Les Claypool fans were in luck this year, as their favorite bassist rang in the New Year with three of his prized projects at the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA: Les Claypool’s Duo de Twang, The Claypool Lennon Delirium and Primus, who were using the occasion to also celebrate their 25th anniversary. Each band is somehow both unique and uniquely Claypool, highlighting the many influences to his style in a truly celebratory manner.

For the Americana side, the opening set from Duo de Twang proved to be a perfect display. The Duo de Twang features Claypool alongside his longtime collaborator and high school friend, Bryan Kehoe, playing acoustically-inspired covers of staple songs. Next up was The Claypool Lennon Delirium, who threw down a psychedelic set at the tail end of an incredible debut year for them. The collaboration between Claypool and Sean Lennon produced one of the best albums of 2016, The Monolith of Phobos, and that music has only come to life in the live setting. CLD played songs from the new album, as well as some choice covers including King Crimson’s “In The Court Of The Crimson King”.

Claypool Lennon’s cover of “In The Court Of The Crimson King” can be seen below.

But of course, the heart of Claypool’s musicianship stems from Primus, the trio with guitarist Larry LaLonde and drummer Tim Alexander. With a totally unique sound that’s part jam, rock, metal, jazz and funk, Primus came out swinging to usher Oakland fans into the New Year. The band played a number of their well known tunes, including “John the Fisherman,” “Here Comes The Bastards,” “Jerry Was A Race Car Driver,” “My Name Is Mud” and more, delighting their longtime fans with a killer set. They encored with “Southbound Pachyderm” as well, ending the night with a remarkable finale.

You can watch a couple of videos from Primus, including their New Year’s countdown into “Man on the Silver Mountain”, and see the full setlist, below.

Setlist: Duo de Twang | Fox Theater | Oakland, CA | 12/31/16

Set: Amos Moses, Bridge Came Tumbling Down, Booneville Stomp, Buzzrds of Green Hill, Jerry Was A Race Car Driver

Setlist: The Claypool Lennon Delirium | Fox Theater | Oakland, CA | 12/31/16

Set: There’s No Underwear In Space, Astronomy Domine, Cricket and the Genie (Movements I & II), Breath of a Salesman, The Monolith of Phobos, Cosmic Highway*, In the Court of the Crimson King, Boomerang Baby, Mr. Wright, Boris the Spider, Tomorrow Never Knows

* = w/ Skerik