Review : Primus fills the night with irreverent and irresistible music [The Kansas City Star, Mo.]

Aug. 13--Countless concerts are more glamorous and dazzling than Tuesday's event at the Uptown Theater. Very few, however, can provide more unbridled fun than the inspired triple bill of Primus, Gogol Bordello and the Dead Kenny G's.

A capacity audience of about 2,000 relished the evening of demented funk, crazed gypsy punk and rebelliously incendiary jazz. Primus is precisely the type of technically-oriented band that favors extended drum solos. It's also the kind of band in which the bassist interrupts the tedious ritual with dive bomb effects while wearing a monkey mask.

Such irreverence has earned Primus a loyal base of fans who've stuck with the group since its commercial peak in the early '90s. They were rewarded with a solid, 95-minute headlining set.

Although guitarist Larry LaLonde took an uncommonly conventional guitar solo on "Over the Falls," the general approach of the bass-dominated power trio more closely resembles the jazz fusion of Jaco Pastorius than Cream or the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Bassist Les Claypool's thumbs and fingers flew so unnaturally quickly that they seemed like freakish animations projected through the helmets of the pair of inflatable astronauts that towered over the stage. Claypool's insistent throb on "American Life" was hypnotic, and his bass provided a trampoline-style bounce during "Harold of the Rocks."

Still, a couple improvisational jams lacked direction, and Claypool's limited vocal range -- he yodels and yelps -- can become grating. For all the talent possessed by the trio, they sometimes sound like a clogged garbage disposal.

The night's best moment, consequently, came when Primus was joined by members of Gogol Bordello and the Dead Kenny G's on a celebratory rendition of Tom Waits' "Big in Japan." The collaboration demonstrated that while Primus and Gogol Bordello may have little in common musically, they share a left-of-center perspective and a penchant for the absurd.

Contrary to speculation about the incompatibility of the two acts, fewer than 50 fans left the theater immediately after Gogol Bordello's performance. Not unlike the Pogues in their prime, Gogol Bordello has built a reputation as one of today's premier live acts by twinning elements of punk to the traditional folk music of its members' native lands.

Armed with a bottle of wine and charisma reminiscent of 1980-era Mick Jagger, Ukrainian-born front man Eugene Hutz captivated the delirious audience during his band's 70-minute set. The frenzied fist-pumping and reckless crowd-surfing that accompanied "Wonderlust King" and "Immigraniada (We Comin' Rougher)" were infectiously joyous.

The jazz performed by the Dead Kenny G's is just as irreverent as its name suggests. Featuring one-time Kansas Citian Mike Dillon and supplemented by Kansas City saxophonist Mark Southerland and drummer Go-Go Ray, the band played a riotous set, punctuated by squeals, honks and unintelligible grunts, an ideal beginning to a night of memorable music. Tight quarters and sweltering heat were the evening's sole drawbacks.

"Is this just the way it is here?" Claypool asked about the conditions. "Is this the way you like it?"

While most fans would have preferred more elbow room and air conditioning, the vast majority relished every note of the night.

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PRIMUS SET LIST

Pudding Time, Sgt. Baker, Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers, Seas of Cheese, Golden Boy, Fisticuffs, American Life, Big in Japan, Over the Falls, Drum and Whamola Jam, Eleven, Harold of the Rocks, My Name Is Mud, Jerry Was a Race Car Driver.

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