PRIMUS – A Tribute to Kings Tour 05/18/2022 at The Palace Theatre -By: Rob Smittix

Everyone and their grandmother requested to cover Primus at The Palace on May 18th, so I did what any good fan would do and I decided to cover the show for myself. Sure my camera may not be as great as my colleague’s equipment but hopefully through my words you can feel my experience.

The opening band was Battles, I could remember them from years ago as they belted out electronic music sprinkled with live drums and guitar instrumentation. They weren’t everyone’s cup of tea but I could certainly appreciate the talent. They prepped the audience for what was in store.

During the Battles set I was about to text Frankie from Mirth Films and as I pulled out my phone I spotted him walking out into the lobby area. I got his attention and with a beer already in hand he was nice enough to buy me another. Now with 2 beers in hand Frankie and I headed down towards the stage to get ready for Primus. When they hit the stage the crowd went crazy quenching their anticipation for tonight’s performance. I was happy to find out that the first set was going to be original Primus music before covering Rush’s classic album  ‘A Farewell to Kings’.

Personally I am a bigger Primus fan than a fan of Rush but I respect both bands immensely. Les Claypool explained to the crowd that Rush was his first concert and how much of an influence they have been for him, hence the reason for Tribute to Kings Tour. Fans as well as myself were captivated by the Primus renditions of Rush’s music. This show was lengthy because of the multiple sets but fans would have stayed as longer if they could have because it was just that entertaining.

I decided to hit the men’s room  one last time before I left and as I stand at the urinal I noticed the guy that pulled up next to me was a friend I haven’t seen in nearly 30 years. When he realized it was me, he said “I’d shake your hand but…”