Primus Sucks in Sterling Heights!

 

After delaying and rescheduling twice, the familiar audience chants of “Primus sucks!” were finally bellowed again as the Farewell to Kings tour finally graced the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights on an unseasonably cool and rainy early-autumn evening (and haven’t they all been so far?). Alternative rock fusion legends, Primus, along with prog-metal up and comers, The Sword, entertained a wet but enthusiastic crowd through a blend of their own hits and deep cuts and notable covers paying tribute to influential rock heroes recently passed, such as ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill and most notably, Rush’s Neil Peart, as The Sword closed their set with a faithful cover of “Cheap Sunglasses,” and Primus opened their second set with a cover of Rush’s entire fifth LP from 1977, which continues to be the centerpiece of each show on the tour. Unfortunately, someone in the band’s traveling camp recently tested positive for COVID, so their recent shows have again been postponed with hopes to reschedule at the end of the tour.

After a tight set from The Sword and a short set break, the lights came down and the familiar sounds of Danny Elfman’s “Clown Dream” from his score for Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, came over the speakers and were followed by Primus guitarist, Larry LaLonde’s, familiar two-note siren call from “Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers,” and the crowd rose to their feet, ready to rock and shouting along as soon as bassist/vocalist, Les Claypool, and drummer, Tim “Herb” Alexander, the band’s classic line-up, took the stage and joined in the song. With over 30 years of professional, global touring experience, Primus long ago established their core fan base, which has fluctuated in size, especially since the late ‘90s, and with both the tribute theme and no new album to promote, this particular show and tour have been a bit different than those over the last 10-15 years. While the balance between recognizable hits and fan-pleasing deep cuts remained, Primus also introduced mash-ups into the show for the first time, where bits of 1999’s, “Laquerhead,” appeared near the end of the first song (only to return to “Tweekers” to conclude it after the short musical detour), and later, a similar blend of “Too Many Puppies” along with “Sgt. Baker,” and “My Name Is Mud” blended with “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver” allowed them the opportunity to fit in lesser known and lesser played songs without feeling beholden only to the hits and the planned Rush covers. The crowd included a nice blend of Rush and Primus fans, and the former were most notably impressed during faithful renditions of intricate tracks like “Xanadu” and “Cygnus X-1".

The band’s excellent delivery of both their own songs and their flawless reproductions of some particularly complex Rush tracks kept the show engaging throughout, and they wasted very little time between songs or sections of the show, no doubt in large part due to the gusting rain that blew through the entire mid-week concert. Unlike a standard Primus show, usually presented in the style of a Pink Floyd concert with two sets, split by an intermission and followed by an encore, the band simply jumped right past the intermission portion and began the second set only one minute after concluding the first. By time they made it to the encore, where they have been playing four to five additional original songs to close the show in most cities, Sterling Heights was treated to extended jams on only two Primus classics, “Frizzle Fry” and “Southbound Pachyderm,” both clocking in at well over ten minutes each and ending one minute prior to the top of the hour, professionally and punctually. Lengthy ovations were given after the conclusion of each section of the show, but most in the audience were ready to seek the protection of their dry vehicles once the house lights came up, and though the bands would continue down the road to bring their brand of wackiness and their meticulously-rehearsed Rush tribute to the next town on the list, the Michigan edition was unique even among the other shows on this leg, and the Primus-faithful were treated to a spectacular blend of songs that featured each players’ strengths and allowed long time fans a chance to flashback on some of their favorite old songs and concert memories.

 

The Sword set list:

Winter’s Wolves

How Heavy This Axe

Tres Brujas

Freya

Maiden, Mother & Crone

Cloak of Feathers

Cheap Sunglasses (ZZ Top)

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Primus set list:

Danny Elfman-“Clown Dream” (intro tape)

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Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers / Lacquer Head

Here Come the Bastards

Eclectic Electric

Too Many Puppies / Sgt. Baker

Jilly’s on Smack

Professor Nutbutter’s House of Treats

My Name Is Mud / Jerry Was a Race Car Driver

Over the Electric Grapevine

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A Farewell to Kings (Rush)

Xanadu (Rush)

Closer to the Heart (Rush)

Cinderella Man (Rush)

Madrigal (Rush)

Cygnus X-1 (Rush)

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Frizzle Fry

Southbound Pachyderm

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Gene Wilder-“Pure Imagination” (outro tape)

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