Fans of the 1990s funk-metal band Primus can't forget that famous live footage from Woodstock '94. In it the band's resident bass god, Les Claypool, dexterously covered Metallica's "Master of Puppets" by playing the guitar part on his signature Carl Thompson bass using the slap technique. To top it off, he then brought out legendary grunge guitarist Jerry Cantrell, and spent the next 10 minutes going lick for lick with the Alice In Chains' axe madman. 
Primus went on hiatus in 2000, much to the chagrin of the band's hardcore following. And for the most part, the group then fell off the map, though they did reunite in 2003 to record Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People, a DVD/EP release. They followed that with a two-month tour, and have since released DVDs and a hits collection. Still, the fervor surrounding releases like Sailing the Seas of Cheese, Miscellaneous Debris, and Pork Soda was never really matched again.
But that's not to say Claypool has been lounging poolside on money from "Jerry Was a Racecar Driver" and "My Name Is Mud." The man is a talented and multi-faceted artist who has kept himself quite busy as a novelist, actor, director, music producer, and of course, musician. The eccentric and often outlandish Claypool has continued producing solo work, including his most recent album, Of Fungi and Foe, which dropped in March.
Les Claypool, with Matisyahu. Saturday, May 30, Pompano Beach Amphitheater, 1801 NE 6th St., Pompano Beach. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., tickets cost $20.10 and $31.50. Livenation.com
And here's that footage of Primus playing "Master of Puppets" live at Woodstock '94.
