As Primus rolls into the Saturday to wind down its spring tour in support of the mostly-excellent album, Green Naugahyde, the band members should feel like they are in familiar territory. When the house lights go out this weekend it promises to be yet another thrilling and highly memorable show the funky heavy rocking North Bay trio has dropped on Santa Cruz.
Band founder and highly acclaimed bass player Les Claypool has been busy 20 years into their history that has seen the release of eight albums and very big appearances at festivals from Woodstock 94, to an early Lollapalooza, and to more recent shows at Bonnaroo and Outside Lands.
As well as releasing the very adventurous Zappa-like Naugahyde, Claypool has lent the bands music to the water crisis documentary Last Call at the Oasis, Claypool has also started his own winery, Claypool Cellars, perhaps trying duplicate the runaway success rock star Sammy Hagar had with Cabo Wabo Tequila.
But probably not. It doesn’t seem like Primus or Claypool do any endeavor out of any motivation other than to create quirky, wacky, and endearing art. Which is why they are such a good fit in Santa Cruz.
Starting in June in 1990, when a little known band with a growing street buzz booked a show at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall in downtown. They had opened for kindred spirits Faith No More a couple times, but this was one of their first larger headlining gigs in their history.
The turnout was great –500-600 people – who exploded into a turbulent frenzied mob as Primus tore into To Defy The Laws of Tradition to start the evening.
They returned to town, this time at the Civic in November of 1997 by now big stars thanks in large part the funk thrash popularity of the time. They may have been stars by then, but they introduced the unheard of Limp Biskit to us as their opening act.
They returned to the Civic in October of 2003, reincarnated as a jam band. Playing every song off Sailing The Sea’s of Cheese with an extended improvisation. One song even going for 18 minutes while stage hands removed a failing barricade from the front, preventing a collapse that surely would have resulted in injuries to the crew and fans.
And then in March of 2011 Primus played a special benefit show for Claypool’s nephew at the Catalyst. The club was packed that night, and Primus played a full-tilt show that Claypool claimed was the first time his step-dad had ever seen him live.
So, while the busy streets of San Francisco, or the ornate remodeled theaters of Oakland seem like a likely choice to end a tour, Santa Cruz is the more appropriate choice.
Buy $39.50 tickets here. The show starts at 8 p.m. with opener, Fishbone.
