Jun 21

Jun 21 Show Review: Primus Pay Tribute To Kings With Excellent Show in San Jose

Primus
‘A Tribute To Kings’ Tour
w/ The Black Angels
San Jose Civic
San Jose, CA
June 19th, 2022

Photos and Review by Jared Stossel

There are very few, if any, artists that could pull of a performance of a Rush album in its entirety other than the original band. When legendary drummer Neil Peart passed away on January 7th, 2020, there was a palpable feeling of loss throughout the music community. Rush were giants; on paper, they were one of the weirdest bands you could imagine, three guys from Canada writing prog-rock opuses about science fiction and fantasy. In the span of fifteen minutes, a Rush track could encompass elements of heavy metal, hard rock, jazz, and electronica, all before heading into the second song on the album.

So when it was announced that Primus would be heading out on tour to perform the band’s 1977 album A Farewell To Kings in its entirety each night, there was a feeling of excitement in the air. Primus vocalist and bassist Les Claypool even noted that Geddy Lee’s vocals were well out of his range, and that the band had practiced harder for this tour than any other they’d embarked on throughout their career. On Sunday night, Primus took the stage at the San Jose Civic, performing a two and a half hour show that brought out some of their biggest hits along with that iconic Rush album in stupendous fashion.

The only opening act of the night was The Black Angels, a trippy psychedelic rock act from Austin, Texas. Basked in the shadows, illuminated only by glimpses of low light, the five piece kicked the night off with a great performance. From that point forward, it was all about Primus, whose first set was comprised of fan favorite songs like “My Name Is Mud”, “Jerry Was A Race Car Driver”, and the twangy “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver”. There’s no denying that Primus has always been one of the odder bands to come out of the rock world, but they embrace their weirdness in every song, every visual that’s painted across the screen behind them. Les Claypool is an exceptional front man in a lineup rounded out by the exemplary Larry LaLonde on guitar and Tim Alexander on drums.

A brief intermission followed the thirteen-song set before the three-piece returned to the stage and traversed their way through A Farewell To Kings. For the next forty-minutes, Primus proved that they are really one of the only rock acts out there that could pull off such a feat. A Farewell To Kings is an album filled with technically complex instrumentation, but Primus pulled it off gloriously. A roar of applause filled the Civic Center as the band left the stage before returning one last time to cap off the night with a two-song encore.

My knowledge of Primus outside of this show remains very limited, other than my understanding that they are tremendously talented musicians that are one of the most unique acts performing in the genre. The three-piece’s music has always erred on the side of the weird, the outlandish, and the awe-inspiring. Just like Rush.

Primus Set List
Too Many Puppies
Sgt. Baker (with “Too Many Puppies” reprise”)
The Toys Go Winding Down
Pudding Time
Groundhog’s Day
Polka Dot Rose (Oysterhead cover)
Conspiranoia
Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver
Welcome To This World
My Name Is Mud
Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
The Ol’ Diamondback Sturgeon (Fisherman’s Chronicles, Part 3)

A Farewell To Kings
A Farewell To Kings
Xanadu
Closer to the Heart
Cinderella Man
Madrigal
Cygnus X-1

Encore:
Follow The Fool
Harold of the Rocks