San Diego

Primus Plot San Diego Show

The funk-metal titans have announced an extensive 2020 North American tour — with a local show on the itinerary.

Primus (Les Claypool pictured here performing at the Observatory North Park with the Claypool Lennon Delirium) stop in town in August.
Alex Matthews

Calling all local Primus fans: On Tuesday morning, the beloved funk/metal band announced an extensive 2020 North American tour — and it stops right here in town at SDSU's Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 1.

Tickets for the area show go on sale to the general public on Friday, Feb. 21, at 10 a.m. PST at this link. Additionally, various pre-sales and/or VIP options are available and go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 10 a.m. PST; get more info here.

San Diego fans will also revel in the sounds of Australia vintage-rock aficionados Wolfmother and math/rock stalwarts Battles, as the Aug. 1 show's openers.

The 40-plus-date tour, dubbed "A Tribute to Kings," will find Primus paying homage to prog-rock legends Rush, with the Les Claypool-led trio performing Rush's 1977 album "A Farewell to Kings" in its entirety (along with selections from their own catalog).

"A little over one year ago, Ler Lalonde and I started kicking the idea around of Primus performing a series of shows featuring an iconic Rush album from our youth," Claypool said in a press release. "Being that 'A Farewell to Kings' was the first Rush record I ever heard, and that it contains my all-time favorite Rush tune, 'Cygnus X1,' the choice narrowed quickly. Years ago, I had done something similar with Colonel Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, when we covered Pink Floyd's 'Animals' in its entirety. It was an insane amount of work, but ended up being one of the most enjoyable live endeavors I've ever done.

"Geddy, Alex and Neil had been superheroes to Larry, Herb and I in our teens, so when we all became pals while touring together in the early '90s, we were pretty delighted; partially because of the musical geek-out factor but mostly because the three guys whom we had admired so much from afar, turned out to be truly great, down-to-earth humans, and like us, a tad eccentric.

"The 'Tribute to Kings' tour will be just as it is implied, a respectful and loving tribute to three spectacular musicians, songwriters, legends and friends."

Primus: A Tribute to Kings tour dates

5/26: Irving, TX: The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory *^
5/27 Houston, TX: Revention Music Center *^
5/29 Austin, TX: ACL Live at the Moody Theater *^
5/30 New Orleans, LA: Saenger Theater *^
6/01 Asheville, NC: ExploreAsheville.com Arena *^
6/03 Orlando, FL: Hard Rock Live Orlando *^
6/05 Atlanta, GA: Coca-Cola Roxy *^
6/06 Charlotte, NC: Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre *^
6/07 Raleigh, NC: Red Hat Amphitheater *^
6/09 Cincinnati, OH: PNC Pavilion *^
6/10 Columbus, OH: Express Live! – Outdoor *^
6/12 Manchester, TN: Bonnaroo Arts And Music Festival
6/15 Richmond, VA: Virginia Credit Union LIVE! *^
6/16 Baltimore, MD: MECU Pavilion *^
6/17 New York, NY: Beacon Theatre *^
6/19 Philadelphia, PA: The Met Philadelphia *^
6/20 Asbury Park, NJ: The Stone Pony Summer Stage *^
6/21 Essex Junction, VT: Midway Lawn at Champlain Valley Exposition *^
6/23 Boston, MA: Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion *^
6/24 Wallingford, CT: Toyota Oakdale Theatre *^
6/26 Sterling Heights, MI: Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill *^
6/27 Cleveland, OH: Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica *^
6/28 Pittsburgh, PA: Stage AE – Outdoor *^
6/30 Toronto, ON: RBC Echo Beach *^
7/02 Lafayette, NY: Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards *
7/03 Westbrook ME: Main Savings Pavilion at Rock Row *
7/06 Indianapolis, IN: The Amphitheater at White River State Park *+
7/07 Milwaukee, WI: BMO Harris Pavilion *+
7/08 Minneapolis, MN: The Armory *+
7/10 Chicago, IL: The Chicago Theatre *+
7/11 St Louis, MO: Saint Louis Music Park *+
7/12 Kansas City, MO: CrossroadsKC *+
7/14 Denver, CO: The Mission Ballroom *+
7/15 Salt Lake City, UT: The Complex *+
7/17 Berkeley, CA: Greek Theater *+
7/18 Los Angeles, CA: Greek Theatre *+
7/19 Las Vegas, NV: Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort *+
7/21 Boise, ID: Outlaw Field at Idaho Botanical Garden *+
7/23 Bonner, MT: KettleHouse Amphitheater *+
7/24 Redmond, WA: Marymoor Park *+
7/25 Troutdale, OR: Edgefield *+
7/28 Spokane, WA: Riverfront Park Amphitheater *+
7/29 Bend, OR: Les Schwab Amphitheater *+
7/31 Paso Robles, CA: Vina Robles Amphitheatre *+
8/01 San Diego, CA: Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU *+
8/02 Phoenix, AZ: Arizona Federal Theatre *+

  • * w/ Wolfmother
  • ^ w/ The Sword
  • + w/ Battles
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