Oysterhead Returns With Dynamic Flair At Scranton’s Peach Festival (SHOW REVIEW)

Oysterhead returned to the stage last night for the first time since February 15, 2020, to deliver a rousing headlining set at the Peach Festival at Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 3rd. The much-heralded supergroup, consisting of bassist Les Claypool (Primus), guitarist Trey Anastasio (Phish), and drummer Stewart Copeland (The Police), tore through a nearly two-hour set that mostly focused on material from their lone 2001 studio effort The Grand Pecking Order.

Preceded by a remarkably impressive set from electro-rock upstarts Doom Flamingo, Oysterhead kicked things off shortly after 10pm with a dark & ambient jam featuring Anastasio’s signature guitar-loop that eventually led to the group’s eponymous track “Mr. Oysterhead.” Claypool then took to the mic to introduce the band as well as marvel at the capacity crowd (“Look at all these fuckin’ people” was a direct quote), before Anastasio led the group through “Oz Is Ever Floating.”

The set continued on with well-played renditions of Oysterhead classics such as “Rubberneck Lions”, “Little Faces”, & “The Grand Pecking Order” that all featured phenomenal dynamics & musicianship as Claypool & Anastasio would often find themselves huddled in front of Copeland’s drum kit as they focused on each other’s playing with laser-like precision & intensity.

“Polka Dot Rose”, which does a fine job of showcasing Claypool’s bouncy-yet-demonic low-end basslines was followed by “Army’s on Ecstasy” & “Shadow of a Man” before an explosive version of Anastasio’s instrumental powerhouse “First Tube.” Similar to the February 15, 2020 Oysterhead debut of this Phish-fan favorite, this version was driven by Copeland’s frenzied percussive work as he single-handedly propelled the band & audience alike through a series of dizzying peaks during the song’s outro jam. The set came to a triumphant close with “Owner of the World” before the band returned with an encore of “Pseudo Suicide.”