Looks like a cool things.

Anyone know the artist behind this electro/trance version of “Ecstasy of Gold”? Nice touch.

I love Tool and APC but WOW, does he sound like a pretentious cock here.

Yah I agree with the pretentious cock comment, he and the other guy were doing a wine signing in Miami the other day, me and the wife were all excited to go meet him, the staff treated it like he was the president, Eric was friendly, but him on the other hand wouldn’t even look up. I understand if he’s like shy or whatever, but he’s using his name to promote his wine, what does he expect other than fan’s. Most people who left were disappointed, I’m not a groupie, but a hi, thanks for being interested in my attempts a personal expression, thanks for coming. No longer a Maynard fan.

I understand at a recent wine signing, he refused to sign anything but a bottle that you purchased. No TOOL or APC merch or anything BUT his wine. He’s using his celebrity as a rock singer to sell the thing, but refuses to honor the fans that come to see him because of his music, rather than his wine?? BS.

I was turned off by the guy when I went to see a TOOL show and the prick wouldn’t even face the crowd. He stood at the back of the stage, with his back to the audience the entire night.

I understand artistic expression and all, but this guy certainly does come off like a pretentious dick.

Meeting Celebs can sometimes ruin it for you. They’re either gonna be cool as fck or fkn dickholes. I work for a rock station as well, I avoid the “meet n greet” part as much as I can nowadays. One asshole can rly shit on the rest.

The great thing about Maynard is that he obviously doesn’t give a
f—k what we think. It’s refreshing. His true fans get it….

The great thing about Maynard is that he obviously doesn’t give a
f—k what we think. He does his own thing and I think it’s refreshing. His true fans get it….
Y’all talking smack on here are obviously American Idol fans….

I really don’t see what the problem is with him refusing to sign APC/TOOL merchandise. It’s a wine signing. If it was a signing for APC/Tool merch, im sure it would of been posted as such. People need to chill sometimes. Oh and if you didnt like him in the back the whole time during a concert, I take it you havent experienced many TOOL shows. He does that quite often. They invite you to their shows for the music. I see no other reason to go to a concert.

I’ve been to several shows and several wine signings…Met Maynard on many occasions and I ASSURE you, he is not a pretentious dick. he is simply VERY passionate about the wine. He doesn’t want the music/tool stuff to cloud the importance of the wine. Its made VERY clear that he won’t sign the stuff, so why do people try and then get pissed off about it. Just like a book signing from a big author, you buy the book there, they sign it, thats the deal. Been done that way for years. No biggie.

Yeah…his “true fans” get it so much, these are the ones that are turned away….yeah, they “get it”.

I understand wanting to sell the wine, but you don’t have to lose fans in the process do you?

Treat them with as much respect as they have for you. Just sayin..

Maynard not facing the crowd is part of the TOOL show, and if all that great performance is overlooked by that irrelevant little nugget, feel sorry for the people that waste their money at the concert to begin with.

Remember seeing him as a guest at a Rage show where he walked out during “Know Your Enemy”, quickly sang his part, hugged Zack on the way off and left, all in about a minute. There was no posturing or deflecting attention away from Rage, he just did his part and left.

Isn’t it obvious to this point he doesn’t want it to be about him? Yes he’s selling wine, but I think his intention is to invite his fans into a new experience. Some may confuse that with expecting hugs and snapshots at every promotional event, but this has never been what Maynard or his bands are about.

Feel like that’s just his way, and for every soulless pimp of a rock star who acts the complete opposite, it’s good to know people like him exist.

He’ll be coming to Dallas on July 25th. If he stops by a Whole Foods and does the wine thing, I’M THERE FOR SURE.

I’ll buy the wine, get it signed and thank him for bringing about the greatest music in the world.

Some of the most memorable things about Tool concerts are Maynard’s strange onstage antics. I think its pretty fucking badass. Apparently he completely loses himself in the music and doesn’t want to be distracted by a bunch of worshipping faces.

Look… I wonder how you gutless bastards can even think to understand Maynards intentions. Your not in his position so don’t pretend to be. That’s the problem with fans these days. When they overlook the essance of the music and are blinded by an image of the music. I’m not saying you shouldn’t admire or respect an artist such as Maynard. Just don’t attempt to judge him by your obviousely nieve standards.

I just met Maynard at a wine signing and I am truly shocked and amazed that anyone would ever conceive of him as an asshole. He is the most positive person I have ever met. His whole spirit fills a room and your heart. The reason why he won’t sign other things is because he is trying to share HIS passion, which is wine with his fans, and because he wants to be able to meet as many people as possible so it has to be very controlled. He realizes how people feel about him and he wants everyone possible to get an unbelievable experience. Personally, I did not even give a shit that he signed anything, I was just so incredibly happy to meet him.

MJK just does his thing. He doesn’t owe anyone anything and shouldn’t be expected to thank drooling fans for their adminration. I met him a number of years back and he’s not a dick, douche, etc. You have to put yourself in his position. People act like he’s some sort of deity. That must get very old. He’s just a man. He’s just promoting his wine. Yes, he’s using his fame to promote his product. I contend that he’s earned the right to do so. No one gives a shit if you like Maynard.

I completely agree with Maynard, I am a huge fan of his music, but remember he did not make it by himself. He just wants to be like everyone else with anonymity. How would you feel if everything you did was looked at under a magnifying glass? I say more power to him, and I could care less to meet him. His presence on earth has already impacted my life with the music, it stands for itself.

