On Wednesday, October 18th, Les Claypool delivered a three-hour-long set to Chicago’s Salt Shed with his backing band known as The Fearless Flying Frog Brigade.
One of many side projects formed by Claypool, the band made their return this summer after 19 years. Formed in 2000 after his main band Primus went on hiatus, the band released three albums, including two live albums Live Frogs Set 1 and Live Frogs Set 2 in 2001 and their only studio album Purple Onion in 2002. The band would play one-off shows and a variety of festivals but would not tour again until 2023, when Claypool reformed the band with an almost entirely new lineup for two back-to-back tours: “Summer of Green” from May to June and their current “Hunt for Green October” fall tour running until October 31st.
Regarded as one of the greatest bassists of all time, Les Claypool has worn many hats (and costumes) during his musical career spanning nearly four decades, whether it’s as the frontman and bassist for Primus, producer and engineer for his solo projects, composer for the South Park theme song, a novelist and film director, and founder of projects such as the Frog Brigade, Fancy Band, Holy Mackerel, and the Claypool-Lennon Delirium with Sean Ono Lennon. Now, with Primus still going strong and the reformation of the Brigade, Claypool has certainly kept busy.
This new iteration of Colonel Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade features Sean Lennon on guitar, Harry Waters on keyboards, Paulo Baldi on drums, Mike Dillon on percussion, and Skerik on saxophone. Claypool and Skerik remain the only original members of the band, and the Hunt for Green October marks his return after recovering from an injury which prevented him from taking part in the Summer of Green tour earlier this year. And given his charisma and kookiness that aligned so well with that of Claypool–and of course his signature slapping bass lines combined with Skerik and Lennon’s solos–it was well worth the wait.
Donning army green outfits and helmets, Lennon in a general’s hat, Skerik in an aviator outfit complete with fighter style goggles atop his head, and Les Claypool in his signature black suit and bowler hat, the Brigade takes the stage and launches into “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” to a sea of costumed fans. The show would consist of two sets in its three-hour-long run. Fans would not hear any Primus songs on this night (save for a tease of “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” after their performance of “Cosmic Highway” from Purple Onion), but the first hour included songs from his many solo projects, including “Up on the Roof” and an especially captivating cover of The English Beat’s “Mirror in the Bathroom.” To keep things interesting, the band has played a slightly different setlist every night, keeping select staples in the setlist and swapping out others for another round of covers.
Following a 30-minute intermission, the Frog Brigade would perform Pink Floyd’s Animals in its entirety for the second set–one of the several staples in the band’s setlists.. With harmonies between Claypool, Lennon, and Baldi and pitch-perfect keys by Waters, the band made the iconic album its own, enough to make any and every Pink Floyd tribute band shiver and weep. Reaching the end of the Animals set, Les Claypool then trades his bowler hat and Pachyderm for a pig mask and an upright bass as the band continues with a “cover” of “Precipitation” from his Holy Mackerel days, featuring an exquisite solo from Lennon. The Frogs proceeded with several more covers including Prince Buster’s “One Step Beyond” and the stunning closer of The Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows.”
Finally, the encore consisted of Holy Mackerel’s “Running the Gauntlet,” Jethro Tull’s “Locomotive Breath” (another song that has remained in the band’s encores/setlists), and “Whamola” from Purple Onion. As the crowd began to disperse and head out into the pouring rain, those who may have missed out on the Summer of Green left grateful to have gotten a second chance to witness this band live–for all we know, it may have been our last.
