Ween Makes Their Triumphant Return to Dallas

Ween/South Side Ballroom/Dallas, Texas-Words Preston Light/ Photos-Andrew Sherman 3/25/2023

Ween returned triumphantly to Dallas last night after nearly six years since their 2017 Halloween spectacular. They took the stage at Southside Ballroom promptly at 8:15 to embark on what was to be a thirty-seven-song and three-hour-long journey through their entire discography. Starting with the crowd favorite “Buckingham Green,” it was clear the band came to make up for the COVID-canceled 2020 performance. The high octane performance’s energy would continue at a breakneck pace through the first smattering of songs until they went into “I Was Nothing,” and drummer Claude Coleman Jr. had to stop due to breaking a drum head. This was only five songs in. The crowd and band seemed to take this in stride and with laughter as they changed pace (and drumheads) to go into “Squelch The Weasel” from their first album GodWeenSatan: The Oneness. At about the one hour mark they went into the classic, and often covered, “Roses Are Free,” which got even the casual fans moving and grooving on the floor. Lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist Dean Ween and lead vocalist and occasional lead guitarist Gene Ween perfectly locked in for the dual soloing that only they can do best. After this, they jumped back and forth between pure psychedelic rock and their Golden Country Greats for a while. “Frank” into “Piss Up A Rope” or “Japanese Cowboy” into “Ice Castles” from their 2000 album White Pepper for instance. The groovy sound would continue through “Mutilated Lips” and a transcendent “It’s Gonna Be (Alright).” Finally, we were treated with a beautifully jammed out “A Tear For Eddie,” with Dean channeling his best Eddie Hazel.

The energy of the band the surely, near-capacity audience, would gradually pick back up as “The Stallion, Part 3” began. Gene would vacate the stage momentarily for Claude to lead the audience through “Put The Coke On My Dick.” Refreshed and ready to rock, Gene returned to set the controls to Motorhead as they powered through a blistering “Stroker Ace” and “Dr. Rock.” After taking some much needed deep breaths, Ween played the seventh and the final song for the night from The Mollusk, “The Argus.” The set would close thirty-four songs in with “Your Party.” Gene sang the lines “We had the best time at your party” with a smile so big you could see it from Reunion Tower. The encore walk off was the only brief part of the entire show, with Gene remarking to either the band or the audience, “Well, we still have a couple of minutes.” Before rip cording into the Pure Guava track “Touch My Tooter,”the riff heavy “I Can’t Put My Finger On It,” and lastly, for the evening with “New Hope”, Pennselanilya’s finest You Fucked Up as they just crossed the three-hour mark since they took the stage. All in all, a powerful night and one to remember for everybody there. Ween continues next to Houston and beyond on their 2023 Summer Tour.