Primus Nods To Ozzy Osbourne, Debuts Oysterhead Song On New Year’s Eve In Oakland

Primus presided over a New Year’s Eve concert at the Fox Theatre in their native Bay Area on Wednesday. The second of two holiday shows in Oakland saw the band continuing their tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and debuting a song from bassist Les Claypool‘s supergroup side-project Oysterhead.

A little foreshadowing took place when famed singing clown Puddles Pity Party sang the Stephen Sondheim-penned, Frank Sinatra-popularized “Send In The Clowns,” the theme of the NYE run. Primus then got things started with the title track off their 1999 album, Antipop.

Ahead of the countdown festivities, the band — Claypool, guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde and new drummer John Hoffman — offered Primus favorites such as “American Life” and “Too Many Puppies.” Primus also delivered their 2025 release with Maynard James Keenan, “Little Lord Fentanyl.”

Following the countdown, Puddles returned to help Primus on Black Sabbath‘s “N.I.B.” An image of Ozzy Osbourne flashed on the screen during the performance. Puddles and Primus performed the song together earlier this year shortly after Osbourne passed away.

The band then went it alone for “Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread” before offering the live premiere of Oysterhead — which also features Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio and Police drummer Stewart Copeland — cut “Shadow Of A Man.” The song following the plight of a Vietnam veteran appears on Oysterhead’s 2001 album The Grand Pecking Order, their sole studio effort.

Following the classic “Wynonna’s Big Brown Beaver,” Primus and Puddles convened once again for a cover from Ozzy’s successor in Black Sabbath, the late Ronnie James Dio, with his solo cut “Holy Diver.” Primus ended the evening with another signature tune, “Southbound Pachyderm.”

Watch the full show below via ERic tHeGeniUs: