Thanks to Marley23 who gave me the initial heads up on the fact that the original members of Primus: Les Claypool, Larry Lalonde, and Tim Alexander will be doing a two set concert with the second set covering nothing but the Sailing the Seas of Cheese album. I already have my tickets for one month from today. I am positive this will be your last chance to hear these guys together, so if you have ever been into Primus, you better check into this soon.
Everybody say “Larry, you’re a bastard!”. Plus “Herb the ginseng drummer”. Les is really the band of course, but it’ll be exciting to see them back.
Honestly, the Seas of Cheese – though excellent – wasn’t their best. Kindof a shame they’re limiting themselves to it. Although I do have Jerry Was a Race Car Driver as the ring on my cell phone, so I’m reminded of the album many times each day.
Many, many moons ago, myself and three buddies hopped into a car at midnight and drove from San Diego to Bekeley, so we could catch a Primus show. And what a show it was. Met Les Claypool too, what a character. Saw them several times since, but that was an amazing experience.
Great story Bill. That must have been in the early days. I know they recorded Suck On This in Berkely. I will agree with you on the Seas of Cheese comment and say that Frizzle Fry was the best album they ever put out.
In real life, I’m a very corporate type, and I don’t think any of my peers have ever even heard of Primus, so I do get some looks when my phone rings. But it’s my own little enjoyment.
I have another funny story about the phone: Several months ago I was in a shoe store (it’s a Vans store, and it’s really half shoe-store, half skateboard park). They have loud music playing in the place. The song Jerry was a Race Car Driver came on in the store, and I answered my phone. And then I couldn’t figure out why noone was on the phone. It was a good 60 seconds before I figured it out.
But back on subject: I agree with Frizzle Fry being the best. Love that album. My four year old son loves it too; it’s cute to hear him singing along to Tommy the Cat, screaming “Hey Baby!”
moejuck, you’re right; it’s probably been 15 years since the road trip to Berkeley. We were young and poor and anything was possible. Man, Primus rocked. Also on the bill at that show was Firehose, if you’re into them, and they were pretty amazing too. Also another band, with a bald-chick-drummer, but they didn’t really impress me and I’ve forgotten their name. Although I met and hung out a bit with Mike Watt of Firehose a couple years later, and he spoke very highly of that third band, so maybe they were cool and I didn’t get it, who knows.
Duh. Tommy the Cat is on Suck On This (and in a lesser form Sailing the Seas of Cheese), not Frizzle Fry.
And in fact, I take back Frizzle Fry, and insert Suck on This as my fave Primus album. I got 'em mixed up, as the song Frizzle Fry is also on Suck on This. They’re all good, of course.
Snooooopy, though it’s true that Todd Huth was the original guitarist (and Jay Lane, the original drummer), I don’t believe that either was ever on a single Primus album, or that either ever contributed to writing a single Primus song. Interesting footnote though.
First off I was planning on going to the Halloween show at the Warfield in SF but it sold out very quickly. Then the second added show sold out before I could save up money. I used to go to the Annual Freak Out shows on New Years. Those were always cool. I’m thinking they might tour again with the new album out and everything. It even hints on Primussucks.com that they might tour next year but are not sure.
Bill H is right Snooopy, Todd and Jay were never given much credit on any of the band’s albums.
Bill H. YOU SUCK! I can’t believe you got to see Primus and Firehose, and that you also got to meet Les and later on Mike Watt. Those are two of the best bass players around. Is it Luck?
moejuck, that was back in my musician days, another life, really. Those were fun times. I met a bunch of cool folks and saw a bunch of cool bands before they were big, such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, others. (never met Flea though, that’s another amazing bass player I would’ve like to have met).
When I met Mike Watt, it was at UCSD, where I was going to school. Firehose was playing there, and I showed up a couple of hour early and was wandering around the campus. Mike Watt was also walking around the campus, and I ran into him. I told him about the earlier trip where we’d driven up to Berkeley and seen them. He was very cool. They played the show, and it was amazing of course. Right after the show was over, he actually jumped off the stage and shook my hand and said some kind things. Quite a guy.
