Ween Into a Good Time

Written by: Anthony S. Buoni

Photos by: Paige Hudson from paperlovesink



20 April 2010



Complications arose while driving to Ween’s last Atlanta show. Hordes of spring breakers on exodus from Panama City Beach halted progress, forcing us to turtle among the gridlock as the show’s commencement neared. Worry that we would miss the band’s psychedelic music reverberated among us, but twenty minutes outside of the city, the traffic jam gave way, enabling us to haul ass downtown to the Tabernacle. With some skilled bedlam driving, we were just a little late getting there, but, thankfully, the line outside the club was not brutal.





Ween was already onstage, playing “Transdermal Celebration” under a large logo of the Boognish, a demon-god that appeared to Gene and Dean Ween in dreams and inspired them to make music during their New Hope, Pennsylvania days way back in 1984. Dean and Gene were tight as usual, looking as if they were simply having a great time playing their offbeat songs for appreciative fans. Some hippie-looking partiers danced along the edge of the crowd as multicolored balloons bounced around the old opera house’s main room. The vibrations were pleasant and peaceful as the band moved into numbers from their 12 Golden Country Greats and La Cucaracha albums such as “Piss up a Rope” and “Learnin’ to Love.” Ween, known for experimental grooves and gonzo drug humor, has the type of reputation where you either know every song or you have never heard of them. In this case, the audience were true fans, singing along with the music.






By the time they moved into “Buckingham Green” off Mollusk, an eerie calm and deep blue stage lights descended upon us attendees. The crowd stood transfixed as the hypnotic song slithered through our senses. The dancing hippies—no doubt lost in an uncountable number of intoxicants—swayed to Glenn McClelland’s synthesizers.





Dean and Gene exchanged a knowing glance, and they broke into a cover of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” sending the audience into frenzied bouncing. Bowie is always tricky to pull off, but they did it with ease, then adding to the crowd’s excitement by following up with Chocolate and Cheese’s “Voodoo Lady”. Hitting their stride, Gene pulled out a mandolin, leading the band into “Ocean Man,” the song featured during the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie’s closing credits. I noticed one audience member had his shaggy-haired son, no more than four years old, on his shoulders during this song.





Ween spent some time revisiting songs from their first record, GodWeenSatan: the Oneness before hitting harder numbers like “I’ll Be Your Jonny on the Spot.” Seeing them in this packed auditorium was testament to how far they have come and how happy the Boognish must be with their efforts. The first time I heard them was when MTV’s Bevis and Butthead chuckled during “Push th’ Little Daisies,” and when they played it, the crowd again went bananas. After “Roses are Free,” the band disappeared in the wings while we screamed and chanted for more. After a few excruciating moments, they returned with a cover of Neil Young’s “Ohio.” They closed with “L.M.L.Y.P.,” a clever acronym for “Let Me Lick Your Pussy.” After Gene disappeared offstage, our faithful cameraperson hopped onstage with Dean, Glenn, Dave Dreiwitz (bass) and drummer Claude Coleman, Jr., opening the floodgate for about 40 to 50 women, all following suite. The remaining band members played for ten more minutes before closing the set with a stage crawling with women and a happy audience.




Ween, among other things, is a different kind of act. They have fun playing their music, and they play it well. Their range from the poetic “Mollusk” and island soaked “Bananas and Blow” to the dark, sardonic “Spinal Meningitis” showcases this act’s talent to evolve and effortlessly shift genres, making sure there is something for everyone to leave with. The crowd's atmosphere (after seeing them three times over the years) has always proved pleasant, and a few drinks help set the trippy mood. Hell, even sober the band leaves you feeling like you stepped over to the other side, making their shows unique on the concert circuit. If you get a chance, check them out… just don’t forget your fun friends and an open mind.






—XXX—