Les Claypool’s Duo De Twang @ The Sinclair, Boston
We’ve all done this at least once or twice in our lives: Sit by a campfire at night and kick back with a few beers, and somebody whips out a guitar and starts playing something and everybody sings along. You’re among friends, everybody’s having a good time, and it’s just an all-around good night.
That’s the atmosphere Duo De Twang is going for on this tour (right down to the faux campfire!), and by the end of their performance at the Sinclair this weekend it was pretty clear they’re succeeding beautifully.
Opening for the duo was a pair of another sort: the Reformed Whores, a vaudevillian comedy act that aims to brighten your day one ribald song at a time. Like southern belles raised like lumberjacks, Marie Cecile Anderson and Katy Frame sing dirty songs in angelic voices and play their lines off each other with perfect timing.
Playing selections from their debut CD Ladies Don’t Spit, every song is funnier than the next — just don’t take your kids to the show! You just can’t help being in a good mood by the time they walk off the stage.
Touring in support of Four Foot Shack, Les and long-time friend and guitarist Bryan Kehoe strummed out most of the album including “Buzzards Of Green Hill”, “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” and their twangified cover of the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive”. The guys were just relaxing and having a great time, joking around in between songs. During a long rambling rendition of “Pipe Line”, the Reformed Whores came out again to lend backvocal support and Les struck a conversation with a guy in the front row.
Turns out this guy plays bass, and Les invited him to take his place for a bit before coming back to finish the song. The duo finished strong with “Jerry Was A Race Car Driver” — and then we all left the Sinclair with a smile on our faces.