by Marc Nelson.
Cain's Ballroom, Tulsa, OK, USA. November 12, 1997.
The Cain's is a small but historic venue in Tulsa that, along with the historic Brady Theater, has a lot of well-known acts coming through. I was really surprised that Primus would end up playing the Cain's and not the Brady, since the Brady is a much more suitable venue for a show like Primus. I showed up earlier in the day and watched the local crew unload the truck, and hung around for a bit to check out (from a distance) their gear. I wish I could have worked that show, it would have been a lot of hard work, but it would have been really cool.
Powerman 5000 put on an interesting show, I was really impressed with their approach on such a small stage. Limp Bizkit is also an excellent up-and-coming band, their show was really energetic, but we all knew why we were there. I didn't expect Primus to even come back to Tulsa after the outdoor show at Riverparks the year before and all the stupidity and projectiles. Those guys are dedicated and brave. I guess the turnout of Primus fans in Tulsa is not that bad afterall! The show rocked. I don't even remember what they opened or closed with, but being a bass player, I pushed my way through the mosh pit to get as close as possible to see what gear Les was using this time. It was two Mesa/Boogie Powerhouse cabs that were covered in brown glittery "tuck and roll" padding, like something out of the '60s. Les wore a dark blue t-shirt that said "Pimp" and had a picture of Bob Barker on it. The version of "Tommy the Cat" they did was very similar to the version that is on "Rhinoplasty," obviously, since it was only a couple of short months between the two shows. This time, the crowd was much more behaved in regards to throwing things. It only happened once, and when it did, Les got hit again, this time at the end of "Tommy the Cat." Ler may have been hit seconds before, but I don't know for sure. The pit was intense. When Les got hit, the band cut the set short and immediately headed off stage.
A few minutes went by and the crowd chilled down a little bit. Primus came back on and finished the show with much grandeur. I can only hope that Primus will come back to Tulsa again on their next route through this area, and that next time, no one will throw anything at them. I wouldn't want this town to be known as a place where people like Les and Gibby Haynes from the Butthole Surfers get pummeled by stupid, overzealous fans.