FIESTA

On Friday, November 30th and Saturday, December 1st I was fortunate enough to witness Ween's triumphant return to NYC. Even if Terminal 5 is not the best venue in NYC, little could get in the way of the party that ensued when Aaron and Mickey (and Claude and Dave and Glenn) strapped on their jammy pacs. There was moshing, midget security guards, drunk girls grinding, abnormally tall guys in silly hats, the persistent smell of dirt weed, trippy lights, and of course, a theremin.

Though I caught a Dean Ween solo show in March of this year, Ween had not played in NYC since the Quebec Tour in November of 2003 (my introduction to their incredible live show). Having not seen them in four years it was satisfying to see the band playing as well as they were. All star music critic from the NY Times, Kelefa Sanneh, agreed.

Ween's mix of funk, punk, country, reggae, prog rock, R&B as well as genres unnamed, makes them hard to pigeonhole. Recently, The New Yorker called them The 'Coen Brothers of rock and roll'. Whatever it was they played on their two night stint though, it was played well and it was damn fun...

Friday Setlist:

Exactly where I'm at

She wanted to leave

Aids

Golden eel

Baby bitch

Piss up rope

Voodoo lady

Your party

Light me up

Waving my dick in wind

Touch my rooter

Even if you don't

Your just a object to me

Beacon light

Mr richard smoker

Zoloft

Johnny on the spot

Pony

Stallion pt. 5

Puerto rican

power

You fucked up

Tender situation

Mollusk

Panady fackler

Put the hammer down

Ocean man

Reggaejunkiejew

Someday

Encore:

Jammy pack

Fiesta

Booze me up & get me high

Blarney stone

Saturday Setlist:

Fiesta

Take me away

transdermal celebration

nan

Bannans and blow

learin' to love

spinal meningitis

happy colored marbles

my own barehands

buckingham green

mutilated lips

Acoustic set:

tried & true

birthday boy

help me wipe the mucas...

i don't want it

electric:

Roses are free

push the l'il daisies

sorry charlie

woman and man

stroker ace

dr rock

lullaby

powder blue

papa zit

Gabrielle

frank

big jilm

fat lenny

Encore:

never squeal (w/ Claude drums solo)

fiesta reprise

Barely repeating a tune across 2 two and half hour plus shows, and over 60 songs, Ween's virtuosity shined. They are a band like no other with a passionate, albeit strange audience. As as we left the show on Saturday night a crowd had formed on the corner of 11th Avenue and 56th Street. Approaching the mass, I noticed balloons and people laughing hysterically. It was a nitrous party, and it was the first time Id seen one in close to ten years.

I just hope I dont have to wait another four years to see Ween again.