The Dillinger Escape Plan Revive Greg Puciato-Era Song Live In San Francisco With Guest Vocalist

The Dillinger Escape Plan dug deep into their catalog during their December 14th show at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, CA, surprising fans by performing a song from the band’s Greg Puciato era — despite his continued absence from their current lineup.

The influential mathcore outfit initially called it quits in 2017 before resurfacing in 2023 with original vocalist Dimitri Minakakis returning to the fold. Since reuniting, the band’s live sets have largely centered on material from Minakakis’ original tenure, particularly songs from their 1999 debut album, Calculating Infinity.

That focus made Saturday night’s inclusion of “Milk Lizard” — originally released on 2007’s Ire Works — a notable outlier. Rather than featuring Minakakis on vocals, the band enlisted thoughtcrimes frontman Rick Pepa to handle the song. The collaboration made logistical sense, as Pepa’s band shares drummer Billy Rymer with The Dillinger Escape Plan.

The appearance marked a rare live revival of material associated with Puciato, who has remained disconnected from the reunion. In a June 2024 interview, guitarist Ben Weinman confirmed that he and Puciato have not been in contact since the band’s original breakup.

The San Francisco moment followed another unexpected guest appearance earlier in the band’s recently wrapped West Coast run. At their December 12th show at The Belasco in Los Angeles, former Every Time I Die vocalist Keith Buckley joined the band onstage — a pairing that raised eyebrows given the complicated history surrounding Buckley and Puciato’s current band, Better Lovers.

While the guest spots appear to be one-off moments rather than signals of broader changes, they’ve added an element of unpredictability to The Dillinger Escape Plan’s reunion shows — even as the band continues to anchor its return around its earliest material.

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