Doc Hop

I just got back from Chicago, and I already have another big update for y’all! I’m sure staying busy this summer, so giddy up!

Earlier this year I bought tickets to see Les Claypool here in Long Beach, as part of his summer Claypool Gold Tour, featuring Primus, Les Claypool’s Frog Brigade, and The Claypool Lennon Delirium. (For those bozos who don’t know, Les Claypool fronts all three bands. So, he essentially opened for himself.) So last night I made my way out to the Long Beach Amphitheater to enjoy the show right by the Queen Mary.

Parking was $55, and fuuuuuuck that. I drove to the Willow Street metro station and took the train downtown. It was cool, because there were other fans/concert-goers on the train, which created a sense of camaraderie. (I didn’t really talk to them, but I could have.) From there I planned to walk to the amphitheater, but my stupid GPS gave me directions to absolutely nowhere, and I ended up having to call an Uber from outside The Blind Donkey.

I made it to the venue with near perfect timing, because I was finding my way to my seat just as the Fearless Flying Frog Brigade took the stage. An old man even gave me a joint on the way to my seat, which was incredibly friendly, and a strong reminder that I might be turning 40 in two weeks but will still happily accept “drugs” from a stranger in a group setting. And I had a pretty good spot! My section wasn’t raised at all, but I could see right between the heads to Les’s spot on the stage, and I also had a killer view of sunset at the Queen Mary!

The Frog Brigade played for about 35 minutes, and absolutely killed! I mostly came for Primus, but this was very easily a highlight of the evening. My toes were a tappin’ and my arms were a flappin’! (Not so much with the arms though. It was a crowded space, and I’m not a rude-type person.)

The Les Claypool Frog Brigade: “The Bomb Run,” “Up on the Roof,” “Amanitas,” “Rumble of the Diesel,” “David Makalaster,” “Riddles Are Abound Tonight.”

The Claypool Lennon Delirium was up next, and played for another 35ish minutes. I’ve seen Les in many capacities and in many bands over the years, but this was my first time seeing this one. Very psychedelic, very cool, and I very much wished I still had that joint from earlier! It was gone with the wind.

The Claypool Lennon Delirium: “Blood and Rockets,” “Little Fishes,” “Meat Machines” with Mike Dillon, “Cliptopia,” “WAP (What a Predicament),” and “Astronomy Domine” by Pink Floyd with all three bands. There was also a tape intro, “There’s No Underwear in Space.”

There was a brief intermission before Primus, but I stayed put. I did not need to take a leak. I did kind of want to buy a T-shirt, but I have friends coming into town in just 12 days, so I’m pinching my pennies until then. I was also worried that finding my way back to my seat would be a whole big mess. And I was lucky too, because intermission ended up a brief bio doc on Primus and their musical/cultural impact, featuring Jason Momoa, Bono, and others. It sure got me HYPED!! (Jason Momoa — such a babe.)

Primus was clearly the main event and the heart of the show, so it did not surprise me that they headlined. They jammed for 90 minutes, with a killer encore, during which they really brought out the big guns! (Or in this case, the Big Brown Beavers!)

Primus: “Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers,” “The Ol’ Grizz,” “American Life,” “Dirty Drowning Man,” “Over the Falls,” “Restin’ Bones,” “Bob’s Party Time Lounge,” “The Ol’ Diamondback Sturgeon” with Frog Brigade, “Welcome to This World” into “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver,” then encore: “John the Fisherman,” “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver,” and “Mirror in the Bathroom” by The Beat with all three bands. “What Is Primus?” and “Clown Dream” as tape/video intros.

We were calling for an encore encore, but the show wrapped right at 11 p.m., and the crowd dispersed to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s “Pure Imagination,” which was a fun and whimsical touch to an already incredibly night. I took a ton of videos, so check out the full, unedited version here. It won’t do the event justice, but it will at least give you an idea of the overall vibe, here in “Vibe City.” (I guess that’s what Long Beach is called now? I saw all sorts of promotion about it downtown. I like it.)

After the show, I caught a shuttle back to the “mainland,” walked to the Downtown metro station, took a train back to Willow, and drove home. I was surrounded by fellow fans the entire ride back, with the opening barb of “Wynonna’s Big Brown Beaver” chorusing through the air. You know the part. “Eeeeeee, eeee, eeee, eeeeeee.” There were also a lot of older, obnoxious, drunken white men, but I suppose that’s everywhere these days.

Either way, it was a magical night of marvelous music, and I’m grateful for it! I wonder who I will see next?!