Primus
www.Primusville.com
"Capitol Theatre 05/20/22 8p"
Performance review by Laura Kososki (05/27/22)
If anyone had told me last September that I would become an actual fan of a Funk Metal band, I would have smirked and said "Hell, no!" I’ve always shunned Metal bands as unpalatable screamers, and with all the attendant imagery of fiery demons and skeletons, to boot. Hard Rock and Progressive Rock live right up my alley, but I do bristle when my favorite band Rush gets lumped into the Metal genre.
Last September, however, I heard on a Rush podcast that a band unknown to me at the time, Primus, would perform Rush's 1977 "A Farewell to Kings" album in its entirety as part of their Fall tour. When I learned that, I just knew I had to see that show!
Ahead of the September 2021 Asbury Park, NJ, performance, I "discovered" Primus -- through YouTube (of course!). It stunned me to learn they’d been around since the late 80s, completely unbeknownst to me. They're a power trio (to my liking!) and most often classified as a Funk Metal band, although the terms Thrash and Progressive Rock get used as well.
The first song I heard, "My Name Is Mud," didn't impress me due to the repetition of the lyrics and the sound. Then I landed on "Jerry Was a Racecar Driver" and found myself a bit enthralled. When I discovered "Tommy the Cat," I realized this band really did have a unique sound and talent, quite unlike any I’d ever heard. Their sound has steadily grown on me since those early days of discovery, and I now even own two Primus t-shirts. Ahh, what a fan I now am!
Les Claypool, one of the most recognized bass players in the world, with his trademark mix of slap, flamenco-strumming, and tapping, also serves as the lead singer and lyricist for Primus. Amidst strong bass funk, guitar shredding, and heavy drumming, Claypool delivers a type of hillbilly auctioneer-sounding vocal that makes for a bizarre but intriguing juxtaposition, particularly for a Metal band.
The Asbury Park show sounded sensational, both the band's own material and the Rush set. It also educated me as to the long-running "Primus Sucks" slogan that fans often say in jest, but actually honors the group (photo below). After seeing this concert, I realized the stroke of brilliance by Primus to pay tribute to Rush in the form of this tour and also gain a slew of new fans in the process.
Fast forward to May 20, 2022, and once again I found myself at a Primus show. This time at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, a stop on the Spring/Summer leg of the band's "A Tribute to Kings" tour. As before, Les Claypool, Larry LaLonde (guitars), and Tim Alexander (percussion) lit up the crowd with their beautiful cover of Rush's "A Farewell to Kings" record in its entirety. The most recognized song from this set, "Closer to the Heart" (video link below), drew the most audience participation, including singing and flaring Bic lighters. It mesmerized to hear Primus perform "Xanadu" and "Cinderella Man" along with the hardcore Rush fan-favorite "Cygnus X-1: Book 1". Of course, I adored hearing Les again tell the audience how seeing Rush on their 1978 Hemispheres tour changed the direction of his life.
As for Primus songs, "Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers" opened the show, and my two favorites "Jerry Was a Racecar Driver" and "Tommy the Cat" closed it out as encore selections. A funny aside, I had no idea what "tweeker" meant when I first heard that song, but I sure do now!
At the Capitol Theatre, fans packed the general admission floor -- literally elbow to elbow. The crowd sported a wide variety of both Rush and Primus shirts. At the show's end, my friend Mario went all gung-ho about getting a setlist, so we walked around the outside of the building to the stage side door where the giant tour buses waited. Funnily enough, like two ships in the night, we strolled right by Les Claypool himself before we even realized it was him! I wish I’d been able to thank Les in person for an incredible tour honoring "MY" band and also for turning me into a Primus fan with his quirky but brilliant Funk Metal music.
©2022 Roger Zee
Facebook - "Closer to the Heart" - Primus Live at Capitol Theatre 05/20/22
The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ 09/25/21
Photo by Steven Guaragno
