Claypool, better known as the front man/bassist of Primus, was essentially honing his skills before the band’s only performance of 2005 at Lollapalooza in Chicago’s Grant Park. His supporting musicians were unfamiliar to me, though the ensemble was definitely memorable. I have never seen a group that consisted of a bass player, saxophonist, an Asian woman on the electric sitar and two, count’em, two drummers.

The result was an interesting twist on several renditions from earlier Claypool solo albums, specifically Highball with the Devil (1996) and Riddles are Abound Tonight from Sausage, a group featuring Les and the original Primus lineup. Both of those offerings were produced with a more traditional three-piece of drums, guitar and bass.

Yet at The Vic the saxophone proved adequate at replicating the guitar melodies, while the sitar filled in the spaces the saxophone simply could not. As for the multitude of drummers, this simply validates my theory that it takes two men to play what Primus drummer Tim “Herb” Alexander can play by himself.

As it is with Primus, the entire performance was driven by Claypool’s uniquely frenetic bass style, with his trademark slapping of the strings on his custom-made six string bass. Song after song the bass acted not as an afterthought, as with most pop music bands, but as the legitimate driving force behind the music. Claypool’s role shifted from rhythmic tappings, to bass solos so fast and rich it sounded as if three people were playing three separate bass lines all at once.

The climax of the evening occurred in the second-to-last song of the set, when Primus band mates Larry Lalonde and “Herb” jumped on stage for an impromptu jam session. Watching the members of Primus work together for one of the few times this year left me feeling the significance of the occasion.

As Claypool is always attempting to experiment and improve himself as an artist, I was left wondering what the next Primus album will sound like. As long as Les is the leader, stomping about the stage, a skinny figure looking comical in oversized boots, I am certain about one thing: It will be technically superior and wacky as hell.

Write Comment
Name:	Guest
Title:
Comment:
Code:*

Powered by AkoComment 2.0!