Then, darkness. A race-car engine starting. And a crazy-ass sound; half bass guitar, half alien, double-time, acid-tripped-out funk . “Who the hell is this” everyone asked, jaws dropping. “Holy shit!”
For my friends and I, Primus had arrived with the video for their newly released single “Jerry Was A Race Car Driver”. Les Claypool’s distinctive bass-playing technique and the band’s hard-to-define style dominated the 90s alternative music scene. Since that time, Les Claypool has gone on to do a number of solo projects, including Les Claypool’s Flying Frog Brigade and Oysterhead.
His notoriety and virtuoso bass playing have earned him legions of devoted fans. Several hundred of those fans packed the B-Side Liquor Lounge in Cleveland Heights on July 22nd to hear Les read from his just-published first novel South of the Pumphouse. Co-sponsored with Mac’s Backs Bookstore, several dozen copies of the book sold out before the event even began.
Wearing a thin, tan leather coat, corduroy cap, and sunglasses, Les read an entire chapter from the book which centers around two brothers, a fishing trip, and some violence all told in the inimitably zany Claypool story-telling style. He then went straight into a Q&A session where for nearly half an hour he fielded questions, told amusing stories, and had the place laughing, clapping, and cheering.
Following the Q&A, Les took the time to meet, greet, and sign items for every single person in the place. He shook hands, posed for photos, and signed tickets, CD's, CD cases, posters, photos, t-shirts, even a woman’s foot (she left immediately to get it tattooed.)
By the time it was all over, a small mountain of gifts had piled up beside him. Fans left garage band demos, business cards with Web addresses, sketches and artwork, a wooden frog bowl of some kind, even a bottle of Absinthe.
Les took it all in stride. If it wasn’t for that night’s show at the House of Blues, he would’ve stuck around all night, buying drinks and talking about his book, bass playing, fishing (which he loves), cars, or his favorite bands and music.
Coming from a blue-collar background in northern California, he was extremely laid back and easy going, without that annoying air of rock-star otherworldliness. Just your average novelist, mockumentary filmmaker, pioneering rock ‘n roll bass player? Don’t you believe it. From Cool Cleveland reader Miles Budimir budimirAThotmail.com (:divend:)