THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM

VENUE THe fiLLmore PHiLadeLPHia, Pa

DATE 12/04/19

As the mastermind behind Primus and the artistically accomplished son of a certain Beatle, Les Claypool and Sean Lennon are already individually respected talents, and they’ve spent the past few years collaborating with boundless idiosyncrasy as psychedelic rock duo The Claypool Lennon Delirium. Unsurprisingly, they hold nothing back at this performance, pulling out great selections from their catalogue – in addition to a few outside surprises

– to prove even more delightfully distinguishing in a live setting.

Introduced by a dissonantly hallucinogenic build-up, the band devote almost equal attention to both of their studio albums. This year’s South Of Reality is showcased via its joyously quirky opener, Little Fishes, as well as the ominously strange title track and the LP’s two suites — the poppy, dreamlike Blood And Rockets and the Middle Eastern-influenced Cricket Chronicles Revisited — among other standouts. Fittingly, 2016’s Monolith Of Phobos is represented by that epic’s precursor, the nightmarishly sludgy two-part

Cricket And The Genie, plus the playfully bizarre Mr. Wright and the hypnotically ensnaring Breath Of A Salesman. Aside from occasionally muffled vocals and instrumentation, each piece is faithfully reproduced with honed precision and entertaining enthusiasm.

Thankfully, the same can be said for the pair’s dutifully innovative interpretations of Pink Floyd’s Astronomy Dominie, King Crimson’s In The Court Of The Crimson King, The Beatles’ Tomorrow Never Knows, and, as an encore, Primus’ Southbound Pachyderm. These make for some of the best moments of the night, with the audience audibly adoring Lennon and Claypool’s personal connections and clever approaches to the material.

While not as surreally rich as the music, the accompanying visuals nonetheless form a fitting environment. Simply put, the front artwork of South Of Reality (a cockroach overlooking glaciers underneath a pink sky) is broken into three large posters behind the players, and throughout the night, the lights change colours and movements with frenzied synchronicity to perfectly capture the vibe of each moment. Sure, a bit more technological spectacle would’ve benefitted the set even more, but what’s there certainly accentuates the mood well enough.

The Claypool Lennon Delirium prove to be greater than the sum of their parts tonight. While isolated elements of each frontman’s artistry shine through, it’s the ways in which they form unique styles as a shared entity that truly astounds. With exceptional musicianship, vocals, songwriting and even a bit of endearing banter in-between tracks, the duo are easily charming from beginning to end.