Primus’ John Hoffman Honored by Hometown as Primus Play Shreveport

Last night, July 29, Primus arrived in Shreveport, La.’s Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, a landmark stop on their Onward & Upward Tour in the old stomping grounds of new drummer John Hoffman. Since his ascent to the storied seat formerly held by Tim “Herb” Alexander in February, Hoffman has become a beloved icon of Primus’ passionate community, taking on the affectionate nickname “Hoffer” and shifting the oddball funk metal trio’s sound for a new chapter.

Before stepping into the spotlight, Hoffman received a unique honor from his hometown as Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux declared July 29 to be recognized as “John ‘Hoffer’ Hoffman Day.” The official document gifted to the drummer, who beat out a reported field of over 6,200 applicants and nine finalists in the Interstellar Drum Derby for the coveted position, urges “all music enthusiasts to join in celebrating John as the masterful drummer he is with his impeccable timing, dynamic energy, and deep musical intuition that have made him the rhythmic cornerstone of every band he has been part of.”

This powerful tribute and an enthusiastic hometown crowd supercharged Hoffman’s performance on Tuesday night, which was apparent from the moment he set off the show by leading the band into vigorous “Restin’ Bones.” Before accelerating through takes on “Bob’s Party Time Lounge,” “Shake Hands with Beef” and “Those Damn Blue-Collar Tweakers,” which featured the band’s “Crazy Train” tease and visual tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, Hoffman was hailed with testimony from bassist/vocalist Les Claypool.

“So I know you all know the whole story–583,000 drum submissions from all over the galaxy, and we chose your homeboy,” Claypool said, per JamBase. “Actually, we didn’t choose him… he worked his fucking ass off, because we didn’t think he was going to get the gig, to be honest with you. We thought for sure Gergő [Borlai] was gonna. But he just came in, and he’s a bad motherfucker and one of the nicest human beings I’ve met in a long time.”

Primus continued through staples like “Groundhog’s Day” and “Dirty Drowning Man,” plus a cover of Jerry Reed’s “Amos Moses” and tour debut of “The Seven,” before welcoming Hoffman’s brother “Machete Eddy” to the stage for “Too Many Puppies.” Eddy Hoffman, a local metal scene staple, stepped in alongside his older brother to add a second kit to the 1990 Frizzle Fry standout, then departed as Primus closed out their show with “Wlecome to this World,” “My Name is Mud,” “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver” and an encore of “Southbound Pachyderm.”

Primus will return to the stage tonight for a show at Dallas’ Bomb Factory, then continue on the road with six further stops through Aug. 8. Find tickets and more information here.

“It’s been interesting with Primus because there’s a lot of jamband elements, but there are also a lot of very specific parts that were recorded by different drummers, that people have been used to hearing in a specific way for decades.,” Hoffman shared in a recent profile for Relix. “So depending on the era and the song, there’s a different vibe and style in terms of the delivery of the music. So I’ve had to learn how to pay tribute to those other drummers while still being myself and, in the jamband sections, keeping my ears wide open to what’s happening next. Playing with Les [Claypool] and Larry [LaLonde], they are clearly extremely seasoned. So I’m doing my best to keep my mouth shut and my eyes and ears open—following them and learning how they do things by picking up on their little mannerisms.” Read more from Hoffman’s “The Core” interview here.