Primus Turns Red Rocks Into "Brown Rocks" with Rare Album Tribute Set

Article Contributed by jbleicher.com | Published on Friday, July 11, 2025

Currently trekking across the country on their Onward & Upward Summer Tour, Primus delivered an unforgettable performance last night at Red Rocks Amphitheatre with a surprise tribute to their fan-favorite Brown Album.

 

After opening with “Harold of the Rocks” and “Groundhog’s Day,” frontman Les Claypool addressed the crowd with a grin: “We decided this afternoon to do something you’re really going to love—or you’re really going to hate. We’re going to play 7 songs off the Brown Album.” He and guitarist Larry LaLonde then officially dubbed the iconic venue “Brown Rocks” for the remainder of the evening.

 

The band then launched into “Fisticuffs” “Golden Boy,” “Duchess And the Proverbial Mind Spread,” “Over the Falls,” “Restin' Bones,” “Bob's Party Time Lounge,” and”Shake Hands With Beef” from the 1998 album.

 

What followed was a deep dive into one of Primus’s most idiosyncratic and beloved records, featuring live renditions of Fisticuffs, Golden Boy, Duchess And the Proverbial Mind Spread, Over the Falls, Restin' Bones, Bob's Party Time Lounge, and Shake Hands With Beef from the 1998 album.

 

Primus

The performance marked a rare moment of focused nostalgia on the band’s 1998 full-length, giving longtime fans a chance to hear rarely played tracks in one of the most iconic venues in the country.

 

The show was part of the band’s 25-date summer headline tour—their first with newly minted drummer John Hoffman, who joined the band following the widely covered Interstellar Drum Derby audition process. The tour follows the release of their latest single, “Little Lord Fentanyl,” featuring Maynard James Keenan, and a new live version of “Duchess,” recorded on their first tour with Hoffman.

 

The full setlist from last night is available HERE via the Purple Pachyderm Instagram.

 

For more info and tour dates, visit www.primusville.com.

 

Primus on tour now!

 

ONWARD & UPWARD TOUR 2025
Friday, July 11th – The Salt Shed – Chicago, IL*
Saturday, July 12th – Grinders KC – Kansas City, MO*
Sunday, July 13th – The Pinnacle – Nashville, TN*
Tuesday, July 15th – Iroquois Amphitheater – Louisville, KY*
Wednesday, July 16th – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre – Detroit, MI*
Friday, July 18th – Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards – Lafayette, NY*
Saturday, July 19th – Midway Lawn At Champlain Valley Expo – Essex Junction, VT*
Monday, July 21st – The Rooftop at Pier 17 – New York, NY*
Tuesday, July 22nd – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater – Bridgeport, CT^
Wednesday, July 23rd – Red Hat Amphitheater – Raleigh, NC^
Friday, July 25th – Synovus Bank Amphitheater At Chastain Park – Atlanta, GA^
Saturday, July 26th – Live Oak Bank Pavilion – Wilmington, NC^
Monday, July 28th – Saenger Theater – New Orleans, LA^
Tuesday, July 29th – Shreveport Municipal Auditorium – Shreveport, LA^
Wednesday, July 30th – The Bomb Factory – Dallas, TX^
Friday, August 1st – Arizona Financial Theatre – Phoenix, AZ^
Saturday, August 2nd – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre – San Diego, CA^
Sunday, August 3rd – Quarry Amphitheater – Santa Cruz, CA
Wednesday, August 6th – The Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA*
Thursday, August 7th – Channel 24 – Sacramento, CA
Friday, August 8th – Channel 24 – Sacramento, CA
 
* with Ty Segall
^ with MonoNeon

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