Oysterhead
Oysterhead is an American rock supergroup featuring bassist Les Claypool of Primus, guitarist Trey Anastasio of Phish and drummer Stewart Copeland of The Police, with both Claypool and Anastasio providing vocals. The band's eclectic sound has been described as "alt-funk fusion".[1][2]
Oysterhead | |
---|---|
Genres | Alternative rock, neo-psychedelia |
Years active | 2000–2001, 2006, 2019–present |
Spinoff of | |
Members | Stewart Copeland Les Claypool Trey Anastasio |
Website | www |
In April 2000 Superfly Presents asked Claypool to assemble a band to perform during New Orleans Jazz Fest. Claypool contacted Anastasio and together they agreed on mutual hero, Copeland.[3] Oysterhead was originally intended to be a singular live performance at New Orleans Saenger Theatre[4] on May 4, 2000. The band compiled a set of almost entirely original material for the show, practicing at Muskegon's Frauenthal Theatre. Tickets were scalped for up to $2,000 each, audience members included Francis Ford Coppola and Matt Groening.[3] The band toured in 2001 and was scheduled to tour in 2020. Both times it has toured it has been interrupted due to significant disasters, in 2001 due to the September 11 attacks and in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Oysterhead played at The Peach Music Festival in Scranton, PA in July 2021.
The Grand Pecking Order
In 2001, Oysterhead reformed to record and release an album entitled The Grand Pecking Order, which featured nine new tracks in addition to four songs originally debuted in New Orleans.[5] The album was released on October 2, 2001, and was supported by a North American tour, spanning from October 21 to November 18, 2001, accompanied by North Mississippi Allstars, Drums & Tuba, The Cancer Conspiracy, Lake Trout, Mark Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos and New Orleans Klezmer Allstars.[6][7] Two pre-tour warm-up shows had been booked at Toad's Place in New Haven, Connecticut for September 14, 2001 and the Irving Plaza in New York City, New York (as part of CMJ Music Marathon) for September 15, 2001, but were cancelled in the wake of the September 11 attacks.[7] Oysterhead's 2001 tour saw the debut of the Matterhorn, a guitar played by Trey Anastasio featuring a full-size deer antler. On November 15, 2001, the band performed the song "Oz Is Ever Floating" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.[8]
Reformation at Bonnaroo
On June 16, 2006, Oysterhead reunited to perform a two-hour set at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. The band performed music from The Grand Pecking Order during the set.[9]
Reformation in 2019
In October 2019, Oysterhead created social media accounts on Instagram and Twitter and announced they would play two reunion shows in February 2020 at 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado.
While the band went on to schedule additional 2020 tour dates in California and at several US festivals, only the two Colorado dates were performed before the other dates were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] Oysterhead resumed touring in 2021.[11]
When asked in March 2022 if the band planned to record a second album, Claypool said it was unclear: "We always talk about it when we're sitting around, but all three of us are so busy. We haven't really found the time to do it. It's an undertaking. You've got three guys that are all alpha dogs in the same room. It's more of an undertaking I think, but who knows. I've been talking to Stewart lately about trying to get together and just start jamming on some shit and see what happens."[12]
List of performances
Location | Venue | Date |
---|---|---|
2000 | ||
New Orleans, LA | Saenger Theater | 05/04/2000 |
2001 | ||
New Haven, CT | Toad's Place | 09/14/2001 |
New York, NY | Irving Plaza | 09/15/2001 |
Westford, VT | The Barn | 09/15/2001 |
Seattle, WA | The Paramount | 10/21/2001 |
Vancouver, BC | Orpheum Theatre | 10/23/2001 |
Salem, OR | Salem Armory | 10/24/2001 |
Berkeley, CA | Greek Theatre | 10/26/2001 |
