As it continues to wind its way across the U.S. on a massive 41-date “Summer Of Green” tour 2023, marking the band’s first appearances since the summer of 2003, LES CLAYPOOL’S FEARLESS FLYING FROG BRIGADE has announced that it will return to the road this fall for 10 additional appearances. Dubbed the “Hunt For Green October” tour, the run will begin at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California on Wednesday, October 11 before heading east, stopping at favorite venues like Denver’s Mission Ballroom, St. Louis’s The Factory, and Chicago’s Salt Shed, before culminating with a special Halloween performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday, October 31. Additional performances may be announced in the coming weeks. The news comes as media around the country praise the band’s reunion, with Glide Magazine writing, “Despite the 20-year gap in their touring history, LES CLAYPOOL’S FROG BRIGADE is hitting the ground running with a setlist filled with classic covers and loved originals.” Buffalo.fm called the tour “spectacular.”
A limited artist pre-sale will open tomorrow, Wednesday, June 14 at 10 a.m. local time and close on Thursday, June 15 at 10 p.m. local time, using the code WHAMOLA. General public on sale is this Friday, June 17 at 10 a.m. local time.
Formed by Claypool in the summer of 2000 during a short break from PRIMUS, the FEARLESS FLYING FROG BRIGADE made its debut appearance at the Mountain Aire Festival before embarking on several celebrated U.S. tours. Described by Claypool as “kind of a KING CRIMSON-meets-PINK FLOYD-meets-Frank Zappa-type thing,” the band released two live albums in 2001, as well as a studio album “Purple Onion” in 2002. The band’s most recent performance took place on May 10, 2003 at the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida.
The return of the FEARLESS FLYING FROG BRIGADE follows a busy year for Claypool, who in addition to performing with BASTARD JAZZ on NYE and throughout winter 2022, traveled the country with PRIMUS for the band’s wildly popular “A Tribute To Kings” tour, and appeared alongside WEEN at Comedy Central’s “South Park: 25th Anniversary Concert” at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Last year also saw the release of PRIMUS‘s first new music in more than five years, the sprawling three-song “Conspiranoid” EP, which included the epic 11-minute opening track “Conspiranoia” and second single “Follow The Fool”.
Claypool is one of the most unlikely success stories in entertainment history. His trademark voice, thumping bass lines and unique worldview have become the calling cards for a number of wildly successful and influential albums in the last two decades. But through his myriad of musical and creative projects, Claypool has also become a favorite of jam banders, funk connoisseurs and pretty much everything in between.
“Let’s put it this way … I think, with PRIMUS and without, I’ve played every music festival in the last ten years, except Lilith Fair,” he comments. “You could say I’m the guy who doesn’t fit in anywhere, but a little bit everywhere.”
LES CLAYPOOL’S FEARLESS FLYING FROG BRIGADE‘s “Hunt For Green October” tour dates:
October 11th – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
October 12th – Riverside, CA – Riverside Municipal Auditorium
October 14th – Albuquerque, NM – El Rey Theater
October 15th – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom
October 17th – St. Louis, MO – The Factory
October 18th – Chicago, IL – Salt Shed
October 27th – Live Oak, FL – Hulaween*
October 29th – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
October 30th – Cincinnati, OH – Andrew J Brady Music Center
October 31st – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
Photo credit: Paul Haggard