Ween Busts Out Three Songs At Riot Fest Denver For First Time Since Reuniting
By Scott Bernstein Sep 4, 2016 • 5:48 pm PDT
On Saturday, genre-defying band Ween played their 14th show since reuniting in February after a five-year breakup. The five-piece featuring founding members Gene Ween and Dean Ween along with bassist Dave Dreiwitz, drummer Claude Coleman Jr. and keyboardist Glenn McClelland headlined the Riot Stage at Denver’s National Western Complex as part of this year’s Riot Fest. Deaner is in charge of setlists and continues to mine Ween’s massive repertoire for gold as the quintet mixed classics with three songs they had yet to perform since they first reunited back in February approximately 15 miles away in Broomfield.
Ween opened with the La Cucaracha instrumental “Fiesta” and then took festivalgoers on an aural trip through their career by performing “Mister Would You Please Help My Pony?” off 1994’s Chocolate & Cheese, “Captain Fantasy” from 1991’s The Pod, “Licking The Palm For Guava” and “Mushroom Festival In Hell” off of their 1990 debut GodWeenSatan: The Oneness and “Ice Castles” from 2000’s White Pepper. “Captain Fantasy” had only been performed once prior over the course of Ween’s current reunion run. Up next was the deep cut, non-album shred-fest “The Final Alarm” and the evening’s only taste of 2003’s Quebec, “Happy Colored Marbles.”
A double dose of La Cucaracha followed in the form of “Your Party” and “Woman And Man.” The latter was last played by Ween on December 30, 2011 at Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium at their penultimate show before breaking up. From there, the five-piece dusted off “She’s Your Baby” for the first time since the February run in Broomfield and reeled off beloved classics “Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)” and “Homo Rainbow.” Hardcore connoisseurs of the brown must have been thrilled with what lied ahead as Ween busted out both “North Pappy Flappy” and “LMLYP.” The former is one of the ultimate Ween rarities as the band had only played “North Pappy Flappy” four previous times under their own name and twice (at the same show) under the Jimmy Wilson Group moniker with Chris Harford at The Saint in Asbury Park on April 28, 1999. Ween last performed “North Pappy Flappy” on July 12, 2000 – which was the only time it didn’t lead into “LMLYP.”
Speaking of “LMYLP,” aka “Let Me Lick Your Pussy,” the golden oldie from GodWeenSatan: The Oneness references Prince’s “Shockadelia” and “Alphabet Street” so it had been surprising the tune stayed on the shelf following The Purple One’s death. Last night’s performance of “LMLYP” was Ween’s first since Halloween ’10 in Broomfield and just the fifth in the past eight years. The set then came to a close with a series of songs that have been in heavy rotation since February: “The HIV Song,” “Buckingham Green” and “Ocean Man” as well as the first “Tender Situation” since February in Broomfield. Ween continues to focus on originals and with such a huge repertoire and just 14 shows under their belts since the end of 2011 why the hell not? It will be interesting to see if Gener, Deaner & Co. honor Prince at their next show which takes place in The Purple One’s home state of Minnesota on September 15.
Videos
Setlist (via BrownBase)
Set: Fiesta, Mister Would You Please Help My Pony?, Captain Fantasy, Licking the Palm For Guava> Mushroom Festival in Hell, Ice Castles> The Final Alarm, Happy Colored Marbles, Your Party, Woman and Man, She’s Your Baby, Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down), Homo Rainbow, North Pappy Flappy > LMLYP, The HIV Song, Buckingham Green, Tender Situation, Ocean Man
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