Saw Primus Saturday Night

[SteveSly]

I saw Primus at The State Theater in Kalamazoo MI Saturday night. Primus are a band that I have always had somewhat mixed feelings about. They are great musicians, but typically their albums have only about half worked for me. They always seem to have some really killer tracks along with quite a bit of filler or just plain weirdness. I had only seen them live once before when they opened for Rush back on the “Counterparts” tour. Even though they seemed to be ignored by much of the Rush audience I was really impressed at the time, so when I heard they were coming 10 minutes down the road I decided to check out the show. This tour is billed as “Primus And The Chocolate Factory” with the Fungi Ensemble. Their latest album is a Primus take on the music from the famous Wonka film in the 70’s. The Fungi Ensemble are two extra musicians, one on Cello and the other on Vibes and various percussion (this guy did a couple of incredible vibe solos during the 2nd half of the show). They did not have an opening act. The show opened with a very sparse stage with just the 3 guys positioned towards the front of the stage and a curtain covering the back half. Other than a few varl-lights that shown up on the ceiling, the lighting was pretty minimal. The band did a little over an hour set of classic Primus tracks and songs from their last album “Green Naugahyde”. They closed the first set with a scorching “Over The Electric Grapevine”. The band then took a short intermission. When they came back on the curtain opened to reveal the full Wonka production complete with big screen, large inflated mushrooms and Tim Alexander's huge percussion / drum kit. They played the Wonka album from start to finish using clips from the film as background off an on during the set. The whole thing was very psychedelic in nature, and very Primus like. When they did the “Oompa Loompa” songs they would have these two large Oompas come out on stage and do a little dance thing. I had really worried the whole Wonka thing might get old fast, but I ended up really enjoying it. For an encore they came back and did 3 additional classic songs. “Southbound Pachyderm” was especially good as they stepped out instrumentally and really jammed it out. I maintain that song pure progressive rock, but not everyone agrees with me on that. During their final song “Here Come The Bastards” they showed a short film that they had filmed earlier in the day of one of the Oompa Loompas at Bell’s Brewery here in town which was cool. All in all I thought it was a great show by one of the more unique bands on the planet.

SET LIST:

THOSE DAMNED BLUE COLLAR TWEEKERS
LAST SALMON MAN
DUCHESS AND THE PROVERBIAL MIND SPREAD
THE TOYS GO WINDING DOWN
OVER THE FALLS
LEE VAN CLEEF
DEL DAVIS TREE FARM
MY NAME IS MUD
OVER THE ELECTRIC GRAPEVINE

INTERMISSION

HELLO WONKITES
CANDY MAN
CHEER UP CHARLIE
GOLDEN TICKET
LERMANINOFF
PURE IMAGINATION
OOMPA AUGUSTUS
SEMI-WONDROUS BOAT RIDE
OOMPA VIOLET
I WANT IT NOW
OOMPA VERUCA
WONKMOBILE
OOPMA TV
FAREWELLL WONKITES

ENCORE

TOO MANY PUPPIES
SOUTHBOUND PACHYDERM
HERE COME THE BASTARDS

[polmico]

That's a helluva a set list! Thanks for posting. I'm seeing them in July with Dinosaur Jr. opening. I wonder what they'll cut.

One point: Tim "Herb" Alexander is the drummer. LaLonde plays the electric git-fiddle.

[SteveSly]

That's a helluva a set list! Thanks for posting. I'm seeing them in July with Dinosaur Jr. opening. I wonder what they'll cut.

One point: Tim "Herb" Alexander is the drummer. LaLonde plays the electric git-fiddle.

Oops……you are right, got the musicians mixed up. I’ll do an edi. As for the show you are seeing, I think they are doing a limited run of this Wonka show and the summer tour is going to be a regular primus show. Not totally sure on that, but I think I read it somewhere.

[progholio]

I saw this show last November, about as close as you can get to an LSD trip without drugs. Bought the Chocolate Factory on vinyl and later found out that there was a 'golden ticket' winner from the same show. Missed it by that much.
I've never seen the original movie but now I want to because of Primus.

[polmico]

The movie is special. Wilder is fantastic. I won't bother discussing the awfulness that is Depp's Wonka. None of Wilder's humanity or nuance (and I generally like Depp).

[SteveSly]

Here is the short film they showed during the show that they filmed earlier in the afternoon at Bell's Brewery here in town:

[Splicer]

Claypool's always been too consciously weird for me. Like he's trying too hard and constantly saying, "I'm weird. Am I weird enough now? Hey, everyone, I'm weird."

[Haruspex Carnage]

Claypool's always been too consciously weird for me. Like he's trying too hard and constantly saying, "I'm weird. Am I weird enough now? Hey, everyone, I'm weird."

Agreed. Good player though...The Residents as a bit less garish jam band.

[Ground and Sky's Ghost]

Aw, man, you're killing me. Primus is playing Hershey, PA (about a 10 minute drive for me) at a theater right across the street from the old Hershey Chocolate Factory. I had to choose between going to see that or going to the "Some Kind of Jam" festival in Reading, since they're the same weekend. I just bought a ticket for the festival. Now I'm wishing I had picked Primus instead. Can't believe I'm going to miss seeing them play "Southbound Pachyderm". I don't know if it's prog, but I love that song.

