After a 20-year hiatus, LES CLAYPOOL’S FEARLESS FLYING FROG BRIGADE has announced its long-awaited return with the massive, 41-date “Summer Of Green” tour 2023, which will mark the band’s first appearances since summer 2003. Kicking off in Stateline, Nevada on Wednesday, May 17 before winding its way from coast-to-coast, the tour will feature several festival appearances, including the Summer Camp Music Festival, the Mountain Music Festival, the Riverbend Music Festival, and the Peach Music Festival. Featuring Les Claypool (bass),Sean Lennon (guitar),Harry Waters (keys),Paulo Baldi (drums),Mike Dillon (percussion),and Skerik (horns),the set will include a full performance of PINK FLOYD‘s iconic tenth studio album “Animals”, which was famously captured on the band’s second 2001 live recording “Live Frogs Set 2”.
“In an age of calibrated chaos, moral constipation, and conspiranoia, it is reassuring to know that certain frogs can and do fly,” Claypool comments.
Select June performances will include a co-headlining set with Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew‘s “Remain In Light” tour, which finds the TALKING HEADS members performing songs from a monumental period of the band’s history alongside a powerhouse band. Additional support throughout the tour include FISHBONE, NEAL FRANCIS, BUDOS BAND, W.I.T.C.H. and MOON DUO.
A limited pre-sale, including VIP upgrade options, will go on sale February 1 at 10 a.m. local time, using the code WHAMOLA. General public on sale is this Friday, February 3 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 inbetween.
“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 “The Summer Of Green” tour dates:
May 17 – Stateline, NV – [to be announced] ^
May 19 – Napa, CA – Blue Note Summer Sessions at TBA venue ^
May 20 – Santa Cruz, CA – Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium ^
May 21 – San Diego, CA – Observatory North ^
May 23 – Salt Lake City, UT – TBA venue ^
May 24 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom ^
May 26 – Kansas City, MO – Grinders KC
May 27 – Chillicothe, IL – Summer Camp Music Festival
May 28 – Louisville, KY – Iroquois Amphitheater ~
May 30 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom ~
May 31 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live! ~
June 02 – Detroit, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre ~
June 03 – Oak Hill, WV – Mountain Music Festival
June 04 – Chattanooga, TN – [to be announced]
June 06 – Richmond, VA – Brown’s Island *
June 07 – Raleigh, NC – Raleigh Memorial Auditorium *
June 09 – Asheville, NC – Rabbit Rabbit *
June 10 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern *
June 11 – Columbia, SC – Township Auditorium *
June 13 – Dallas, TX – Music Hall at Fair Park *
June 14 – Austin, TX – The Moody Amphitheater *
June 16 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall Lawn *
June 17 – New Orleans, LA – Mardi Gras World *
June 19 – Mobile, AL – Saenger Theatre *
June 20 – Tampa, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino *
June 22 – Baltimore, MD – The Lyric %
June 23 – Port Chester, NY – Capitol Theatre ~
June 24 – Westbury, NY – NYCB Theatre [In The Round] ~
June 26 – Northampton, MA – The Pines Theater ~
June 28 – Portland, ME – State Theatre #
June 29 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway #
July 01 – Scranton, PA – Peach Music Festival
July 02 – Chicago, IL – Salt Shed [Indoor] #
July 03 – St. Paul, MN – Palace Theatre #
July 07 – Bonner, MT – Kettlehouse Amphitheater +
July 08 – Redmond, WA – Marymoor Park Live +
July 09 – Forest Grove, OR – Grand Lodge +
July 11 – Wheatland, CA – Hard Rock Live +
July 13 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Madonna Inn +
July 14 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern +
July 15 – Phoenix, AZ – Van Buren +
* Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew “Remain In Light”
^ FISHBONE
~ Neal Francis
# BUDOS BAND
+ MOON DUO
% W.I.T.C.H.