Q We spoke last year before your Oddity Faire show, and I am wondering what we can expect at this year’s show?
A I’ve got my same group of guys but every performance is different because I have a plethora of material to draw from. Eugene always seems to be a pretty spunky zone so we tend to pull out the stops for the folks in Eugene.
Q But I’m calling about the Tahoe show.
A Oh, well you’re screwed then. ... I remember Tahoe. That was a great gig last year. What was the name of that place?
Q MontBleu
A Yeah, that was a surprise. I thought, “What the hell am I doing playing a casino in Tahoe?” and then it was a great show.
Q The bar broke all alcohol sales that night.
A Really? I don’t know if that’s what I want to be known for but we plan on kickin’ up them heels again.
Q What kind of quiver of instruments will you bring?
A I try not to get too carried away but I tend to get carried away because I have such an eclectic mix of things now with the Dobro bass and the banjo bass and the Whamola, so, you know, a couple four strings, a six string.
Q Are you throwing in the pig mask too?
A It shows up on occasion. It really depends on the vibe.
Q What do you know about the openers, Beats Antique?
A The drummer is from Yard Dogs Road Show so we’ve played with them before. I’ve seen Beats Antique play. They’re cool. They’ve got an interesting vibe. It’s a throw back steam punk but sort of trancey groove styling. Not that I know what I’m talking about.
Q Any Primus in the future?
A I’m sure someday there’ll be some Primus popping up. We talk about it every now and again.
Q I see you are releasing a lot of your old work on vinyl. Why?
A There seems to be a resurgence in vinyl, and I like when we do the really heavy grain nice quality vinyl for the audio files. It’s just kind of a cool thing. It’s good to see the artwork in the perspective that it should be. It’s a cool thing to do especially these days when it’s becoming more and more just something you pull out of thin air, your music. Having a tactile medium like a vinyl is pretty cool.
Q I spoke with guitarist Adrian Belew when he played here recently, and I believe you’ve collaborated with him. Was the King Crimson song “Elephant Talk” the inspiration for “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver?”
A I don’t know if it was the direct inspiration but obviously King Crimson has been an inspiration on Primus.
Q I know you’ve collaborated with a lot of great artists. How does that work?
A It’s kind of like being in the restaurant business. All the chefs know each other and every once in a while they get together and cook something. When you run in these circles you meet people and some people you want to work with and they want to work with you and some people there’s not any interest. So I’ve been very fortunate I’ve been able to work with and befriend quite a number of my heroes. It’s just kind of running with the crowd.
Q You wrote the song “Red State Girl” for “Of Fungi and Foe.” Have you ever written your set list on the palm of your hand?
A No. Why would I do that?
Q The Red State Girl has been in the news for writing notes on her palm to remind her to say things like “taxes,” and “Lift America’s spirits.”
A I really try and avoid Sarah Palin as much as I possibly can. It’s like herpes. It’s something you have to deal with every now and again if that’s your affliction but nobody wants to see it and nobody wants to deal with it.
Q This is a follow-up question from our last interview. Why do you think Metallica would have booted you from the band if they had hired you after that audition?
A I think there are many reasons why they would have booted me out. Nobody likes too many cooks in the kitchen and I’m definitely a chef. You can have a lot of cooks in the kitchen but you only want one head chef, and I tend to be chef boy. But there are a lot of reasons. It’s why I didn’t get the gig. I didn’t fit and I still wouldn’t fit. I’d love to go onstage with those guys and play a bunch of Metallica songs. That would be incredibly fun but I don’t think it would be fun for everybody very long because I like to do my thing, and it wouldn’t have been Metallica.
Q You write books and are in movies and record music. What can we look for next?
A I’m in a state of flux right now. I’ve got a bunch of different balls in the air and I’m not sure which one. I use balls in the air or pots on the stove, I’m not sure which metaphor I want to use, but I’m not really sure right now. It’s funny, I’ve been doing interviews all day and it’s “What’s next from Claypool?” I’m going to Europe and I’m going to Coachella and Bonnaroo and I’m not really sure after that. I have ideas for things but nothing I can really talk about yet because I’m not sure what I’m gonna do.
Q Have you found a word that rhymes with eloquent?
A No.