Our Two for the Road series sees two artists who are about to hit the road together chat about music, touring, and life. Ahead of their “Onward & Upward” tour, Primus frontman Les Claypool chats with Ty Segall about their respective new music, new band members, fishin’, and more.
Primus have been on quite a journey as of late. After the abrupt departure of drummer Tim Alexander, the act held open auditions in search of a replacement, which resulted in a spectacle that frontman Les Claypool refers to as “an interstellar” search. In the midst of that process, guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde also tragically lost his house to the Lost Angeles wildfires. To say the least, the band had a lot on their minds during the first half of 2025. And yet, as summer hits, they’ve triumphantly emerged on the other side. They’ve got a new drummer, John Hoffman, and have just kicked off their latest tour, fittingly titled “Onward & Upward.” Better yet, they’re bringing Ty Segall along for the party (pick up tickets here).
Even better yet, Consequence sat down with both Claypool and Segall to make introductions and learn about what each artist has planned for the run. Call it a meeting of the minds; Call it a first impression; We call it our latest edition of Two for the Road.
“The way it got worded on my post, [people] texted me like, ‘Dude, are you playing drums for Primus?’,” Segall laughs as he chats with Claypool over Zoom. “If you need a shaker or a Tamborine for a moment…”
“You do the egg shaker? I’m a big fan of the egg shaker,” Claypool retorts. “You know I’m going to pull you on stage for some of this.”
As their joint jaunt gets rolling, the two idiosyncratic artistic minds embrace their own respective new eras. While Primus, who recently dropped the new single “Little Lord Fentanyl,” fully integrates Hoffman into their wild stage show, Segall celebrates the release of his latest full-length album, Possession.
“I’ve been listening to your new record, and I think it’s great,” Claypool says to Segall before offering a glimpse into their plans for the “Onward & Upward” shows. “We have a pretty big catalog, and with now with Hoffer, because he’s not one of the three drummers that recorded these songs over the years, he’s not precious with any of it… So, we’re going to be dipping into some stuff that we haven’t played live in a long time, if ever.”
Will Segall get called up to assist on the egg shaker for any of those promised deep cuts? Only time will tell. In the meantime, watch Les Claypool and Ty Segall chat about their upcoming shows, Primus’ wide search for a new drummer, the joys of fishing, and more above. You can also pick up tickets to one of their upcoming dates here (see each act’s full list of 2025 tour dates below).
Trouble viewing the video in the player above? Watch on YouTube.
Primus 2025 Tour Dates:
07/05 – Paso Robles, CA @ Vina Robles Amphitheatre *
07/07 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Sandy Amphitheater *
07/08 – Jackson, WY @ Snow King Mountain *
07/09 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre *
07/11 – Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed *
07/12 – Kansas City, MO @ Grinders KC *
07/13 – Nashville, TN @ The Pinnacle *
07/15 – Louisville, KY @ Iroquois Amphitheater *
07/16 – Detroit, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre *
07/18 – Lafayette, NY @ Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards *
07/19 – Essex Junction, VT @ Midway Lawn At Champlain Valley Expo *
07/21 – New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17 *
07/22 – Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater ^
07/23 – Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater ^
07/25 – Atlanta, GA @ Synovus Bank Amphitheater At Chastain Park ^
07/26 – Wilmington, NC @ Live Oak Bank Pavilion ^
07/28 – New Orleans, LA @ Saenger Theater ^
07/29 – Shreveport, LA @ Shreveport Municipal Auditorium ^
07/30 – Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory ^
08/01 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre ^
08/02 – San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre ^
08/03 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Quarry Amphitheater
08/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre *
08/07 – Sacramento, CA @ Channel 24
08/08 – Sacramento, CA @ Channel 24
* = w/ Ty Segall
^ = w/ MonoNeon
Ty Segall 2025 Tour Dates:
07/05 – Paso Robles, CA @ Vina Robles Amphitheatre *
07/07 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Sandy Amphitheater *
07/08 – Jackson, WY @ Snow King Mountain *
07/09 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre *
07/11 – Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed *
07/12 – Kansas City, MO @ Grinders KC *
07/13 – Nashville, TN @ The Pinnacle *
07/15 – Louisville, KY @ Iroquois Amphitheater *
07/16 – Detroit, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre *
07/18 – Lafayette, NY @ Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards *
07/19 – Essex Junction, VT @ Midway Lawn At Champlain Valley Expo *
07/21 – New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17 *
08/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre *
10/08 — Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
10/09 — Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
10/11 — Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
10/13 — Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
10/14 — Seattle, WA @ Neumos
10/15 — Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
10/18 — Sacramento, CA @ Crest Theatre
10/19 — San Luis Obispo, CA @ SLO Brew
* = w/ Primus
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