[-=RTFR666=-]

The Wonka tour rolled thru Phoenix late last year. The show at the Orpheum sold out quickly. Bummer, as I've done my best to catch as many Primus and Claypool offshoots as I can since seeing them as part of the HORDE lineup in the late 90s.

[Finch Platte]

Oh, man, thanks for that great review. I bought the Choco disc, but returned it asap. Did not enjoy it one whit, but glad to hear they pulled it off live, and it sounds wayyyy more interesting with the visuals.

Glad to see Herb is still playing. From what I understand, he lost interest in playing drums for a while. Hope that he's found that fire again.

And Claypool is weird. Look at him, he's weird.

[Phlakaton]

Seen them about 20 times since 1990. Love the band. The Brown Album era was my least favorite but overall I've liked most everything they've done.

[SteveSly]

Aw, man, you're killing me. Primus is playing Hershey, PA (about a 10 minute drive for me) at a theater right across the street from the old Hershey Chocolate Factory. I had to choose between going to see that or going to the "Some Kind of Jam" festival in Reading, since they're the same weekend. I just bought a ticket for the festival. Now I'm wishing I had picked Primus instead. Can't believe I'm going to miss seeing them play "Southbound Pachyderm". I don't know if it's prog, but I love that song.

According to setlist FM they are changing up the set list every night fairly significantly (with the exception of the Wonka portion), so I don’t think they are playing Pachyderm every night.

[SteveSly]

Oh, man, thanks for that great review. I bought the Choco disc, but returned it asap. Did not enjoy it one whit, but glad to hear they pulled it off live, and it sounds wayyyy more interesting with the visuals.

Glad to see Herb is still playing. From what I understand, he lost interest in playing drums for a while. Hope that he's found that fire again.

And Claypool is weird. Look at him, he's weird.

I have never actually heard the Wonka disc. It worked really well live, but not sure that I would want a whole cd of it. Herb played his ass off, he was great. Yea, Claypool is definitely strange. Even his between song banter was……I guess “odd” is the best way to put it.

[progeezer's ghost]

I've never taken the time to explore their material, but Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory has been one of my all-time favorite films since youth, and seeing a prog-tinged power trio perform its musical content with visuals would be an opportunity this manboy would jump at. Glad you enjoyed it!

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

The movie is special. Wilder is fantastic. I won't bother discussing the awfulness that is Depp's Wonka. None of Wilder's humanity or nuance (and I generally like Depp).

perfectly concise summary. I completely agree

and WOW what a setlist! Most of my fav Primus songs in one set!

[Dan Marsh]

Aw, man, you're killing me. Primus is playing Hershey, PA (about a 10 minute drive for me) at a theater right across the street from the old Hershey Chocolate Factory. I had to choose between going to see that or going to the "Some Kind of Jam" festival in Reading, since they're the same weekend. I just bought a ticket for the festival. Now I'm wishing I had picked Primus instead. Can't believe I'm going to miss seeing them play "Southbound Pachyderm". I don't know if it's prog, but I love that song.

Primus and Dinosaur Jr. are plahing PHilly this summer. I'll be there!

[polmico]

Just got back from the Charlotte show. So the only Wonka bit was "Boat Ride" (no surprise). Very much a greatest hits package, but the band delivered very well. I'll be a bit honest when I say I feel a little too old for that shit. Wall to wall people and definitely a party atmosphere. I think I would've enjoyed a more sedated show (not that there wasn't a lot of sedation going on . . . ). But, goodness, they certainly do play very well. Ear plugs are a must, though, mostly for filtering out the crowd noise.

That was a good show. I'm quite pleased.

[Dan Marsh]

Going Thursday in Philadelphia.

[polmico]

Enjoy the show! Both bands were good.

[SteveSly]

Just got back from the Charlotte show. So the only Wonka bit was "Boat Ride" (no surprise). Very much a greatest hits package, but the band delivered very well. I'll be a bit honest when I say I feel a little too old for that shit. Wall to wall people and definitely a party atmosphere. I think I would've enjoyed a more sedated show (not that there wasn't a lot of sedation going on . . . ). But, goodness, they certainly do play very well. Ear plugs are a must, though, mostly for filtering out the crowd noise.

That was a good show. I'm quite pleased.

Sounds like a little different vibe from when I saw them. Venue was a 1500 seat theater, so probably a bit more sedated. Crowed was very mixed age wise as well.

[Wah3]

I'm sorry I missed the tour. Maybe a DVD will be released. Love Southbound Pachyderm including the video

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6xb898sQtu8

[progholio]

Sounds like a little different vibe from when I saw them. Venue was a 1500 seat theater, so probably a bit more sedated. Crowed was very mixed age wise as well.

That sounds like the same experience i had with my last 2 Primus shows, 2000 reserved seat theater which was a very civilized enviroment, i was probably on the upper end of the age range of the crowd, it was a party atmosphere and the Wonka segment of the show (whole Chocolate Factory album) was a damn good party worth attending. I think there was much more sound pressure at the recent Rush show than Primus.