Puscifer may find a home at Palms

Maynard James Keenan says it's "possible" his eclectic rock band Puscifer will do a residency at the Palms, in the way Santana performs at the Hard Rock Hotel through the year.

Puscifer presents a wilder rock for younger crowds, compared with Santana's groovy Hard Rock gigs.

Keenan -- who seems to have sunsetted both of his previous bands, the incredibly creative Tool and A Perfect Circle -- is already at The Pearl this week, rehearsing for Puscifer's tour, which kicks off Oct. 29 at the Palms.

I met him there Monday, when he said a residency could happen down the line.

"I think us starting here is good," he said. "Us getting everybody (in the band) away from all their distractions, and getting them to Vegas for a week to rehearse, is smart -- just to get this focused."

After Keenan said that, he thought about distractions in Vegas, laughed and clarified:

"It's hard to be distracted when you're in an enclosed space for 10, 12 hours" of rehearsals. "You really don't have the energy to go be distracted."

If you know Keenan's work, you know he's sung some fairly critical observations about religion and other mainstream devotions.

So I asked if he likes Vegas, since it's, uh, not outwardly puritanical.

"It's more like oxygen strollers and wheelchairs," he joked and laughed again.

"I'm going to open up a place here: The Brass Pole Casino Grill with tops and tits, grits and slop."

He likes some of Vegas. But he prefers to live in a town with a smaller population. He lives in Arizona and is dedicated to picking grapes himself for his wine label, Merkin Vineyards.

A merkin is a pubic wig (though it also means a straight guy covering for a gay female). The labels on Merkin's bottles show a naked figure from art wearing a merkin made of grapes. I suggested his grape merkin is less graphic than a real merkin of wig hair.

"Can't go that far," he responded.

If you're a rock fan, did you ever think you'd hear Keenan say he "can't go that far" in any respect whatsoever?

ROCKERS HEADLINE STRIP CLUB

Speaking of band residencies: Star rockers Jerry Cantrell and Scott Ian will perform regularly at the Playground strip club complex.

A rep for the venue, on Russell Road near Interstate 15, said Monday that Cantrell (former guitarist for Alice in Chains) and Ian (former Anthrax guitarist) will play as Dead Man's Band starting in December.

The rockers promise to bring rock star friends to the Playground's small rock room, called Dead Man's Hand.

So, John Dolmayan from System of a Down performs there with friends Nov. 6 for a Bluff poker magazine party, the room's official launch.

As I wrote here back in July, Cantrell and Ian hope this will be a Vegas equivalent to L.A.'s "Viper Room" -- and that it could be a flagship in a national Dead Man's chain.

Dead Man's Hand is but one room at Playground. It houses Crazy Horse III strip club, a sushi bar, a small nightclub and a hookah lounge. All they're missing is free WiFi so you can work on your laptop and look at naked ladies.

KHLOE'S DIET

Khloe Kardashian went to GNC at Fashion Show mall on Saturday to promote her diet plan. In line for autographs: about 300 or 400 people, most looking 20 or younger, most looking pretty thin already.

Kardashian was promoting "all-natural" Quick Trim, which she started taking again because "I just felt like I gained a couple love pounds."

She's lost 28 pounds in less than three months through diet and exercise, she said.

I asked if she would tell people in line not to use diet pills if they didn't need them.

"Of course, I'm not wanting little kids to take diet pills," she said with a smile, while talking about body issues.

"I hate Hollywood's perception -- I'm still considered fat to the media. I'm personally so comfortable in my own skin. I don't feel like I'm fat, and I don't care if you do.

"But to a lot of little girls, I want them to know that's not an ideal body weight," she said of emaciated stars.

Her advice to dieters: Forget the scale.

"Don't focus on a number. Focus on how you look in the mirror, if you're comfortable with that."

E-mail delfman@reviewjournal.com. The blog's at reviewjournal.com/elfman.