When Les Claypool comes to town, normal concert rules no longer apply. On Friday, June 12 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the man many have called the greatest living bass player transformed SPAC into a three-act psychedelic funhouse featuring sets from Primus, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, and Colonel Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade. Successfully delivering a marathon evening of musical oddities, virtuosity, and controlled chaos as part of his ambitious Claypool Gold tour, it was a night longtime fans wouldn’t dare miss.

Despite sweltering temperatures that turned the pavilion into something resembling a steam bath, fans packed the venue for the rare triple-bill. What unfolded was less a concert and more a three-ring circus curated by one of rock’s most delightfully eccentric ringmasters. The atmosphere was vintage Claypool from the moment the lights dimmed. Carnival-like walk-on music from Danny Elfman set the tone, while a career-spanning retrospective video reminded the audience just how many bizarre musical roads Claypool has traveled over the past four decades. The evening felt like a celebration of every strange corner of his catalog, complete with a generous helping of songs from Primus’ cult-favorite Brown Album. I still may not know who Bob is, but by the end of the night, it was definitely party time.

The Fearless Flying Frog Brigade opened the festivities with a compact but potent set. “Up on the Roof” eased the crowd into the evening before seamlessly flowing into the swampy grooves of “Amanitas.” One of the biggest surprises came with “Riddles Are Abound Tonight,” resurrected from Claypool’s long-dormant Sausage project. The song served as a reminder that even his deepest cuts remain beloved with its off-kilter charm and Skerik’s inspired saxophone work drawing enthusiastic cheers from longtime fans. The Brigade’s set concluded with the infectious singalong “D’s Diner,” capping off a jam-heavy opening performance highlighted by the chemistry between Claypool, percussion wizard Mike Dillon, Skerik, keyboardist Harry Waters, drummer Paulo Baldi, and guitarist Sean Ono Lennon.

After only a brief transition, the stage transformed once again for The Claypool Lennon Delirium. If the Frog Brigade represented Claypool’s improvisational side, the Delirium showcased his love of psychedelic prog-rock. Claypool and Lennon, celebrating the release of their first album together in seven years, The Great Parrot-Ox & The Golden Egg of Empathy, devoted much of their set to the new material. Songs such as “South of Reality,” “Blood and Rockets,” and “The Golden Egg of Empathy” unfolded like chapters from a fever dream, blending intricate arrangements, swirling synthesizers, and Lennon’s melodic guitar work. Between songs, the duo’s trademark banter wandered through discussions involving swampy nether regions, cats, and giant sperm. It was exactly the sort of conversation one would expect from two musicians operating on their own wonderfully strange wavelength.

The set reached its peak with a sprawling, extra-psychedelic rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Astronomy Domine.” Augmented by Primus members and featuring stellar contributions from Dillon and Skerik, the performance sent the audience floating into the cosmos before the night’s final act arrived.

Following a humorous video montage celebrating Primus’ unique cultural impact, the legendary trio took center stage. Claypool, guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde, and drummer John Hoffman wasted little time launching into “Here Come the Bastards,” immediately reminding everyone why Primus remains one of rock’s most impressive live acts.

The setlist leaned heavily into Brown Album territory, with “Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread,” “Bob’s Party Time Lounge,” and “Shake Hands With Beef” all making appearances. For longtime fans, it felt like a gift. While the Brown Album selections may have briefly slowed the momentum, they underscored the evening’s retrospective nature and highlighted a period of the band’s catalog that often receives less attention.

Elsewhere, Primus balanced nostalgia with novelty. The recently released “The Ol’ Grizz” made its Saratoga Springs debut, seamlessly fitting alongside classics despite its fresh status. “American Life” expanded into a thunderous, psychedelic protest jam, while “Jilly’s on Smack” featured Claypool bowing his upright bass with eerie, resonant power.

One of the evening’s standout moments arrived during “The Ol’ Diamondback Sturgeon,” when Skerik and Dillon returned to add layers of brass, percussion, and vibraphone. The expanded arrangement elevated an already adventurous composition into one of the night’s most memorable performances. Primus closed its main set with a playful fake-out, beginning “Welcome to This World” before abruptly shifting gears into the fan favorite “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver,” sending the crowd into a frenzy.

For the encore, every musician who had participated throughout the evening returned to the stage. Wearing a mirrored disco-ball helmet that reflected hundreds of dancing lights across the pavilion, Claypool led the ensemble through a gorgeous rendition of “Southbound Pachyderm.” The song’s slow-building groove provided a perfect conclusion to an evening defined by imagination, musicianship, and joyful weirdness. The true spirit of Claypool Gold is not three separate bands, but one interconnected musical universe.

Watch fan shot footage of Primus performing “Welcome to This World” and Jerry Was A Race Car Driver” in Saratoga Springs on 6/12/26.

In an era when many veteran artists rely on nostalgia, Claypool continues to reinvent himself while celebrating every strange corner of his catalog. Claypool Gold is more than a tour, it is a living retrospective, a psychedelic family reunion, and a reminder that nobody creates musical worlds quite like Les Claypool. Despite the oppressive heat, fans never wavered. By night’s end, they had survived a marathon of bass-driven madness, progressive experimentation, and wonderfully weird spectacle. Judging by the smiles on faces exiting SPAC, they would gladly do it all again.

Watch fan shot footage of Primus performing “Southbound Pachyderm” in Saratoga Springs on 6/12/26.

Fearless Flying Frog Brigade | June 12, 2026 | SPAC | Saratoga Springs, NY

Setlist: Up on the Roof, Amanitas, Riddles Are Abound Tonight (Sausage cover), D’s Diner.

The Claypool Lennon Delirium | June 12, 2026 | SPAC | Saratoga Springs, NY

Setlist: South of Reality, Blood and Rockets: Movement I, Saga of Jack Parsons – Movement II Too the Moon, WAP (What a Predicament), Troll Bait, The Golden Egg of Empathy, Cricket and the Genie (Movement I, The Delirium), Cricket and the Genie (Movement II, Oratorio Di Cricket), Astronomy Domine (Pink Floyd cover).

Primus | June 12, 2026 | SPAC | Saratoga Springs, NY

Setlist: Here Come the Bastards, Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread (with Drum Solo), American Life, The Ol’ Grizz, Jilly’s On Smack, Bob’s Party Time Lounge, Shake Hands With Beef, The Ol’ Diamondback Sturgeon (Fisherman’s Chronicales, Part 3)(with Skerik and Mike Dillon), Welcome to This World (fake out), Jerry Was A Race Car Driver.

Encore: Southbound Pachyderm (with all of The Claypool Lennon Delirium and The Frog Brigade).