Matt- I had similar wine signing experience in MA recently..”forced” to but two bottles…45 minutes in line…Maynard? Aloof, mute and even looked scared! Not one word exchanged…lame

Dude, who cares about all the drama, this dude can do whatever he wants, this guy kills it, the lyrics the VOICE,the hidden innuedos ..(i dont know who writes this shit, i think its him and the wacky jurrasic park guy),46 n 2 …wow, the everything–yeah im not crazy a stalker fan, thats obsessed, but …..I really wanna taste that WINE!!, he seems really dedicated to his art.. as always, so if he ever has a signing in Snobbsdale, AZ , i’ll say, Whats up, you’re a cool cat .. can you sign my wine ?
p.s. lets smoke a bowl !
and do a fix…ha ha

What do you expect, all wine people are pretentious assholes I can forgive it, and enjoy the music.

I think people who think all wine people are pretentious assholes are assholes. I didn’t see too many pretentious people at his wine signings I saw a shitload of TOOL fans, nor at their show last weekend, at which I drank….(gasp!)…WINE. I hope Maynard’s wine is as good as his music. From what I hear it is…can’t wait to try it. Are all beer drinkers are loser hillbillies??? I think not…or I married one, and have lots of hillbilly friends…and I don’t drink beer, just WINE.

I am a huge fan of tool APC and not so much of puscifer. That being said i would not bring a tool or Apc album to a pusifer signing venue and ask him to sign it because if I did I would be one of the people who think he is an asshole. so if you bring a cd to a wine singing venue you are an idiot. I believe, and that is all it is, is my belief that maynard wants evrything he does to be great but great in an indiviual way he does not want to have eveything he does to turn into a reality T.V. show like every other celeb in hollywood. He is diffrent, he is a mind individually on his own in everything he does, i think he wants everything he does to be held in its own greatness for exactly what it is, all on its own never in anyway does maynard say that if you like Tool do you have to like APC nor does he say that you cant. I personally love Tool and APC but not so much pusifer all he is trying to say is that you do not have to like my wine because of my music like or love my wine because it is great. Love my wine, not because the creator is great but simply because the of what the grapes create.

Maynard has been around for a long time. To me, it seems that, even from the very beginning, he was disillusioned by the whole thing. The man is older now, perhaps a bit jaded, but he has always expressed his disinterest in fan worship. Have you noticed how much he “warms up” around those who treat him like like another human being? A thoughtful comment always helps the scenario too. Keep in mind that interviewers always ask the asinine, the boring, or the already-asked-and-answered content.

Enjoy the music, and nothing more. All is well.

Just my two cents.

Why does Maynard have to be how you expect? Do you really depend on your social norms that much? He can act how he likes, it doesn’t mean he’s not brilliant. He’s an enigmatic human. You are just tools (pun haha)

Maynard is an original.
Not there to impress you.
Having passion in art forms created and wine, lol.

I know that I tend to be very reclusive and I dislike crowds and I totally “get it”.

Don’t you think it’d suck to be someplace for a specific reason (wine signing for example) and have crazed out “fans” dragging in memorabilia? I mean, it is 100% necessary to have fans, absolutely, because without them you would never make it big, and it is nice to have your talent and creativity appreciated…BUT really, being “recognized” or exonerated is too much for some people. The REAL ASSHOLES crave that. They even EXPECT that. The REAL PEOPLE (who are ot full of themselves) don’t.

A person does not have to morph into what you think they “Should be” just for you.

Please just respect boundaries, appreciate creativity and accept people as they are.

M

If you get pissed that you went to a wine signing and he didn’t sit down and have a 20 minute conversation with you, you must be blind. Nor should you have even went. Heres my experience. I attended a Puscifer concert and had the chance to do the wine tasting before the concert started. Maynard came into the room and thanked us all for coming and tasting the wine and attending the show. That was fucking cool/badass. No one said anything stupid no one asked questions, we all just listened to what he had to say and took in the moment of his presence. All of us in that room came to taste the wine, the blood sweat and tears of his recent work. I think he did this because the ones who get the meet and greet expect something from him/want a piece of him. He has been in the public eye for so long he has probably had enough of the ” oh my god dude I’m your biggest fan” bullshit. So get over yourselves if you wanna judge someone because they didn’t talk to you at a wine signing or take all of the stage presence away from the rest of the band. I’d almost want to quit going to tool concerts just due to the fact that there are too many goddamn stupid people that attend the shows that drive me nuts. Grow up, open your mind, listen and take things in slowly. How many times do you have to hear maynard say it. Some of you out there just don’t listen.

I have seen many tool and perfect circle shows, and sometimes he faces the crowd sometimes he doesn’t hell back in the Aenima days he would wear a dress and Japanese Kabuki makeup. He does what he does, we who understand respect and envy such freedom and I drink wine because it tastes better then, beer, and gets me a nice warm, friendly buzz and last time I checked, I wasn’t a pretentious asshole. I need new Tool and a live dvd for the love of pete(whoever Pete is…)

As an Artist, Tool fan and Winemaker, I am continuously both delighted and dismayed by Maynard’s persistent push into his “unknown.” I appreciate his contributing efforts to Arizona’s wine industry/image, which I am sure is saying the least as Arizona producers are concerned. The value of [mythical] Maynard as a celebrity spokesman is priceless. This is all well and good as wine is, of course, all about evolution and discovery. He cannot, however, make any less than concerted efforts to abate the inevitable fact that anything with his name on it is a brand, and will quickly ascend (descend?) to cult status, and develop around it snobbish nouveau riche wine drinkers (Maynardites) who mistake both wine and themselves as part of an elitist faction. Ultra-image-conscious Maynard has to realize that he can’t be both Andy Warhol and a serious winemaker simultaneously. The relative sanctity of wine should be off limits for condescending illusory character use that dominates the Maynard brand.