Los Angeles, CA | Hollywood Palladium | 10/27/2001 |
Denver, CO | The Fillmore | 10/30/2001 |
10/31/2001 | ||
Chicago, IL | Aragon Ballroom | 11/02/2001 |
West Lafayette, IN | Elliot Hall of Music | 11/03/2001 |
Ann Arbor, MI | Hill Auditorium | 11/04/2001 |
Cleveland, OH | Cleveland State Theatre | 11/06/2001 |
Toronto, ON | Massey Hall | 11/07/2001 |
Utica, NY | Utica Memorial Auditorium | 11/09/2001 |
Lowell, MA | Tsongas Arena | 11/10/2001 |
Camden, NJ | Tweeter Center | 11/11/2001 |
New York, NY | Roseland Ballroom | 11/13/2001 |
11/14/2001 | ||
Studio 6A, NBC Studios | 11/15/2001 | |
Washington, DC | DAR Constitution Hall | 11/16/2001 |
Asheville, NC | Asheville Civic Center | 11/17/2001 |
Gainesville, FL | O'Connell Center | 11/18/2001 |
2006 | ||
Manchester, TN | Bonnaroo Music Festival | 06/16/2006 |
2020 | ||
Broomfield, CO | 1stBank Center | 02/14/2020 |
02/15/2020 | ||
Berkeley, CA | Greek Theatre | 04/17/2020 |
Stanford, CA | Frost Amphitheater | 04/18/2020 |
Chicago, IL | Aragon Ballroom | 04/22/2020 |
04/23/2020 | ||
Atlanta, GA | Centennial Olympic Park | 04/24/2020 |
04/25/2020 | ||
04/26/2020 | ||
Manchester, TN | Bonnaroo Music Festival | 06/13/2020 |
Scranton, PA | Scranton Peach Festival | 07/04/2020 |
Manchester, TN | Bonnaroo Music Festival (1st reschedule) |
09/26/2020 |
2021 | ||
Berkeley, CA | Greek Theatre | 04/17/2021 |
Atlanta, GA | Centennial Olympic Park | 04/23/2021 |
04/24/2021 | ||
04/25/2021 | ||
Manchester, TN | Bonnaroo Music Festival (2nd reschedule) |
06/18/2021 |
Scranton, PA | Scranton Peach Festival | 07/03/2021 |
Key | ||
Canceled due to September 11 Attacks | ||
Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic | ||
Postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic | ||
Make-up show | ||
Television only | ||
Private performance |
Discography
- The Grand Pecking Order (2001)
- 2020/02/14 Broomfield, CO (2020) (Live album) [16]
- 2020/02/15 Broomfield, CO (2020) (Live album) [17]
References
- Jon Wiederhorn Three Oysterheads Are Better Than One mtv.com, Oct 5 2001, Diakses 11 February 2009
- David Holmberg Palladium comes alive with Oysterhead’s unique blend Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine dailybruin.ucla.edu, October 29, 2001, Diakses 11 February 2009
- Neva Chonin out of its shell: Oysterhead unites three very different musical visions to create a unique sound sfgate.com, October 24, 2001, Retrieved February 11, 2009
- Mike Powers Frogs & Oysters: A Les Claypool Interview jambase.com, 1/26/01, Retrieved January 26, 2008
- "CD REVIEWS: Bush, Headstones, Incubus, Rheostatics and many more". Chart Attack, October 23, 2001 By: Debbie Bento
- "Check Your Oysterhead". Pollstar. October 17, 2001. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
- "News". Oysterhead. 2001. Archived from the original on November 27, 2001. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
- The Mockingbird Foundation (2004). The Phish Companion: A Guide to the Band and Their Music. Backbeat Books. p. 740. ISBN 9780879307998. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
- "PT | Phish | News". Phantasytour.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
- "Organizers Cancel/Postpone SweetWater 420 Fest 2020 Due To Coronavirus". JamBase.com. 2020-03-13. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
- "Oysterhead Return to the Stage, Cover "First Tube" at The Peach Music Festival". JamBands.com. 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
- "Les Claypool Says New Primus EP Is On The Way [Video]". liveforlivemusic.com. 2022-03-24. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
- "Oysterhead (@realoysterhead) | Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
- "Oysterhead setlists from 2001". toasterland.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
- "Oysterhead News". 18 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-05-18. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- Oysterhead – 2/14/20 1st Bank Center, Broomfield, CO, retrieved 2020-07-02
- Oysterhead – 2/15/20 1st Bank Center, Broomfield, CO, retrieved 2020-07-02