What can be dwindled down to a roug argument…there just simply is no other band in the world that sounds quite like Primus. Unable to be categorized, the genre-bending trio has played on tours ranging from the alternative Lollapalooza and the metal-themed Family Values and Ozzfest, to the jam-friendly HORDE, and even opened for a number of diverse arena titans - Anthrax, Janes Addiction, U2, and Public Enemy. Not to mention the man, the myth, the colonel, the outrageous larger than life, bass slapping gonzo legend himself… Les Claypool; whose surreal humor and cartoonish vocals alone makes Primus such a curious enigma.
After three years experimenting beyond the mosh-pit scene that made up the first half of the band’s history, Claypool has expanded his musical excursions further into the jam realm, playing with the likes of Bob Weir, Galactic, Warren Haynes and Trey Anastasio. A suiting backdrop, the cozy northern confines of Burlington, VT, the rustic gymnasium, Memorial Auditorium set a distinct tone for this much anticipated performance. As perhaps the longest line in the state, wrapped itself three quarters around the brick venue, as fans young and old waited to be padded down. The last time a band called Primus hit Burlington, in February 2000, a few thousand lucky fans witnessed the first live Oysterhead performance. Anastasio and former Police drummer Stewart Copeland joined the stage mid-show for a version of Led Zeppelin’s "Communication Breakdown," that of course led to a New Orleans Jazz Fest performance that following spring and then full album and subsequent tour a year and a half later.
Brian “Brain” Mantia was Primus’ drummer over the course of the most recent four years - 1997-2000, providing a muscular, thunderous backbone to the equation, but he’s now out of the picture. Original Primus drummer, Tim Alexander, formally known as “Herb, who brings the Neil Pearl octopus effect to the equation, providing more textures and touches on the band’s first four studio album has returned for this particular Tour De Fromage. And guitarist Larry LaLonde, perhaps music’s most respecting lead guitarist – never overstepping Claypool’s lead bass licks, but adding enough interesting nuances to make the sound clearly Primus – has returned to add his screeching leads and textures.
From the first bass thumping notes of “Harold of the Rocks” that led into heavy exploration, Primus began scraping a whole new planet of sound – not to mention the tease of “Southbound Pachyderm” that preceded “Harold,” giving the band an immediate spontaneous stage appeal. While tackling plenty of improvisation and jamming, the 2003 version of Primus isn’t at all avoidant of the heavy slamming they can readily deliver, still attracting the aggressive mosh crowd up front amongst the head nodders inconspicuously behind them. Leading into the classic –“Toys Go Winding Down,” Claypool got the crowd to erupt in unison, hopping with every single vibrating twitch of his knee as he jerked around the stage, part freakshow- part bass clinic.
The first set was flooded with classic material from their first studio release, Frizzle Fry. Launching into “Pudding Time,” and eventually finding their way back into “Toys,” it was actually the new song, “My Friend Fats” that proved to be the early epic, journeying into psychedelic tendencies and into another extended jam. Yes, it’s not merely a lackadaisical buzzword, there really was lots of jamming. “My Name Is Mud” reared its dirty face, with Claypool’s slapping garnering the affection of the crowd, again into a mosh frenzy. And somehow, the band found their way back into “Harold of the Rocks” where they began, underlying the segue-laden theme of the first set.
Sailing the Seas of Cheese, Primus' 1992 major label debut, was to be played in its entirety, as was every show this tour – perhaps the reward for long time fans awaiting the band's return from hiatus. From the funk metal stomp of “Sgt. Baker” to the prog-rock of “American Life” featuring Claypool on hisbizarre whamola (one string bass), the trio was keen to throwing in novelties for each song, keeping the repeated album fresh from night to night. Following “Is it Luck?,” the band dove into “In the Flesh?" from Pink Floyd’s
The Wall, which had the crowd throwing their arms up in the air triumphantly with each of LaLonde’s boisterous chords. One of the band’s most well known hits, “Tommy the Cat” followed, and Claypool once again brought his character to life as he got down and snarled, “she knew what she wanted,” and led into perhaps the night’s most ferocious bass rant and the trademark crowd cry,” SAY BABY!” As "Those Damn Blue Collar Tweekers" concluded, the stage soon transformed itself into a true Primus freak-show, as the band steered into the final song off the album, “Los Bastardos.” With Claypool donning a glowing eye mask, accompanied by a masked bass player, percusionist, and soon Anastasio donning a dapper leather jacket. Later he would find his niche and would be jamming out metal style in fifth gear, which despite the high volume festivities, came too quickly to an abrupt end.
If the Tour De Fromage is the groundwork for the new era of Primus, they are clearly reinventing themselves, maturing in an improvisational frame, but remaining grounded in their quirky characteristics that make them Primus. And the question remains...do they still suck?
