When Nine Inch Nails play it’s always a visceral experience and the band’s two night run at Red Rocks last weekend was no different. With two largely different setlists to satisfy the hardcore fans, Trent and company went at it hard. Our photographer Jim Mimna was on hand to fulfill a longtime dream that started way back in 1994.
Over the course of the night last Tuesday, Les Claypool showcased why he is one of the most innovative and creative bass players in the world. After a 75 minute from the weird and wonderful Claypool Lennon Delirium, Primus delivered a varied setlist that showcased crowd pleasers like “My Name Is Mud,” “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver,” and “Jerry Was a Racecar Driver” alongside some deeper cuts and even the live debut of a brand new song called “Seven.” The crowd got a little bit of everything, and it was glorious.
“Hello! We are Primus and we suck” was the start to one hell of a night at the Fox Theatre. The band is currently touring with the original lineup and playing with the balls of their younger years. The setlist was 90% old school, yet they played very few of the tunes fair-weather fans might expect like “Jerry was a Race Car Driver.” Instead they played some fan favorite, deep cuts, like “Frizzle Fry,” “Pudding Time,” “Here Come the Bastards,” “Groundhog’s Day,” “American Life,” “Spaghetti Western” and even “Bob.”
The list of bands that can pull off a full length remake of the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory soundtrack is a short one. Very short. And it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Primus is the band that did it, releasing Primus & The Chocolate Factory with The Fungi Ensemble last October. Last Thursday night, in the pouring rain, they brought the whole thing to Red Rocks, performing the album in it’s entirety along with a full set of original Primus songs.
Although Riot Fest celebrated it’s tenth anniversary this year, it was only the second year that the festival has come to Colorado. The festival was originally located in Byers, but after the town refused to let festival attendees return for the second year, the event was moved to the blacktop at Sports Authority Field in Denver. Riot Fest is one-of-a-kind festival, with carnival rides and sideshows and a wide variety of music ranging from Rock to Punk to Rap.
Combining great music, craft beer and food, this year’s Snowmass Mammoth Fest featured the likes of Xavier Rudd, Leftover Salmon, Les Claypool’s Duo de Twang, Chris Robinson Brotherhood (just to name a few), a tasting from over 25 breweries and a chili cook-off. One of the best things about Mammoth Fest was that there was never a tight crowd. There were rolling hills around us and a herd of horses in the pasture beside. There was a little bit of something for everyone.
Primus has hit a lot of ears over the past 20 some odd years, and all types of folks packed the Fillmore last Saturday to see their favorite band in 3D sight and 4D sound. The crowd instantly reacted to the first couple notes of each song, and it was clear just how deep this band fan base goes. Bald Eagles and bubbles floated over the heads of the crowd on the Fillmore floor while Les Claypool’s bass hit us like a tidal wave. Primus is rock, they’re metal, they’re dark, and they’re funky. Primus is intense. “Primus Sucks.”
It’s time for Part Two of the wonderful and wacky world of Wakarusa! Days three and four of the festival featured music from everyone from Matisyahu to Big Gigantic and while there were several massive thunderstorms, they didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd or our team of reviewers and photographers. Saturday morning kicked-off with a potluck breakfast and by the time Sunday evening’s epic rainstorm rolled around our team was already planning for next year!
For all intents and purposes, Widespread Panic’s legendary Sit & Ski Tour — which took place 16 years ago and was comprised mostly of stops through various Colorado mountain towns — originally was supposed to be completely acoustic. That was the plan, at least until Panic’s late-great lead guitarist Michael Houser figuratively pulled the plug on the acoustic setup during the tour’s infancy. Now hear what bassist Dave Schools has to say about The Wood Tour, the band’s current acoustic outing.
