Tonight's Concert Pick
With Les Claypool and his alter ego, expect unexpected craziness
I would love to sit at my keyboard and advise all to hurry to the House of Blues, shimmy-and-barter for parking downtown and be sure not to miss one second of Primus leadman Les Claypool's show tonight because it promises to be one bass-slappin' Primus hit after another.
"Jerry Was A Race Car Driver" will be followed by "My Name Is Mud," which will give way to a roof-torching rendition of "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver."
In good conscience, however, I can't tell you that. In fact, I can't promise that even one of those Primus radio singles — or any other Primus song — will be played at the show.
With freaky side projects ranging from Oysterhead, Sausage, Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade (which, truth be told, is not all that different musically or personnel make-up than Sausage), Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel, Electric Apricot and now ... (deep breath to finish ) a new self-titled solo endeavor, it's hard to know where Claypool will draw his inspiration on any given night.
Two things that are definitely true:
1) Claypool took that whole, psychedelic, acid trip alter-ego idea that The Beatles started with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and shifted it into overdrive.
2) Claypool's year-old solo album, "Of Fungi and Foe," makes some of the zany lyrical imagery from past Primus masterpieces like, "Frizzle Fry" and "Sailing the Seas of Cheese" look conservative by comparison.
So, I guess my suggestion would be to hurry to the House of Blues, shimm- and-barter for parking downtown and don't miss one second of Primus leadman Les Claypool's show because there is no telling what might happen ... but it's bound to be pretty damn interesting.
Les Claypool
7 p.m. tonight at House of Blues
Tickets: $25-$37