Les Claypool and Primus are always a fantastic show. The peerless musicianship, mammoth creativity and tangible chemistry of this band never disappoint a music fan looking to renew their excitement about the possibilities of music.
But beware, the Oddity Fair tour is, by definition, an exercise in self-indulgence. The opening acts, hand-picked by the band, are both exploring strange ground and unusual genre mixtures. Split Lip Rayfield, who have been described as cow-punk, are unreal musicians (blistering solos on mandolin and banjo accompanied by a "gas tank bass" player) and The Man's set pummelled the audience with what seemed like one long sonic boom. However, the venues these bands are playing in aren't serving them well, and they come across as novelty acts that should be limited to 15 or 20 minute sets. (Not true, though! I bought an SLR CD that night and it's fantastic! They just need a room with more folk-oriented acoustics.)
Likewise, while Primus tickled the crowd's fancy with classics like Defy the Laws of Tradition, Harold of the Rock, Those Damn Blue Collar Tweekers, Southbound Pachyderm and My Name is Mud, their set was peppered with long (albeit highly creative) interludes that gave the audience a little too much time to think about their aching feet. The self-indulgent approach also relieved the band of any obligation they may have felt to play crowd favourites like Tommy the Cat, Jerry Was a Racecar Driver, and Wynona's Big Brown Beaver. While the performance, itself, was spectacular, it was tough not to feel just a tinge of disappointment at not getting to see the band's biggest "hits" performed live.
