Official Video: Dean Ween & Michael Hampton Play ‘Maggot Brain’

Last night Ween guitarist Mickey “Dean Ween” Melchiondo and Parliament-Funkadelic guitarist Michael Hampton appeared together during The Invitational Music Jam held at John And Peter’s in New Hope, Pennsylvania. The evening included a tribute performance of the Funkadelic classic “Maggot Brain.”

In a post on Facebook, Deaner explained the significance the title track to the acclaimed 1971 LP plays in his life and that the decision to perform it was to pay tribute to Jeff Rusnak who had just passed away. Rusnak’s Bird O’Pray Records label was an early supporter of Ween, responsible for releasing on tape many of their first recordings. Calling it “one of the highlights of my life, not just my musical life, my entire life,” here’s the full note written by Mickey:

There are things in life (if you’re as lucky and fortunate as I have been) that just don’t seem possible. Meeting and playing with Yoko and Sean, watching Neil Young from behind Crazy Horse play “Hey Hey My My”, touring and recording with the Meat Puppets, and then this. I’ve established a good friendship with Mike Hampton that grows every day–but I never cross the line and suggest that we play “Maggot Brain”. It’s just too powerful of a song and needed to be saved for a special occasion. Unfortunately this time that occasion was the death of our mutually close friend Jeff Rusnak yesterday. Michael called this one out—if you could transport me back in time to when I used to play along with Eddie Hazel’s famous recording of this, I would have never, ever, thought that I would end up on a stage playing it note for note next to Mike (and he was using my guitar, pedals and amplifier) and hearing this screaming from an amp behind me. I was in disbelief, total shock that my life would lead me to that moment. but here it is, in HD as well. If you haven’t been to an Invitational Jam you need to come immediately—-this was the greatest thing that was ever performed at John and Peter’s, ever–and one of the highlights of my life, not just my musical life, my entire life.

Official video footage of the performance was shared along with the above message, watch it here: