Ween at State Theatre on 8/1/06

By: Jen Paulson

Ween did something Tuesday most bands don’t do very often – they started on time (we were late). We walked in and tried to find our seats to the song, “Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down).”  It made the march upstairs a bit crazy, which seemed befitting. I had been a default Ween fan up until their show at the State Theatre; however, now I have truly been affected by them, and it has been brought about by the sheer experience of seeing them live. And what an experience it was; the house was packed, the crowd was ready to shake their asses, everything was a go.

Their set hit up a lot of their vast catalog of danceable, highly singable genre-crossing music. What I love about Ween is that their songs run the gambit from offensive to hilarious to heartbreaking and back again. This week’s show was a bit heavy on The Mollusk, which was the first album I really took notice of past my knowledge of their well-known almost-hit “Push Th’ Little Daisies.” Frankly I wish that song never existed, because then maybe more people could see them for what they are: Master craftsmen of lyrically clever and aurally sublime rock and roll. The most envious talent they have is crossing multiple genres and sounds. Gene Ween can sing like at least ten different people of his choosing, while Dean seems to specialize in things with a little more twang, and slays with his hunched-over bitchin’ guitar prowess.  Even though we were stuck in the back of the State, the vibe from the stage did transfer up to us.

Ween’s set was almost three hours long. My main gripe of the night was their odd tendency to wander off the stage for extended periods of time, and the lengthy jams during their absences. My short attention span wasn’t having any of it. For a first Ween outing, it was great (though I could also see how a fan with multiple shows under their belt might find it underwhelming).  Songs like “Ocean Man” united the venue in handclaps, while the one-two punch combo of “Bananas and Blow” followed up by a cover of Clapton’s “Cocaine” was just clever and cheesy enough for everyone to enjoy.

The band came back with a formidable encore, starting with the satisfying “Tried and True,” dedicated to Steve McClellan from First Avenue.  Though the encore was a little more low-key than I had expected, Ween finished off the evening with my personal show highlight, “Dr. Rock,” complete with over-the-top arena lighting and great backup vocals, which put the album version completely to shame.

Set List:

She Wanted To Leave
HIV
Spinal Meningitis
Now I'm Freaking Out
Light Me Up
Nan
Take Me Away
Transdermal Celebration
Even If You Don’t
Voodoo Lady
Did You See Me
Ice Castles
Eel
Baby Bitch
Waving My Dick In The Wind
Fat Lenny
Powder Blue
Johnny On The Spot
Buckingham Green
Mollusk
Ocean man
Sketches Of Winkle
Sorry Charlie
Pandy Fackler
Bananas & Blow
Cocaine
Gabrielle
Touch My Tooter

Encore:
Tried & True
Help Me Scrape The Mucus Off My Brain
Drifter In The Dark
Mutilated Lips
Squelch The Weasel
Dr Rock
Someday

Location Info: State Theatre
Artist Info: Ween

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