Primus ‘uniquely timeless’ in Missoula

William Munoz

(Missoula Current) The only member of Primus from the beginning - back in 1984 - has been Les Claypool. But the current lineup of Claypool, Larry “Ler” LaLonde on guitar and Tim “Herb” Alexancer on drums was solidified in 1989.

Primus has been and continues to be Les Claypool at the heart and soul of the band. His bass playing is unique and instantly recognizable. Rolling Stone Magazine listed Claypool at number 36 of “The 50 Greatest Bassists of All Time” in 2020.

The sound he gets from the bass is noticeable whether playing in Primus or his many side projects like Oysterhead with Stewart Copeland and Trey Anastasio, or Colonel Lest Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, which performed at the Kettlehouse Amphitheater last summer.

I wrote of the opening song at that concert, “He opened the concert with a solo that was straight-out inspiration from the great jazz fusion bassist Stanley Clarke. This set the tone for an evening that drew on the guitar style of Lennon and the keyboards of Harry Waters.”

While is is safe to say that without Les Claypool, Primus would not exist. The reason Primus has existed this long is because he does have musical interests outside of the Primus world. Musical collaboration with other musicians like Stewart Copland and Trey Anastasio is “like having conversations with different people that have different perspectives, backgrounds and interests and you tailor your conversation accordingly...

“If all I did was Primus, I think I would be bored,” he told me. “I do Primus for a little while then do something else for a little while then I go do something else. That's the glory of my career that I'm able to do all these things. It's been a spectacular thing for me.”

The current tour is with Coheed & Cambria and opener Guerilla Toss – two bands from New York. Coheed & Cambria played at the Wilma last year as a progressive rock band. While most of the crowd came for Primus, they have a following in Missoula and their set was enthusiastically received.

Primus opened with the distinctive slap bass technique of Claypool and the Garcia-like notes from LaLonde's guitar in 'Groundhog Day,' setting the tone for the rest of the evening of classic Primus. This band is uniquely timeless in its approach to music.