STERLING HEIGHTS -- Sterling Heights, eh? virtuosic bassist and enigmatic Primus front man Les Claypool asked the sold-out Freedom Hill crowd on Thursday night, July 20, as his band commenced its set. In case you stumbled into the wrong venue, we are not a Foreigner cover band.

It was an ironic witticism from a man who has made a career on incongruity. Perhaps best known as the textbook weirdo who wears a derby hat and penned the iconic South Park theme song, Claypool is thought of by throngs of his rabid fans as one of the most inventive bassist who ever drew breath, an acid-soaked cross between Larry Graham and Jaco Pastorius. Over the course of Primus 75-minute set, Claypool moved the needle on his legend.

Appearing after a raucously loud if straightforward performance by stoner metal outfit Clutch, Primus which formed in Northern California over 30 years ago -- took the stage to circus music, as is its wont. Signaled by drummer Tim Alexanders cymbal hits, Claypool and company immediately launched into the supremely weird Too Many Puppies. Alexanders polyrhythmic playing was MVP from the get-go, while Claypools emotional note choice was set off by the versatility of guitarist Larry LaLonde who, for the lions share of the night, oscillated between hardcore thrash metal licks and cleanly rendered psychedelic euphoria.

Save for a new song mid-set, which Claypool promised the crowd was going to bring goblin rock back into common parlance, the trio focused on exploring the outer limits of some of the most well-loved pieces in its catalog. Frizzle Fry was ramped up in the live set, breaking from the composition and entering a space somewhere between free jazz and metal. The improvised section stretched out in epic fashion, while freakish imagery of green neon eyes and dayglo American flags flashed upon three colossal LED screens.

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The centerpiece of the show was coiled around the dark psychedelia of Jillys On Smack, which saw Claypool performing on an upright bass and donning a pig mask while Alexander and LaLonde occupied the negative space with a sense of musical urgency. The song ultimately melded with the staccato rhythms of Mr. Krinkle with, as always, Claypools slap bass intensity taking the spotlight. The valorous musical forays resolved themselves into the beginnings of a straightforward and satisfying Jerry Was a Race Car Driver, the song that shot the band to momentary stardom during the early. Customary satirical chants of Primus Sucks! filled the shed, the official Primus fan seal of approval for a job well done at the nights end. And the adoration was reciprocated by the trio.

We liked you so much, Michigan, that we played right up against our curfew, Claypool said, suddenly realizing it was five minutes until 11 p.m. and the group was short on time after getting sidetracked by their fierce predilection for audacious improvisation and musicianship. Its hard to say that Primus stand alone, because it doesnt; the band is just one in a long tradition of quintessentially risky bands. But its only getting more compelling the higher its mystery rises.

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Review: Primus plays it weird in hot Freedom Hill show - The Oakland Press