Many Hats, One Bass Brain
The night is a moving showcase for
Les Claypool, the thread tying
Primus,
Les Claypool's Frog Brigade, and
The Claypool into one story. A key backdrop is the recent return of the Frog Brigade after a long break, which refreshed his catalog with looser, exploratory sets. Expect a Primus core built on sideways funk and oddball narratives, and then a more psychedelic stretch when the Brigade brings keys, sax, and vibraphone colors.
Songs and Crowd Snapshot
Likely anchors include
Jerry Was a Race Car Driver,
My Name Is Mud, and a Floyd nod like
Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Crowds tend to be cross-generational, with bass tinkerers, art-rock fans, and curious jam travelers trading notes and watching pedal moves between songs. Trivia: the Brigade's
Live Frogs Set 2 captured a full performance of Pink Floyd's
Animals, and Primus woodshedded many riffs at a home spot nicknamed Rancho Relaxo. These guesses about the set order and stage look draw from recent runs and could be off on the night.
A Gold-and-Green Micro-Scene
In-Jokes, Pins, and Poster Ink
You will see vintage tees from the
Sailing the Seas of Cheese era next to fresh frog pins and DIY tophats that nod to carnival vibes. Between songs, the joking '
Primus sucks' chant pops up, a long-standing wink that signals deep-fan comfort. Merch lines are usually chasing artist posters with gold and emerald foil, plus patches shaped like bass heads and amphibians. People swap show notes about which project stretched a tune the furthest and compare the weirdest bass tone they heard that week. Dress ranges from plain dark hoodies to bright thrift finds, with a few costume-level looks that still feel friendly and low-key. When the last notes fade, folks often linger to trade set lists, pin backings, and stories about first encounters with
Les Claypool on a small stage decades ago.
Bass at the Helm, Band in the Pocket
Rubber Groove, Sharp Corners
Claypool's voice sits like a dry narrator, cutting through with a talk-sing that leaves room for the bass to lead. Lines snap between slaps, taps, and picked figures, while the drums plant a square beat that makes the strange shapes feel friendly. With
Primus, the trio format keeps the low end wide and the guitar percussive, so drops hit hard when the band stops on a dime. When
Les Claypool's Frog Brigade takes over, keys and mallets add shimmer, and tempos often stretch so solos can breathe without losing the pocket.
Little Tweaks That Matter
A common live move is to reframe a familiar riff as a slower, heavier stomp before snapping back to the record pace, which makes old songs feel newly risky. He sometimes brings out the one-string Whamola for a creaky, vocal-like lead, and he leans on envelope filters and octave pedals to make the bass mimic a synth. Lights tend to favor warm gold and frog-green washes that punctuate hits rather than overwhelm the music.
Kindred Eccentrics on the Road
Fans Who Share the Same Odd Groove
Tool fans will feel at home with the patient build-ups, rubbery bass focus, and rhythmic puzzles. If you like off-kilter humor and singable grooves wrapped in weird,
Ween is a close neighbor. The spiky, genre-hopping chaos of
Mr. Bungle lines up with Claypool's taste for left turns and cartoon menace.
Mastodon also overlaps, especially for fans who enjoy heavy tones that still swing and a drummer-first live mix. Across all four, the link is adventurous writing that stays physical and a crowd that listens as hard as it moves.
