Ween Returns For 1st Show In 18 Months

Ween returned to the stage on Saturday at Surly Brewing Company in Minneapolis. The band delivered a 28-song, nearly career-spanning set for their first show since February 15, 2020.

Ween took the stage to raucous applause with guitarist Aaron Freeman (Gene Ween) greeting the audience, “Wow…Welcome back everybody. Damn! Really good to see you guys.” Guitarist Mickey Melchiondo (Dean Ween) then counted into “The HIV Song.” The band ran through the tune before Gener led the way on a pair of songs from the Ween’s landmark 1997 marine-themed concept album The Mollusk in “The Golden Eel,” followed by some Gene and Dean banter, and “Polka Dot Tail,” which featured some crunchy guitar work from Deaner who then led the way on 12 Golden County Greats favorite “Piss Up A Rope.” Keyboardist Glenn McClelland punctuated the song with a rollicking piano.

Next, Freeman put down his guitar for “Nan,” “Touch My Tooter” and “Transdermal Celebration” before busting out the bullhorn on “The Stallion Pt. 1.” Melchiondo then said “We’re taking requests, ‘Birthday Boy’ it is.” Freeman shouldered his guitar for one of his signature songs. “That was beautiful,” Deaner said at the song’s conclusion. A bevy of classics would follow kicking off with “Voodoo Lady,” which saw drummer Claude Coleman Jr. working the toms as bassist Dave Dreiwitz rolled the bass and Deaner reeled off a spicy solo. The Pod’s “Frank” then prefaced “The Mollusk,” which saw Dave joining Gener on vocals. “Mutilated Lips” and “Roses Are Free” followed. After “She Fucks Me,” the breezy “Zoloft” came ahead of two rockers in “Take Me Away” and “Stroker Ace,” which featured more bullhorn action.

The bouncy “Boys Club” and the psychedelic “Buckingham Green” came next ahead of the unreleased fave “Final Alarm.” The medieval “The Argus” followed ahead of the classic “Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down).” Up next, “Albino Sunburned Girl,” “Sorry Charlie” and the always sultry “Your Party.” “She Wanted To Leave” counted as the penultimate song of the set before Ween bookended their return with “The HIV Song.”

Watch fan-shot video of nearly the whole show below via The Stallion Mang:

Ween is set to hit the Summer Camp stage today.