Les Claypool Celebrates New Year’s Eve In Oakland With Primus, Duo De Twang & The Claypool Lennon Delirium
By Andy Kahn Jan 2, 2017 • 10:35 am PST

For the 25th straight year bassist Les Claypool rang in the new year with a Bay Area concert, hosting a Silver Anniversary Extravaganza The Fox Theater in Oakland on December 31. On stage at The Fox throughout the evening, Claypool performed with his bands Primus, The Claypool Lennon Delirium and Les Claypool’s Duo de Twang.
Claypool teamed with his longtime friend and guitarist Bryan Kehoe for a Duo de Twang set that featured special guest saxophonist Skerik on “Buzzards Of Green Hill.” The pair ended their set with a take on the Primus favorite “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver.”
Recently formed The Claypool Lennon Delerium featuring multi-instrumentalist Sean Ono Lennon delivered a set that mixed several songs of their 2016 debut LP Monolith Of Phobos with a number of choice covers. The collective took on Pink Floyd, King Crimson, The Who and The Beatles while also being joined by Skerik on the Frog Brigade cut “Cosmic Highway.”
Primus opened their headlining set with Claypool taking the veteran outfit through their classic “John The Fisherman.” A couple songs later, following a rendition of “Frizzle Fry,” Skerik once again emerged to sit-in on “Fisticuffs.” The New Year’s Eve countdown led to a cover of Rainbow’s “Man On The Silver Mountain” with frequent collaborator Bob C. Cock and Kehoe on stage handling vocals. Primus wrapped their main set with “My Name Is Mud” and another arrangement of “Jerry Was A Race Car Driver.” All of the musicians who performed at The Fox joined Primus for a collaborative “Southbound Pachyderm” encore.
Lennon’s mother Yoko Ono Lennon and renowned lyricist and activist John Perry Barlow were in attendance at The Fox. Watch audience-captured video footage from Saturday below:
Setlist
- Clown Dream
- John the Fisherman
- Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers
- Groundhog's Day
- Last Salmon Man
- Frizzle Fry
- Fisticuffs
- Here Come the Bastards
- Sgt. Baker
- Semi-Wondrous Boat Ride
- NYE countdown
- Man on the Silver Mountain
- Jilly's on Smack
- Eleven
- American Life
- My Name Is Mud
- Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
- Southbound Pachyderm
Setlist
- There's No Underwear in Space
- Astronomy Domine
- Cricket and the Genie (Movement I, The Delirium)
- Cricket and the Genie (Movement II, Oratorio Di Cricket)
- Breath of a Salesman
- The Monolith of Phobos
- Cosmic Highway
- The Court of the Crimson King
- Boomerang Baby
- Mr. Wright
- Boris the Spider
- Tomorrow Never Knows
Setlist
- Amos Moses
- The Bridge Came Tumblin' Down
- Booneville Stomp
- Buzzards of Green Hill
- Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
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