09/26/2011 Primus @ The National

Venue: The National
Location: Richmond, VA
Time: 8:30pm (doors 7:30)

SET LIST


Tickets: 35.00 All General Admission - Floor Standing, Balcony Seating
Openers: None - Two Sets of Primus!!

Holy Cow! What a show! Les and company did not disappoint! The crowd returned the enthusiastic energy all evening. I even heard someone jumped from the balcony but I don't have confirmation. I do however have confirmation of an ape sighting (right beside me, nice ape though) and a pig man on stage.. but that's later.

The natives grew restless around 8:15pm as the minutes ticked by in slow motion. A few groups chanted "Primus sucks!" with hopes the show would begin but to no avail. Finally, the carousel cartoon music hushed and the lights dropped. Les Claypool, Larry LaLonde and Jay Lane took to the stage for set one of two. Opening with "Those Damned Blue Collar Tweekers" and "Fisticuffs" energized an already hopped up crowd. Les hushed the cheers for a brief moment to explain how he'd thought about this upcoming show and thought it could just be a "mediocre" and "sub-par" performance. Later in the day he happened up on a tasty strawberry something or other and immediately decided this would indeed be a "fucking good show!" All agreed as they pushed forward through "Sgt. Baker" though honestly I expected a harder crowd. While perched on the rail, I realize I was semi-protected by a cushion of about three or four people behind me. I felt grateful for that cushion when "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" and "My Name is Mud" set the pit into a spinning riot of hysteria.

Les himself, no less than perfect, remained hidden under dim lighting and a bowler derby hat. Lasers scanned the venue while the well-known blowup astronauts stood majestically to the right and left of Jay Lane on drums. A large screen in the center displayed comical black and white films and repetitious cartoons related to the lyrics. Les spoke to the crowd again trying to dissuade an eager fan from holding the new album up during the show.

Les played a variety of basses including his signature bass with what I like to call the curley-Q, a six-string bass and an electric upright. No sign of the Whamola. For sure the electric upright was the favorite of the night. The sounds Les pulls from this wonderful instrument are no less than ethereal. Larry LaLonde kept his head down song after song while pushing through solo riffs and melodic waves of Primus gold. He makes it look so easy!

Intermission entertained fans with old Popeye cartoons.. thirty minutes worth of cartoons. Speaking of the fans.. I've never see so many people inside The National. Packed from floor to balcony, there were no open spaces. The ramps in the back and stairs along the side gave no reprieve to anyone looking for a cooler place to relax or catch their breath. And queue the second set..."Primus sucks!"

Primus returned to the stage for what my ape headed rail mate (and I mean that in the nicest of ways.. really cool dude) explained to be Green Naugahyde in order which had not been played completely though yet. While he had no qualms showing his excitement for the play through of the new album, the crowd seemed muted. Maybe it was the newness of the songs and everyone just wanted to absorb them. I'd listened to Green Naugahyde via Spotify over the weekend and hearing it live confirmed my thoughts. The songs remain true to Primus grit and deep bass lines, but not quite as heavy as the catchy riffs of Sailing the Seas of Cheese ... but a keeper no doubt. The favorites of this set were "Jilly's on Smack" and "Lee Van Cleef".

A brief two song encore, "Golden Boy" and "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver", finished out the night with Les in his pig man mask.

So tell me your thoughts on the show! Where were you and what did you experience? I wanna know!

More pics from the show (warning: a photographer I am not!)