Claypool Gold Tour Launches In Reno With Debuts, Rarities & Pink Floyd Cover

Les Claypool presided over the opening of his Claypool Gold Tour at Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada on Wednesday. The summer trek brings together the bassist’s three main projects: Primus, The Claypool Lennon Delirium and Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade.

Claypool Gold Tour was billed as a “fluid show featuring wildly different setlists and surprises,” and also made good on the promise of all three bands sharing the stage. The show got underway with Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade.

The band leaned heavily on songs from Frog Brigade’s 2002 debut album, Purple Onion, including opener “Up On The Roof” along with “Lust Stings,” “David Makalaster” and closer “D’s Diner.”

Claypool’s team-up with Sean Ono Lennon, Claypool Lennon Delirium, took the stage next. The band opened with the title track off their second album, 2019’s South Of Reality.

The middle set also saw CLD offering live debuts of three songs from their recently released third album The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy — “The Golden Egg Of Empathy,” “Troll Bait” and “WAP (What a Predicament).” Primus guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde and drummer John Hoffman joined Claypool Lennon Delirium to wrap up their set with a Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd cover, “Astronomy Domine.”

Primus then got into their segment, delivering favorites such as opener “Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers” along with “American Life” and “My Name Is Mud.” The trio also had a few of the aforementioned setlist surprises up their sleeve.

The fourth song of Primus’ set saw the trio debuting a new song, “The Ol’ Grizz,” which opens the band’s recent EP, A Handful Of Nuggs. Primus also dusted off a track from their 1995 LP, Tales From The Punchbowl, “Hellbound 17 1/2 (Theme From),” for the first time since 2012.

The Primus set came to a close with “Jerry Was A Race Car Driver.” All three bands then came on stage for the encore, where they delivered the Primus classic “Southbound Pachyderm.”

Watch video from the Claypool Gold Tour opener below: