Mr. Smalls
3-4-2014
Les Claypool is a man of many different faces. He is the frontman for the alt metal band Primus. He has shared the stage with Trey Anastasio of Phish and Stewart Copeland of the Police as Oysterhead. He also led the Fearless Flying Frog Brigade. His latest project, Duo de Twang features himself alongside Bryan Kehoe, with a beard that would make ZZ Top jealous. The pair were set up on stools elevated by a platform and huddled around a camp fire for a sort of rare story teller type show at Mr. Smalls Theatre.
Claypool kicked off the evening strumming along on bass commenting that he was killing time until his Screwdriver arrived. “It’s not a proper twang show until I have my Screwdriver,” tells Claypool, to the cheers of anxious fans. Despite not having his drink the pair started the show with “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver.” Minutes into the classic, Claypool abruptly stops and exclaims, “where’s my damn screwdriver!” Someone scurries from behind to hand over the drink. After taking a sip the twosome continued where they left off. Hello Millvale Kehoe greeted the sold out crowd. I live in a town called Mill Valley, admitting, there are a bunch of hot chicks there and they call it “Milf Valley.” Kehoe urged the crowd to call Millvale, “Milfvale” if there are any old hot chicks around.
Claypool asks, how about a little Jerry, referring to the Primus hit “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver.” Fans obliged, but were actually teased with the Jerry Reed cover “Amos Moses.” After playing the cover “The Bridge Came Tumbling Down,” by Stompin’ Tom Connors, a fan yells out “thank you Les.” Claypool in return jokingly yells, “your welcome Stan.” After playing “Boonville Stomp,” Claypool and Kehoe continue on with a song they assure affected the life of most everyone over the age of 15, with a twangy rendition of the Bee Gees “Staying Alive,” where Claypool sounds like a barking dog during the ah, ah, ah, ah parts. Claypool teased with a version of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” played “Up on the Roof,” from Fearless Flying Frog Brigade and dedicated an awesome rendition of “The Ballad of Hank Williams,” by Don Helms, to his grandfather who recently passed. The opening act, Reformed Whores, came back for a sing a long before wrapping up the night with “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver,” and finally “Man in the Box,” by Alice In Chains.
The Reformed Whores opened the evening with their raunchy comedic country tunes. Marie Cecile Anderson wears a blue dress with cowboy boots and hat while Katy Frame has on a yellow dress. With songs like “Douchebag,” Girls Poop Too,” “Birth Control,” and “Southern Cumfort,” the crowd was definitely entertained. The girls were supporting their album “Ladies Don’t Spit.”
Les Claypool and Bryan Kehoe
Reformed Whores
