Nu metal band PRIMER 55 has announced its first shows in more than a decade.
Joining PRIMER 55‘s founding guitarist/vocalist Bobby Burns in the band’s current lineup are vocalist Donny “The DRP” Polinske, bassist Joshua Toomey and drummer Preston Nash.
PRIMER 55 will hit the road in October to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its debut album, 2000’s “Introduction To Mayhem”.
Burns comments: “I had to absolutely destroy myself once again for this to be able to happen. Excited about tomorrow(s) and new music.”
Nash states: “The time felt right to bring this music to the stage again, and to celebrate what Bobby and J-Sin created and to add a new chapter to the P55 legacy.”
Toomey says: “After almost losing Bobby with his health concerns, I couldn’t be happier to be announcing these shows. This is a celebration of the debut record and selfishly will be a great excuse to get in a room again with friends. I do wish J-Sin was here to see the rise in fandom of nu metal again and to see the younger fans of PRIMER 55.”
Polinske states: “J-Sin is and will forever be a legend in my mind. He is the voice of PRIMER 55. I will not be trying to take over his throne. I will be doing this because I love music and I promise you there is few people on this planet that run around a stage more than me and give it their all for the music. Energy times a million! If you don’t care to see the shows, I totally respect that. But if you come out, I guarantee you it will be a great time, and I would love to have a shot of whisky and a drink with ya! RUCKUS!”
Tour dates:
Oct. 09 – Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theater
Oct. 10 – Sauget, IL – Pops
Oct. 11 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
Oct. 13 – Oklahoma City, OK – 89th Collective
Oct. 14 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar
Oct. 15 – Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
Oct. 16 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada
PRIMER 55 was formed in 1997 in Memphis, Tennessee. Burns co-founded the band with vocalist Jason “J-Sin” Luttrell, who added a more hip-hop flavor to the mix. The two enlisted the help of friends Mike “Jr.” Christopher on bass and Josh McLane on drums. They soon gained an underground following from their intense live performances and the group was offered a contract with Island Def Jam. The band hit the ground running, touring with acts such as SLIPKNOT, STAIND and SEVENDUST, while also sharing stages with the likes of GODSMACK, P.O.D. and OZZY OSBOURNE as part of Ozzfest. The band ended up selling over 200,000 units combined of their albums.
Luttrell died in August 2018 after a long battle with hepatitis C. According to a GoFundMe page created in 2016 to help cover his medical fees, the vocalist contracted the virus from a blood transfusion when he was three years old after being struck by a car.
Luttrell sang for PRIMER 55 from 1997 to 2003 and appeared on the albums “Introduction To Mayhem” and “(The) New Release”. He also fronted PRIMER 55 when the band toured the U.S. as part of Ozzfest 2000.
“Jason was the voice of not only PRIMER 55, but as well as the voice of an era and a kind human being,” Toomey stated shortly after Luttrell‘s passing. “He had his troubles and vices but in the end will be missed by all.”
