go with Virgin Records , who Keenan felt better understood that Keenan meant for the band to be an equally important band to Tool, not a minor side project. After the initial shows and securing a record deal, the band entered the studio to begin work on their first album.