lespecial Enlists Les Claypool Frog Brigade Members For "Up On The Roof" At Daze Between 2025 [Pro-Shot Video]

On the opening day of Daze Between New Orleans 2025, the dark, cavernous, briskly air-conditioned Mahalia Jackson Theater provided the perfect conditions for an afternoon of sonic mayhem courtesy of prog-tronic power trio lespecial and a pair of notable guests/Les Claypool Frog Brigade veterans, Skerik (saxophone) and Mike Dillon (vibraphone).

The crunch of the lespecial’s prog-rock songs—like set openers “Snells Feet”, “Onlookers”, and “Lungs of the Planet”—has much more in common with Metallica than The Meters, so a billed sit-in by saxophonist Skerik may have come as a surprise to some. But Skerik, never one to be put into any confined stylistic box, was a perfect fit with lespecial, locking into the band’s propulsion and pushing bassist Luke Bemand, guitarist Jonny Grusauskas, and drummer Rory Dolan to the edge like he does with every musician in his orbit.

Speaking of edge, lespecial also called up the band’s “Jazz Dad” and longtime Skerik collaborator Mike Dillon for a five-piece tour of Skerik and Dillon’s history of shared work in punk-facing projects like Critters Buggin‘ (“Punk Rock Guilt”, “Snaggletooth”) and The Dead Kenny Gs (“Gorelick”, “Sweatbox”).

“It’s been an honor learning to play this music with these legends and learning to defeat Kenny G together,” Bemand beamed toward the end of the set.

But the highlight of the set may have come at its midpoint when yet another notable player—moe. percussionist Jim Loughlin—joined lespecial, Skerik, and Dillon for a take on an old favorite from yet another project featuring both Skerik and Dillon: “Up on the Roof” from Les Claypool Frog Brigade’s 2002 debut album, Purple Onion.

“That sounds familiar!” Skerik offered as Bemand laid into the song’s distinctive Claypool bassline, kicking off a weird, wild rendition led by Dolan’s always-uncanny Les vocal impression from behind the drum kit.

Watch a pro-shot video of lespecial, Skerik, Mike Dillon, and Jim Loughlin performing The Les Claypool Frog Brigade’s “Up on the Roof” at Daze Between New Orleans 2025 below.

Full, pro-shot video of the guest-assisted lespecial set, as well as the rest of the two-day Daze Between New Orleans event, is available to stream with your nugs All Access subscription here. Not a subscriber? Sign up for your monthly or annual nugs All Access subscription here to access this and countless other concert recordings, videos, and livestreams. [Editor’s note: Live For Live Music is a nugs affiliate. Ordering your subscription via the links on this page helps support our work covering the world of live music. Thank you for reading!]

Find tickets to upcoming lespecial tour dates here.

lespecial w/ Skerik, Mike Dillon, Jim Loughlin – “Up On The Roof” (The Les Claypool Frog Brigade) [Pro-Shot] – 4/29/25