[LEMONS] 10.29.2001
I saw Oysterhead at the Greek Friday night, and I fucking loved it. This was an exceptional attitude. Mostly I heard a lot of bitching about how they didn't sound at all like Phish, or that Trey's solo stuff is way better, dude. Later, on Saturday, I heard an understandable sentiment that Les' thing was, well, a little dark. And admittedly, had I been a sheltered hippie with a head full of mushrooms who had never seen anything other than shiny, happy, pheel-good phestivals, I could see how watching Les creep around with the lights off while moaning about amphetamine addicted Vietnam vets could make you a little uncomfortable. As Jeff's roommate said "I didn't want him to take me down whatever dark hole he was in."
Completely understandable.
But if you went for the music and not "the scene," Oysterhead was pretty fucking unreal. No, it didn't sound anything like Phish, but it didn't sound anything like Primus or the Police either. But it was phenomenal. All three of the musicians were at the top of thier games. Copeland was playing a kit the size of, quite literally, our apartment. I'd never seen Trey before (well I've seen him do some guest spots) and he amazed me. Claypool is a freak (though I've met him and he doesn't come across like that at all in person, I think it's a stage thing) but so what? He's got the chops to back it up.
In college, my buddy Rob and I wrote bad checks in order to get some money to go see Primus. It was one of the most amazing things I'd ever seen. A spectacle. Oysterhead was too, but in a different way. When they come to your town, beg borrow or steal the money to go see them. You won't be disappointed. Well, unless you're expecting phish, that is.
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