Primus Pulls Up A Chair For Billy Strings’ Return To Stage In Michigan

Billy Strings made his triumphant return to the stage on Sunday as Primus' special guest during the Claypool Gold concert at Meadow Brook Amphitheatre in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Strings had been sidelined since he broke his leg at the end of his show on April 18 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The Claypool Gold Tour features separate and collaborative performances from bassist Les Claypool's three main projects: Primus, The Claypool Lennon Delirium and Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade. Michigan native Billy Strings hobbled out with his crutches towards the middle of Primus’ portion of the show and literally sat-in on classic songs “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” and “Too Many Puppies.”

Strings played Sean Lennon's custom Pachyderm electric guitar, which The Claypool Lennon Delirium co-leader received from Les as a 50th birthday gift last fall. Les Claypool and Billy Strings have long been friends and Primus has brought out the bluegrass star several times dating back to 2022.

Claypool proclaimed “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” would be renamed “Billy’s Big Brown Beaver” for the special collaborative version in Rochester Hills. “Don’t hurt yourself,” Claypool quipped before the trio and their guest lit into the track from Primus’ 1995 album Tales From The Punchbowl.

Billy Strings and Primus — Les Claypool, guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde and drummer John Hoffman — garnered huge cheers from the Michigan faithful after finishing their first song together. Strings stuck around to add to the aforementioned “Too Many Puppies” to end his first on-stage appearance in six weeks.

Watch Billy Strings join Primus in Rochester Hills, Michigan thanks to footage captured by YouTube’s Charles R:

The Claypool Gold Tour pulls into Cleveland on Tuesday night. Primus, Frog Brigade and The Claypool Lennon Delirium will be on the road together through a gig on July 4 in Napa, California.

July 4 is also the date Billy Strings will play his first set since breaking his leg. Strings is part of the lineup for Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic in Austin. The guitarist and his band then launch a sumer tour on July 14 in Roanoke.