Sacramento’s newest venue, Channel 24, had eluded me until the final two nights of Primus’s Onward & Upward Tour came to town… What a great and rare experience! The intimate venue is mostly GA, except for a small number of seats that populate the second and third levels of the balcony area. What you got was a rare up-close and personal show of one of the most influential nineties Indie/Alt Rock bands still touring. The trio consists of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde, and this tour features the newly acquired drummer John Hoffman, the “Chosen One,” from over 6000 applicants from around the world!
As I entered the venue, I was surprised by how quickly I was able to enter the hall and make my way down the sides to security to introduce myself and get a spot in the pit. I was early, there was only me, the stage security. Oh, and not too surprisingly, countless people deep up against the banister. There were clearly fans of the band. Need proof see the picture below! From steampunks, Capt’n Crunch, horse head masks, and some very colorful humans who clearly knew what was up. The only thing missing was the floor being flooded by a sea of cheese animation. IYKYK
I was excited to find out that there was only perfectly prepared Primus on the menu with no appetizer to dampen the vibe. I have been a fan since they were MTV Spring Break Darlings and Les Claypool grooved himself into modern Indie/Alt Rock lexicon status. To this day, there is only one… Les Claypool and Co. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation as the house was packed from the floor to brushing up against the doors, around the staircases, and finally along the balconies. The elaborate stage show would be as visually stunning as the band was sonically bombastic, as we would soon find out!
Let me be clear and state I am not 22 anymore, and I don’t know every deep track of Primus’ catalog. After speaking to a number of my drummer friends, they said this setlist included some deep bangers that played into Hoffeman’s abilities (which included programming), which included “Little Lord Fentanyl,” “Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers,” and “Frizzle Fry.” As I made my way back and forth in the pit, up and down the side walls, and up into the balcony, it was clear Primus, in all of its experimental ability, hit all the right vibes.
Although the Channel 24 show didn’t officially feature a band as a guest artist, the evening, however, featured a guest, during a banger of a cover “Amos Moses” with Brian Kehoe. If you’ve heard the song “Smokey and the Bandit,” you know who Jerry Reed is!!! A Primus show is a 2 ½ hour barrage of bangers like “Follow the Fool,” “The Antipop,” “Jerry Was A Race Car Driver,” “My Name is Mud,” the iconic “Bob’s Party Time Burger Lounge,” “American Life,” with a partial and respectful rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner,” and “John the Fisherman” to name but a few. It was two sets of banger after banger after. Well, you get the point. After nearly forty years and countless releases, it is Primus after all, and there are few casual listeners out there, you’re a fan or you’re not. This was no night of nostalgia; it was clear there’s a re-evolution, and Primus is here to continue to make sonic mayhem. Tight, or tighter, than ever, Primus did not disappoint. Their stage show was visually amazing. Cartoons, graphics, and live video feeds playing under and over mixed media was visually mesmerizing.
Set 1:
- Clown Dream (Danny Elfman song)
- Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers
- Fisticuffs
- American Life (with “The Star-Spangled Banner” tease)
- Little Lord Fentanyl
- Jilly’s on Smack
- The Toys Go Winding Down
- Bob’s Party Time Lounge
- Shake Hands With Beef
- Set 2:
- Frizzle Fry
- Follow the Fool
- Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver
- The Antipop
- The Seven
- Over the Falls
- Amos Moses (Jerry Reed cover) (with Brian Kehoe)
- Welcome to This World
- My Name Is Mud
- Over the Electric Grapevine
- John the Fisherman
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WORDS AND PHOTOS BY ANTONIO PAGLIASSOTO
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