Kool Haus in Toronto, Ontario
July 29, 2010
Photos and Review by: Pete Nema
Ween is music that I listen to only by myself (pretty much), so I'll admit that I had no idea how packed the Kool Haus was going to be for their show. The answer? Very.
Ween attracts an odd selection of people, a group that mostly belong together due to their differences from the norm. I suppose, in a way, that's how I fit in as well, although a few in-crowd experiences left me with a very specific Sloan lyric running through my head (if you're not sure what I'm referring to, search for the lyrics to "Coax Me").
With more than 20 years of creating full-length albums behind them, they had a wealth of songs to select from for their set list. The result? Either Ween has trouble editing down a list, or they like to test the endurance of their fans. Actually, it's probably just that they enjoying playing so much that they stretch it out as long as they the venue will allow them. There was no opening band, and no need for one given that Ween was willing to slug it out for 3 hours on stage.
Starting out the night with the instrumental "Fiesta" from their 2007 album La Cucaracha, we were a whole song in before Gene Ween (vocals, guitar) hit the stage to join his soul brother Dean Ween (guitar). With the two of them present, they reached back to 1994 for a rendition of "Take Me Away." Surprisingly, to me anyway, the third song "Mister Richard Smoker" came from their 1996 oddity 12 Golden Country Greats, an album that stands out from the rest of their work with its mock-country music and lyrics. We were also fortunate to hear "Piss Up A Rope" from the same album later in the set; it was hilarious to hear so many fans singing along to that one. In total, the set list contained about 27 songs, spanning their entire career, and included a number of early-set highlights including those previously mentioned as well as "Gabrielle" and "Transdermal Celebration."
In addition to their own material, the lengthy run of songs was divided into two by an eccentric cover of David Bowie's 1983 songs "Let's Dance". I can't think of any specific reason why Ween chose to cover that song, but then again, attempting to put reason to anything Ween does is most likely a futile activity. And despite the fact that the band proved they have more stamina that I do, it was excellent to get to see this band and their scattered fans come together in a single room.
