Primus playing The Joint

During the '90s alt-rock boom, Primus brought together a motley crew of fans: They were sufficiently hard-hitting for metal dudes, eccentric enough for the college music crowd and so instrumentally verbose that the jam band set embraced the band as well.

To wit, they were the only group to play Ozzfest, Lollapalooza and the H.O.R.D.E. tour.

Pairing singer/bassist Les Claypool's extraterrestrial playing and cartoon-character voice with malleable guitar lines and equally jazzy and proggy drumming, the band forged a sound like no other.

Last September, Primus released their first new album in 12 years, "Green Naugahyde," a record every bit as gloriously odd as this band's unlikely success.

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.