Many of rock’s biggest names have stood on the stage of Stephens Auditorium, but Tuesday night, Maynard James Keenan was the only rock god on the minds of the 1,800 people in attendance for A Perfect Circle.

As the first few chords of “Vanishing” rang throughout the auditorium, Keenan stood within a four-sided black curtain, visible only as a silhouette by a spiraling light.

When the curtain dropped, Keenan looked like a caged animal in his personal, cube-shaped section of the stage.

The real animal, however, was his mind, which has been responsible for every twisted, cynical creation of Tool and A Perfect Circle since both bands’ formed.

Early in the concert, some members of the audience were enjoying their mood enhancers of choice, but for most, the music alone was hypnotic enough.

The trance-inducing vibe emanating from the five instruments onstage seemed to make time pass abnormally, as it was hard to even remember how long any given song had been playing.

For a man with such a powerful and distinguished singing voice, Keenan sounded surprisingly meek and simple as he spoke to his followers between songs.

“It’s hard to tell how you’re feeling because these seated venues don’t let you shake your booty,” Keenan said.

In the sea of men and women standing at attention, a rebellious group of men near the front remained seated, provoking Keenan.

“Come on,” he said, pointing at the instigators. “If I have to stand up for an hour, you do too. I mean, you can’t be over 40!”

Keenan promised a “special song” from James Iha if the gentlemen would rise to their feet. Presumably, they complied, as the crowd was treated to an a capella solo of Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”

All five members of A Perfect Circle wore black, collared shirts, which fit perfectly with their dark and sophisticated disposition. Drummer Josh Freese’s was sleeveless of course, exposing the muscular arms that struck with extreme force all night.

Halfway through the show, Keenan removed his shirt to cool off, allowing his long hair to hang to his bare chest.

Funnily enough, James Iha put on a glittery silver jacket at the same time. Apparently, he wasn’t getting as much of a workout as Keenan. The giant shadows on the high-reaching walls of Stephens were a good representation of the larger-than-life persona each member of the band held.

Even though they remained relatively stationary throughout the performance, each member of the all-star lineup was empowered by a dynamic energy.

Many of the devoted fans could be seen shaking their fists in the air with eyes closed, mouthing the words to A Perfect Circle’s songs. The smiling faces in the crowd peaked when the band performed singles from “Thirteenth Step” — “Weak and Powerless” and “The Outsider.”

Voices in the audience could be heard accompanying Keenan as A Perfect Circle played a slow, dark version of “The Nurse Who Loved Me.”

During “3 Libras,” every heart in the crowd seemed to beat in time with the powerful chorus.

The band ended its 14-song set with one of Keenan’s most explicit antichrist anthems, “Judith.” The crowd was sent out into the snowy night air without an encore, but no one seemed to mind.