Primus In Concert! Live! And In 3D! Wait, What?
By Katie Karpowicz in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 4, 2013 3:00PM
The experimental, funky and very wacky Primus debuted its 3D Tour in Chicago at a packed Riviera Theatre Sunday night.
It was only a matter of time before the 3D trend made its way from movie theaters and televisions to concert venues, but we suspected it would be the arena-filling likes of Justin Bieber or U2 to make it happen first. Truthfully, Primus probably pulled it off better than either of those superstars could have.
As it was our first 3D concert experience, we had some concerns. Would the effects distract from the music? Would the effects be enough to warrant the hype? Would the 3D glasses get annoying after a while?
It might have had a couple of slight downsides (we pitied anyone who showed up wearing prescription glasses), but did the 3D effects take Primus' show to the next level? We say yes.
As the crowd donned its 3D glasses handed out at the door, Mr. Claypool and co. took the stage and a giant video screen in back of the stage blinked on. The band bounced around from "Southbound Pachyderm" to "Frizzle Fry" to "Jerry Was A Race Car Driver" while everything from dancing eyeballs to twirling Christmas tree ornaments to clips from the Salad Fingers series seemingly popped out past the screen over the audience.
The three-dimensional video loops that played through each of Primus' sets (totaling two and a half hours) were impressively timed with the music in parts and provided a psychedelic distraction from the breakdowns in others. Whether this type of show would lend well to bands whose music doesn't incorporate as many jam sessions is doubtful, but, as for Primus' spazzy, jammy sounds, it worked.
If you typically go to Primus concerts to study the band's technique or to watch to see how that one bass part is played, you were probably disappointed. The band was mostly shadowed so as to give the 3D screen full effect.
However, if you're a seasoned fan and show goer looking for a change of pace, the 3D experience was one that we were ultimately pleased with. Perhaps other bands will start taking note. We'd be interested to see how this trend could catch on and evolve in the concert circuit.