Primus & Coheed and Cambria Captivate a Sold-Out Thompson’s Point [Photos]

Primus (w/ Coheed and Cambria) @ Thompson's Point (Portland, ME) on August 13, 2024

46 photos

Primus just wrapped up their summer tour with Coheed and Cambria and a rotating slot of openers. We were fortunate to catch up with them on August 13th, as the psychedelic rock act made their way to Portland, Maine’s seaside venue Thompson’s Point, along with Coheed and Puddles Pity Party to play before a completely sold-out crowd of fans.

By the time we’d gotten in, the venue was packed, and we had missed half of Puddles’ set. However, it’s safe to say he made an impression on the attendees with a stage presence so strange it was challenging to look away and odd yet musically-stunning renditions of popular songs. The highlight of the second half of his set was a cover of Los Lobos’ “Estoy sentado aquí,” which saw the entertainer serenading a crew member in a tequila bottle costume.

As the sun began to hang low into an orange and yellow sunset, emo/progressive rock legends Coheed and Cambria emerged onto the stage. Their set would be an interesting selection of songs with an eye towards giving the diehard fans the older cuts they wanted to hear while also working some newer material in.

The band kicked right into things with the eight-minute plus track “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3.” They then followed up with a giant sing-along, “Ten Speed (Of God’s Blood and Burial).” Frontman Claudio Sanchez’s signature giant hair was in full effect, but his voice seemed a little more subdued than in previous shows, with the frontman seeming to lean on the audience’s voices to cover some of the higher vocal notes at times.

As usual, Coheed sounded impeccably tight as they precisely executed eight more tracks that featured deeper cuts like “The Crowing” and “The Willing Well I: Fuel for the Feeding End.” They also played the new song “Blindside Sunny.” The band gave the audience a one-two punch of material from their last full-length Vaxis — Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind with “Shoulders” and “Liars Club.” Sanchez then retrieved his instantly recognizable double-necked Gibson SG guitar for an intense close to their set with the shreddy and anthemic “Welcome Home.”

With the sun nearly fully set, it was time for Primus! After the stage had been changed over and gratuitous amounts of fog pumped in, bassist/vocalist Les Claypool and his cohorts appeared before the crowd, backlit by bright LED screens displaying psychedelic visuals, and went straight into “Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers.” Claypool was in his usual quirky form, wearing a top hat and marching around the stage between vocal lines. The band has been shaking things up from night to night with the setlist, so what would unfold that night was anyone’s guess as Primus continued with “The Last Salmon Man” and “Eleven” before Puddles emerged to perform an epic version of Ronnie James Dio’s “Holy Diver.”

Aside from a brief moment espousing the virtues of Portland, Maine’s lobster rolls and addressing a fan’s sign requesting the song “Poetry and Prose” from a 1993 compilation album, The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience (Claypool admitted he did not remember how to play it), they seemed to hold off on banter in favour of cramming as much music in as possible. This was much to the appreciation of the assembled masses. The surprise guests continued as Coheed and Cambria’s Sanchez, cloaked and holding a glowing skull, appeared during Primus’ cover of Rush’s “Cygnus X-1” to lend some vocals and spookiness. Later on, Claypool donned a pig mask and swapped to playing bass with a bow for the track “Mr. Krinkle.”

The production for this tour really shined once night set in. The dazzling lighting and constantly changing displays really lent to the immersiveness of their performance.  Primus ended the night with the mega-hit “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver.” Their encore consisted of “Shake Hands with Beef” and “John the Fisherman,” leaving the majority of fans who had remained to file out into the cool night.

Primus (w/ Coheed and Cambria) @ Thompson's Point (Portland, ME) on August 13, 2024

46 photos