What Genre? (Stephen Pallas)

     Because music has evolved as an ever-increasing part of my life, I'd like to take a hiatus from my primary focus of study (literature, specifically British Modernism) and focus on my favorite musician, Les Claypool.  In short, Claypool's roots in music started with an archetypal rhythm and blues band known as The Tommy Crank Band, an obscure group of musicians who I believe still tour on the west coast.  Afterwards, Claypool emerged on the metal scene with Blind Illusion.  He is famously noted (strangely enough) for auditioning for Metallica--he went to high school with lead guitarist Kirk Hamnet--but failing to fill the role.  He soon formed the band Primus, a band which came to be a favorite among the alternative rock scene.  Primus' popularity grew throughout the nineties, but lost steam after the production of the 1999 album, Antipop.  Along the way, Claypool acquired a vast wardrobe of masks, costume pieces, and accompanying musicians with whom he would construct his "solo" projects, which continued to evolve with the artist after Primus dissolved.  During these years, Claypool also wrote a novel--South of the Pumphouse--and starting a wine company, Claypool Cellars, who produce Russian River Pinot Noir known as Purple Pachyderm and a rose wine called Pink Platypus, titles in line with Claypool's typical postmodern absurdity.  Primus has recently reemerged with a new album, Green Naugahyde, and a lengthy international tour.  

     Personally, I have seen Claypool on stage a dozen times in the past few years; I have read his novel, and drank his wine (it's pricy for the quality).  What becomes clear when studying the artist, besides his consistent affinity with the culture of Northern California, is the elusiveness by which he evades genre.  And he doesn't do so forcefully or in contrived fashion, but with a whimsical air of self-confidence which seems to resist sitting still.  There's something uniquely attractive about his ability to be different as an artist, something for which I firmly believe authenticity seekers everywhere strive to emulate.  Claypool is a postmodern renaissance man, a musician, an author, a vintner.  So taste some levity; for your listening (and viewing) pleasure, and without further ado, I give you the newest video off of Green Naugahyde, "Tragedy's A Comin," featuring Claypool in a lobster suit (spot the purple elephant, win 10 points):