Les Claypool has unveiled an expansive new touring concept for 2026 that brings together multiple corners of his musical universe into a single, full-night live experience.
Dubbed “Claypool Gold,” the upcoming summer run will unite Primus, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, and Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade on one stage each night, with all three projects performing in a fluid, overlapping format rather than as traditional opening and closing sets. The idea is designed as a continuous evening of music, with shifting lineups, unexpected transitions, and setlists that change from show to show.
The tour launches May 20 in Reno, Nevada, and stretches through more than 25 dates across the U.S., wrapping up with a July 4 performance in Napa, California. Presales begin January 21 at 10 a.m. local time, with general ticket sales opening January 23.
In tandem with the tour announcement, The Claypool Lennon Delirium have released a brand-new track, “WAP (What A Predicament)“, marking the project’s first new music in some time. The song tackles themes of morality, artificial intelligence, and social disorientation through a warped psychedelic lens.
Sean Ono Lennon opens the track with the line: “Like a president caught in shenanigans with the beauty queen,” before continuing later, “I’m guessing they may not be so innocent as they’d have us believe.”
As the song unfolds, Lennon adds: “I’m not sure if history repeats, but I’m certain that it rhymes.”
The collaboration continues the long-running creative partnership between Claypool and Lennon, a pairing rooted in genre defiance and surrealist commentary rather than conventional songcraft.
The timing of the release follows an especially active period for Claypool. In recent years, he has revived the Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, staged full performances of Pink Floyd’s Animals, overseen the Adverse Yaw: The Prawn Song Years box set, and spearheaded the global Interstellar Drum Derby project that ultimately introduced John Hoffman as Primus’ new drummer. Hoffman has since toured with Primus, appeared on bills alongside Tool and Puscifer, and recorded on the band’s recent single “Little Lord Fenta**l“, which features Maynard James Keenan.
Lennon, meanwhile, has remained equally prolific, working in an improvisational trio with John Zorn and Laurie Anderson, releasing the instrumental album Asterisms, producing Temples’ album Exotica, and earning a Grammy Award in 2025 for his design work on John Lennon’s Mind Games boxed reissue. He also wrote and produced an animated short inspired by War Is Over, which won an Academy Award in 2024.
VIP ticket options will be available in select cities, including premium front-row packages that feature pre-show Q&A sessions, signed tour posters, early venue access, and exclusive merchandise.
With “WAP (What A Predicament)” now available across streaming platforms and “Claypool Gold” set to roll through North America, the summer of 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious live chapters in Les Claypool’s career.
“Claypool Gold” 2026 Tour Dates:
- May 20 – Reno Events Center – Reno, NV
- May 22 – Hayden Homes Amphitheater – Bend, OR
- May 23 – Marymoor Live – Redmond, WA
- May 25 – KettleHouse Amphitheater – Bonner, MT
- May 26 – The Lot at the Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
- May 28 – Starlight Amphitheatre – Kansas City, MO
- May 30 – The Factory – St. Louis, MO
- May 31 – Meadow Brook Amphitheatre – Rochester Hills, MI
- June 2 – Jacobs Pavilion – Cleveland, OH
- June 3 – Salt Shed – Chicago, IL
- June 5 – The Caverns Outdoor Amphitheater – Pelham, TN
- June 6 – KEMBA Live! Outdoor – Columbus, OH
- June 9 – Thompson’s Point – Portland, ME
- June 10 – Leader Bank Pavilion – Boston, MA
- June 12 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY
- June 13 – Stone Pony Summerstage – Asbury Park, NJ
- June 14 – All Good Now Festival – Columbia, MD
- June 16 – The AMP Ballantyne – Charlotte, NC
- June 17 – Firefly Distillery – North Charleston, SC
- June 19 – St. Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, FL
- June 20 – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park – Atlanta, GA
- June 22 – Walmart AMP – Rogers, AR
- June 23 – ACL Live at Moody Theatre – Austin, TX
- June 25 – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory – Irving, TX
- June 27 – Dillon Amphitheater – Dillon, CO
- June 28 – Dillon Amphitheater – Dillon, CO
- June 30 – Arizona Financial Theatre – Phoenix, AZ
- July 1 – Gallagher Square – San Diego, CA
- July 3 – Long Beach Amphitheater – Long Beach, CA
- July 4 – Meritage Resort & Spa – Napa, CA
