Les Claypool served up Claypool Gold at Gallagher Square with Primus, Claypool Lennon Delirium, and Fearless Flying Frog Brigade

Gallagher Square was transformed into a high-concept playground of low-end frequencies and psychedelic surrealism on July 1st. The Claypool Gold tour provided a definitive retrospective of Les Claypool’s singular genius, consolidating three of his most iconic projects—Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, and Primus—into one continuous, fluid experience.

The Convergence of Dynasties: Fearless Flying Frog Brigade

Taking the stage to open the evening, Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade immediately set the tone. Having witnessed this lineup on previous tours when they performed Pink Floyd’s Animals in its entirety, the band once again demonstrated their capacity for high-level technical precision.

The lineup remains a significant convergence of musical lineages, and this iteration featured the full touring ensemble: Skerik on saxophone, Mike Dillon on percussion, Sean Ono Lennon on guitar, Harry Waters (son of Roger Waters) on keyboards, and Paulo Baldi on drums. What makes this particular live powerhouse so uniquely devastating is their dual-drummer attack; the rhythmic depth provided by Dillon and Baldi working in lockstep is insanely good, driving the heavy, layered groove of the set.

The sight of a Waters, a Lennon, and a Claypool sharing a single stage created a unique moment for those in attendance. Over the course of a tightly wound 30-minute set, the ensemble engaged in intricate, virtuosic jams that left the audience completely transfixed by the sonic weirdness.

A Psych-Rock Transition: The Claypool Lennon Delirium

With the momentum sustained, a rapid transition shifted the evening’s trajectory directly into The Claypool Lennon Delirium. Having tracked this specific project across a multitude of spaces—from local strongholds like the Music Box and The Observatory North Park, to the expansive fields of the now-extinct Desert Daze festival—seeing them again reinforced why their collaboration is so vital. The magic of Sean Ono Lennon and Les Claypool remains intense.

Lennon’s kaleidoscopic guitar work and ethereal vocals balanced against Claypool’s aggressive, percussive bass lines. The chemistry between the two has always been enigmatic, highlighted by Claypool’s constant on-stage joking and crowd interaction. He spent a significant portion of the set trading barbs with the audience and bantering with his bandmates, keeping the atmosphere loose amidst the heavy, vintage, space-age psychedelia.

The Final Onslaught: Primus

Finally, Primus took the stage. The set initiated with a short film detailing the band’s early origins, tracking their evolution into alternative music icons. Instantly, the crowd erupted into a massive, frantic mosh pit that didn’t let up for the entire set, with everyone singing along to every bizarre lyric.

The production was a visual feast, utilizing the signature, surreal, and dark visuals that characterize a Primus show. During the performance, Claypool cracked a joke highlighting the rock royalty on tour. Peering over at a window backstage, he told the audience that even though we couldn’t see Harry and Sean (whom he affectionately called “Shiner”), the two sons of Roger Waters, John Lennon, and Yoko Ono were actually back there just playing chess.

The Encore: “Tomorrow Never Knows”

The true culmination of the evening arrived during the encore, when the boundaries between the three projects dissolved entirely. The full roster from the Frog Brigade and The Claypool Lennon Delirium swarmed the stage alongside Primus to perform The Beatles’ iconic masterpiece, “Tomorrow Never Knows.”

While we have been lucky enough to witness this specific cover a few times in the past, this particular rendition was heightened by the raw visual and sonic gravity of the lineup. The sheer sight of a Waters, a Lennon, and a Claypool performing in front of us completely melted faces and left the entire audience floating. There was absolute, unfiltered awe in the air—a heavy, rare alignment of the musical cosmos that left Gallagher Square completely leveled and the rest of us drifting somewhere out in orbit.