Ween played Terminal 5 in NYC (twice)

Ween @ Terminal 5, NYC – Dec 1, 2007 (CRED)

I visited the cavernous Terminal 5 for the first time on Friday 11/30/07 to check out the first of two ‘evening with’ Ween shows. I’ve been listening to Ween for ages and have most of their records, yet I’ve never managed to catch a single live show. Thankfully, my first live Ween experience couldn’t have been more fulfilling.

They played a solid 2 and a half hour set that was as diverse as the crowd that packed Terminal 5 to see them. From start to finish, I was dumbstruck at how good they were. One thing that truly captivated me was their ability to pull off these incredible extended jams without being too ‘jammy’ about it. I mean, I know these guys can play, but I never expected such powerful, cohesive jams. Dean Ween is an amazing guitarist – in both chops and taste. Drummer Claude Coleman repeatedly pulled off these fills that floored me – not only because of their technical merit, but in how tastefully and appropriately he was working them into the songs. (not bad for a guy who was nearly killed in a car wreck). Like this guy, I sort of prefer Ween ‘s country tunes – they tend to showcase not only their sense of humor, but also their extreme skills as musicians. Ween covered a lot of territory in 2 and a half hours (and reportedly 3 hours the second night), and I think causal fans and die hards alike all left the show pretty satisfied (even the drunk douche nozzle who felt the need to start a fight with me for no reason in the bathroom). -Klaus