Opening Night | Gene Ween Does Billy Joel

On Friday night Aaron Freeman, aka Gene Ween, played his first show under the Gener moniker since Ween broke up in 2012 at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, New York. Freeman presented his first “Gene Ween Does Billy Joel” performance in Woodstock which saw Gener reel off many of the Piano Man’s greatest hits backed by a six-piece band.

[Photo via FFEEMAN Facebook]

Ween and his band kicked off the evening with “Prelude”/”Angry Young Man” and delivered tight renditions, for the most part, of Billy Joel’s most beloved material. Highlights included a powerful “Captain Jack,” the tender “She’s Always A Woman,” a fun romp through “Big Shot” and set-closing “Piano Man.” Though Gener struggled with some of the lyrics in “The Stranger,” he had fun with the miscue inserting “fucking up, I’m fuckin’ on up” before picking up where he left off. The evening came to a close with a three-song encore of “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” > “It’s Still Rock & Roll” > “Only The Good Die Young.”

Gener’s band for the evening featured Sean Brierty on guitar, Will Bryant on keys, multi-instrumentalists Zach Djanikian and Peter Dougan as well as drummer Dan Hickey and bassist Paul Green. Next up for Gene Ween Does Billy Joel are two shows at Brooklyn Bowl in NYC (May 28 & 31) and a visit to Philadelphia’s Underground Arts (May 29).

Full Show Audio

Video (via 420on420)

Setlist

Prelude/Angry Young Man > Pressure, Moving Out (Anthony’s Song) > My Life, Captain Jack, You May Be Right, She’s Always A Woman > The Stranger, Don’t Ask Me Why, Sometimes A Fantasy, The Ballad Of Billy The Kid, Just The Way You Are > Big Shot, Piano Man

Encore: Scenes From An Italian Restaurant > It’s Still Rock & Roll > Only The Good Die Young