The McDonald Theatre is an awesome venue. No wonder Les Claypool likes to play there. In his most recent visit, Claypool drew visitors to Eugene who drove as far as 300 miles to see him play. And play he did.
Claypool’s strong bass lines and funky beats rocked the McDonald Theatre on Saturday night in what one die-hard fan called an “excellent” show. Andy Powell said he works way too much see the shows, and thus it had been 6 or 7 years since he had last seen Claypool perform.
Claypool called Eugene “peppy” and said the crowd here has “something extra.”
The band was on tour to promote its latest release, a DVD filmed by fans, named “Fancy.” But Eugene didn’t make it onto Claypool’s DVD. The venues on the DVD are much larger, and so are the crowds. Watching the DVD is like being in the second row – which wasn’t hard at the McDonald Theatre. Far from a packed house, the intimate-feeling show was like what you can expect to see on the DVD.
There are several songs on “Fancy” that Claypool played Saturday night. Most of the music on the DVD is from “Of Whales and Woe,” an album that was released just before the 2006 tour during which “Fancy” was filmed. The jam band nature of Claypool’s music is exemplified on the DVD, with the songs being versions rather than copies. Listening to a recording is the only way to really hear Claypool play a song exactly the same twice.
When comparing the live show to the DVD, there really can be no comparison. The live show was obviously better. But, for those of you who missed the legendary Primus bass player, “Fancy” offers a slice of the real thing. The DVD was filmed by fans in several major cities, and is supposed to give the feel of a fan’s perspective.
Claypool’s music has a surreal aspect to it that is amplified by the lighting at his shows. This feeling is not duplicated on the DVD, and there’s little chance it could be. When watching the DVD, make sure the TV is big and the sound quality is excellent. No one will want to miss a note of Claypool’s masterful playing, nor the interesting meshing of other instruments on the stage.
Additionally, the DVD contains several encores, and at a show, the audience really only gets one.
After the show, many fans waited around outside the theater, hoping Claypool would come sign autographs. Security said he was putting his son to bed and then could choose to make an appearance. Gabby La La, who played sitar all night but breaks out different instruments on the DVD, came to give autographs.
She admitted she never practices. It doesn’t show in her performances.
Mike Dillon, the vibes, marimba and percussion player, also came out to give signatures. He spoke softly and said little.
Later I met someone who had driven down from Portland, even though Claypool played the Roseland Theater on Monday evening, to see the show. He said he often comes to Eugene to see shows before they make it up to Portland. He likes the McDonald Theatre, too.
He agreed that the venue has much better sound than the Roseland, is larger with more seating and has a lounge with a live feed of the show and the sound piped in. The video feed is not just a single camera focused on the stage from a distance, either. The camera had multiple shots, somewhat like the DVD.
For fans who missed Claypool’s latest visit, there is still hope. “Fancy” is on sale through lesclaypool.com.
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