Primus Confirms Onward & Upward Summer Tour 2025 With New Drummer John Hoffman

Primus will embark on the Onward & Upward Tour dates this summer. The coast-to-coast trek will be the trio’s first headlining tour with new drummer John Hoffman behind the kit.

Hoffman recently made his Primus debut at Tool Live In The Sand earlier this month. The Shreveport, Louisiana-based drummer replaces Tim Alexander, who abruptly quit the band last fall. This spring, Hoffman, bassist Les Claypool and guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde will hit the road for the Sessanta tour alongside A Perfect Circle and Puscifer before devoting the summer to the Onward & Upward Tour.

Ty Segall and MonoNeon have each been tapped to open select dates of the summer run. Les Claypool shared the following about Primus’ Onward & Upward Tour:

“Hitting the road this summer with Hoffer at the helm! This fiery, cheerful, octopus-like drummer from Shreveport, Louisiana has breathed a very potent breath of freshness into this band we all call PRIMUS.

While splitting the drum duties of his first gig with the mighty Danny Carey down in the Dominican Republic, John “Hoffer” Hoffman has launched himself into the PRIMUS world with all guns-a-blazin’.

Fresh from their next jaunt around the states with Sessanta Part 2 this Spring, Hoffer, Ler, and The Ol’ Colonel will be playing some full length PRIMUS sets at choice venues across the US, dipping into material (mainly at the request of Hoffer) that have not been performed in a many years.

Come see why this amazing fellow was able to rise above over 6100 applicants to win the Interstellar Drum Derby and become the latest, and possibly the greatest, drummer to sit on the PRIMUS drum throne.

ONWARD AND UPWARD!!”

The summer adventure begins in California with a July 5 Paso Robles show before Primus heads to Salt Lake City (Utah) on July 7, Jackson (Wyoming) on July 8 and Morrison (Colorado) on July 9. The journey continues in Chicago on July 11, Kansas City on July 12, and Nashville on July 13.

Mid-July sees the trio performing in Louisville (Kentucky) on July 15 and Detroit on July 16. The tour then moves to Lafayette (New York) on July 18 and Essex Junction (Vermont) on July 19 before arriving in New York City on July 21 and Bridgeport (Connecticut) on July 22.

Primus will then play in Raleigh (North Carolina) on July 23, Atlanta on July 25, and Wilmington (North Carolina) on July 26. The Southern swing continues with shows in New Orleans on July 28, Shreveport (Louisiana) on July 29, and Dallas on July 30.

August kicks off with a show in Phoenix on August 1, followed by performances in San Diego on August 2 and Santa Cruz (California) on August 3. The tour concludes with a Los Angeles show on August 6 and the two-night Sacramento finale on August 7 and 8.

Tickets for the new dates go on sale this Friday, March 28 at 10 a.m. local time. Find links to purchase and a full list of upcoming Primus dates below.