Sailing Away to 2011

It's a Bay Area tradition to see Les Claypool perform on New Year's Eve, but this year, fans of the Primus singer-bassist's demented funk-rock are in for an extraspecial treat. Following an opening set by iconic local goofballs — er, eyeballs — the Residents, Primus will get warmed up on Thursday, Dec. 30, at the Fox Theater by playing Sailing the Seas of Cheese in its entirety. The 1991 album is arguably the band's finest 45 minutes, featuring classics like "Here Come the Bastards," "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver," and "Tommy the Cat."

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More About

• Les Claypool
• Larry LaLonde
• Jay Lane
• Fancy Brigade

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On Friday, Dec. 31, Claypool opens his 20th anniversary of NYE slap-bass shenanigans with his Fancy Brigade, and will then be joined by guitarist Larry LaLonde and original Primus drummer Jay Lane — who returned to the fold earlier this year following a two-decade absence — to ring in the New Year at the Fox with a set that will presumably include songs from their forthcoming album, the group's first since 1999's Antipop. To get an idea of how things are going, visit www.primusville.com to hear a Spanish-language version of "My Name Is Mud" and download a four-track EP of reheated Primus songs captured at a June 2010 rehearsal.

"Twenty years ... wow, time flies when you're having fudge," Claypool says in a press release. "For this, we will need to blow it out and pull all the stops. Two nights at the Fox should do it, and playing multiple sets with Primus and my band of all-stars coupled with a dream bill of mine, which is being paired with the Residents, should just about do it. Be prepared to be dazzled, amazed, and surprised beyond comprehension."
Thu., Dec. 30, 8 p.m., 2010