Gene Ween wasted in Vancouver (setlist)

Word has been in Ween circles that Gene Ween (born Aaron Freeman) has been sober or working on his sobriety for the past few years.   In the summer of 2009 an uncharacteristically rotund but jolly Freeman seemed to be at very least moderating (and likely off hard drugs) in a pitch perfect solo performance at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern that delivered fan favourites, replete with hackneyed but stylish acoustic guitar solos, all culminating with a slew of encores including rarities at the electric piano like Demon Sweat.

This summer at Ween's Toronto performance at Kool Haus on July 29th (the setlist can be found on this site) he seemed at a healthy hefty weight and his voice was perfectly able to cover all of the ranges their repertoire demands from mawkish squeal, heartfelt squish, to all out wail.  With the complete lock between his partner in crime Dean Ween (Mickey Melchiondo) and bandmates Dave Dreiwitz, Claude Coleman and particularly keyboard wizard Glen McLelland, Ween delivered one of their trademark epic sets pulling out all the stops including covers of Let's Dance (Bowie) and Ohio (Neil Young).

Now word comes of their recent hopefully humourously abominable performance in Vancouver at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (January 24th) where Gener was visibly wasted (mentally and physically), missing his cues, lyrics and generally unable to perform much to the consternation of his likely highly tolerant (to a definite point) bandmates.

The Vancouver Observer reports that shortly after Bananas and Blow "he began acting a bit strange.  He sat cross-legged on the stage as he sang."  Various accounts have Gener beginning to unravel- if not from the getgo- around Bananas and Blow, in the following tune (Buckingham Green) Gene flubbed the lyrics after Dean's solo (to his apparent visible consternation).  Sitting cross-legged seemed more comfortable than standing during Mutilated Lips which followed.  Freeman was at various points unable to tune a guitar and Dean in contempt turned down his amp while Gene wasn't looking taking the mantle for a tune from his solo repertoire In My Own Bare Hands.

Things seemed to go off (or on  as it were) the rails during Reggaejunkiejew with Gener lying down flat on his back and as the band made repeat attempts to exit the extended jam, with Freeman throwing in 'Jew!' insistently (the lyrics to the song - by Freeman who is notably of Judaic descent - admittedly are little more than 'Matzafari, Reggae Junkie Jew, Fuck You') ultimately chiding him musically with an instrumental rendition of The Carpenters Superstar.