Tool’s Maynard James Keenan Wears Drag at Florida’s Rockville Fest

In an act of direct defiance of the anti-queer and trans sentiment in Florida, Tool’s Maynard James Keenan took the stage at Rockville Fest on May 21. Just mere days before his performance in FL that has caught internet buzz, the state of Florida enacted five anti-LGBTQ laws. Openly stating that there was no political intent behind his appearance, Keenan performed in drag to the all-ages event.

According to how the law is written in FL, Keenan’s performance was illegal. HB1438 bans drag performances where minors are present. DeSantis says this is to protect children from “indoctrinating and confusing concepts like gender identity.” Even though he did technically break the law, Keenan notes that no one on his team has been contacted by Florida authorities. He suggests that the laws are simply fodder to “shore up their base for an election year.”

Despite appearances, Keenan states that his decision to perform in drag had nothing to do with opposing the state law in Florida. Instead, he says that he’s been cross-dressing long before “clickbait-junkie dupes were out of diapers.

“It’s pretty crazy the technology and the prosthetics nowadays, how they’ve come along, and I just was considering bringing the look back,” he explains. “And that’s really all there is to it. I’m not a political fella— had nothing to do with Florida.”

We couldn’t think of a better way to close out our biggest day in Rockville history with @Tool . Until next year Rockvillians ✌️

????: @samshapiromedia pic.twitter.com/myiLKud2gS

— WelcomeToRockville (@RockvilleFest) May 22, 2023

Keenan is known for performing in “unorthodox” looks. In the past, he has taken to the stage wearing everything from riot-police gear, body paint, and a variety of prosthetics, including prosthetic breasts, which have been part of his onstage look since 1997.

While Keenan openly claims to not have any political motivations, he has also stated that “limiting people’s access to anything is absurd.” The musician is a father of two who believes that the key to raising well-rounded kids is allowing them to “reason and puzzle things out and decide for themselves.”

When asked whether or not he claims to be a member of the drag community, he says that while he has “been a drag queen,” that he is “too casual” to be considered a hardcore member of the drag community. He has stated, though, that he feels a specific kinship to people who practice drag as a form of self-expression.

“Solidarity with people who are not afraid to express themselves? Absolutely,” he affirms. “People that want to express themselves in whatever fucking way they want to express themselves, as long as they’re not physically directly hurting someone? Yeah, go for it. I’m all for ya.”

The primary Keenan is hoping to communicate with his performances is to fearlessly be yourself. Keenan is scheduled to play a number of shows over the course of the rest of the year with his art-pop collective known as Puscifer and has some fall dates scheduled for his band Tool.

Feature image credit Level 11 Content