Primus' Claypool Gold Tour Invades Asbury Park

Jun 17, 2026

Review by Lance "Metal Walt" Franco

Photography by Mark Balogh / Metal Mayhem ROC

For anyone who has ever attended a Primus concert or witnessed any Les Claypool-led project, one rule applies above all others: expect the unexpected. The only predictable thing about a Les Claypool performance is its complete unpredictability. The 2026 Claypool Gold Tour, bringing together Primus, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, and Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade on one stage, was conceived as a full-evening musical experience showcasing the many creative worlds Claypool inhabits. Arriving at the legendary Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, New Jersey, the concept proved to be every bit as ambitious, strange, and entertaining as advertised. Despite New York Knicks playoff fever dominating conversations throughout the region and a classic Jersey Shore Saturday drawing crowds to the beaches and boardwalk, there was a palpable buzz in the air as fans gathered for the gig.

The setting could not have been more fitting. Asbury Park's artistic spirit and eclectic culture perfectly complemented the surreal atmosphere surrounding the show. The crowd itself was a fascinating mix of generations and subcultures — stoners, metalheads, jam-band devotees, longtime Primus fans, curious newcomers, and everyone in between. The aroma of every imaginable variety of marijuana floated through the evening air, adding another layer to the already psychedelic vibe. What followed was essentially a musical relay race, with only brief pauses between sets as musicians moved on and off the stage throughout the evening. Rather than distinct bands performing in isolation, the show felt like one giant collective where players appeared whenever a song demanded their particular talents.

(Fans enjoy the Claypool Gold Tour at Stone Pony Summer Stage.)

Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade opened the festivities with a brief but highly entertaining set built around material from Holy Mackerel, Sausage, and other albums. Backed by longtime collaborators including drummer Paolo Baldi, xylophonist Mike Dillon, saxophonist Skerik, and Harry Waters (yes, son of THE Roger Waters) the band leaned heavily into its trademark blend of musical excellence and absurd humor. Dressed head-to-toe in matching green outfits and generic military helmets (and Claypool sporting a Pinnochio-esque extended nose), the musicians appeared to be having just as much fun as the audience, which included self-described frogheads, sharkheads, and plenty of other oddball characters sporting equally eccentric attire. Sean Lennon joined in the silliness, while local photography and film producer legend Danny Clinch surprised the crowd by stepping away from his camera to contribute harmonica on "Buzzards of Green Hill." Claypool's usual offbeat banter was in full effect, introducing the Sausage tune "Riddles Are Abound Tonight" with a deliberately exaggerated pronunciation of the band's name ("SAH-SAGE") and welcoming Primus drummer John "Hoffer" Hoffman to the stage for what would be the first of many crossover appearances throughout the night.

(Mike Dillon – Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade)

(Skerik – Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade)

The Claypool Lennon Delirium followed with a dramatic shift in mood, delivering a colorful, psychedelic set that focused heavily on their new album, The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy. Sean Lennon, looking remarkably like a photograph of his father from the early 1970s, handled much of the lead vocal work as the band moved through the pop-leaning "What a Predicament (WAP)," the reggae-infused "Meat Machines," and the Pink Floyd-esque title track. As entertaining as the music was, the playful chemistry between Lennon and Claypool often stole the spotlight. Between songs, the pair exchanged a steady stream of surreal inside jokes involving a Monchichi in a tree, whether they should embark on a "jazz odyssey" or perhaps a "jizz odyssey," and the fact that it somehow took three and a half years to complete an album they jokingly claimed still wasn't quite finished. Meanwhile, the audience proved nearly as entertaining as the performers themselves. One fan spent the evening sketching band members in real time, while others appeared in everything from devil horns to fluorescent pink mermaid hair. As the set built momentum with "The Golden Egg of Empathy," Sean jokingly asked Les to have Andy hatch him his golden egg, a comment that made little sense to anyone outside their circle but perfectly fit the evening's wonderfully strange atmosphere. The set reached its peak with a mesmerizing performance of The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows," featuring appearances from Hoffman, Skerik, and Primus guitarist Larry LaLonde, whose Jimmy Page style double-neck guitar and swirling effects transformed the classic track into a full-blown psychedelic journey.

(Sean Lennon – The Claypool Lennon Delirium)

(Harry Waters – The Claypool Lennon Delirium)

After a humorous intermission message encouraging fans to "talk, take a leak, and buy a shirt," Primus took center stage. A powerful video retrospective featuring commentary from musicians in bands such as Rush, Tool, Fishbone, and The Police plus actor Jason Mamoa set the stage before the group exploded into the tense "To Defy the Laws of Tradition" and the frantic and restless "Tommy the Cat." From there, Primus delivered a set that balanced beloved classics with fresh material from their new A Handful of Nuggs EP. Highlights included the extended 70s classic-rock-style jam at the end of the normally relaxed and subdued "Groundhog's Day" and the debut of "The Ol' Grizz," which Claypool introduced with one of his trademark absurd stories. Asking Larry "Ler" LaLonde about his favorite type of sandwich, Ler replied, "egg salad," prompting Claypool to explain that nobody wants an old sandwich sitting in the back of a 7-Eleven — you want a fresh one from the front. It was a perfectly bizarre segue into the band's newest material and drew plenty of laughs from the crowd. Another highlight came with the welcome deep cut "Restin' Bones" from Brown Album, a record largely overlooked until the arrival of drummer John Hoffman, whose exceptional performance on the song demonstrated exactly why it has enjoyed a renewed appreciation among fans. And with the Stone Pony Summer Stage located just steps from the Atlantic Ocean, it seemed only fitting that Primus would reach into its catalog for a song about fish. The choice for the evening was "The Ol' Diamondback Sturgeon," which brought Mike Dillon and Skerik back into the mix and further reinforced the collaborative spirit that defined the entire night.

(John "Hoffer" Hoffman – Primus)

(Larry "Ler" LaLonde – Primus)

As the night raced toward its conclusion, crowd favorites "My Name Is Mud" and "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" sent energy levels soaring, with mosh pits and crowd surfers erupting across the audience. A two-song encore culminated in a stunning rendition of Pink Floyd's "Astronomy Domine," featuring every musician from all three bands sharing the stage. Channeling the spirit of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, the performance felt both trippy and atmospheric, serving as the perfect bookend to The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" earlier in the evening. Together, those two songs framed a night that celebrated experimentation, improvisation, and the wonderfully strange musical universe that Les Claypool has spent decades creating. As the final notes rang out at exactly 10:30 p.m., a thoroughly entertained and slightly bewildered crowd spilled back into the streets of Asbury Park, many still trying to process exactly what they had witnessed. Much like the Claypool Gold Tour itself, the evening defied easy description — part concert, part psychedelic adventure, and part musical circus. For those fortunate enough to catch this tour, expect the unexpected, because no two nights are alike, and that's exactly the point.