Ween Cast podcast

1:14:43

Artificial intelligence is evolving at an unprecedented pace—what does that mean for the future of technology, venture capital, business, and even our understanding of ourselves? Award-winning journalist and writer Anil Ananthaswamy joins us for our latest episode to discuss his latest book Why Machines Learn: The Elegant Math Behind Modern AI . Anil helps us explore the journey and many breakthroughs that have propelled machine learning from simple perceptrons to the sophisticated algorithms shaping today’s AI revolution, powering GPT and other models. The discussion aims to demystify some of the underlying math that powers modern machine learning to help everyone grasp this technology impacting our lives, even if your last math class was in high school. Anil walks us through the power of scaling laws, the shift from training to inference optimization, and the debate among AI’s pioneers about the road to AGI—should we be concerned, or are we still missing key pieces of the puzzle? The conversation also delves into AI’s philosophical implications—could understanding how machines learn help us better understand ourselves? And what challenges remain before AI systems can truly operate with agency? If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Sign up for our newsletter at techsurgepodcast.com for exclusive insights and updates on upcoming TechSurge Live Summits. Links: Read Why Machines Learn, Anil’s latest book on the math behind AI https://www.amazon.com/Why-Machines-Learn-Elegant-Behind/dp/0593185749 Learn more about Anil Ananthaswamy’s work and writing https://anilananthaswamy.com/ Watch Anil Ananthaswamy’s TED Talk on AI and intelligence https://www.ted.com/speakers/anil_ananthaswamy Discover the MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellowship that shaped Anil’s AI research https://ksj.mit.edu/ Understand the Perceptron, the foundation of neural networks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptron Read about the Perceptron Convergence Theorem and its significance https://www.nature.com/articles/323533a0…

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We are a podcast all about the rock band Ween!! We talk about all things Ween: we review concerts we've attended from our 25+ years of following the band, we discuss their albums, conduct interviews of fans, musicians and other special guests, and we'll cover basically anything else related to the band! If you love Ween, you'll love our podcast!

67 episodes

#Music #Weencast

Ween Cast explicit

updated a day ago

Series home•Feed•Pay the publisher

67 episodes

#Music #Weencast

Todos los episodios

1
Ep. 63: The Chris Harford Interview 1:04:42

1 day ago1:04:42

1:04:42

If you are a fan of the scene you are most likely going to come across this gentleman pretty soon upon hanging out for a bit, but unless you dive deep you won't know Chris. Talk about prolific, Chris Harford has been making amazing music since his high school days with no signs of stopping soon. Not only does he write, record and produce his own music, he also runs his own record label supporting other awesome independent artists and collaborators. You could keep digging into this guy's career all day and still not get to everything! For the sake of sanity, we stuck to a few points for this interview, and it will take us awhile to unpack all of these! We spoke with Chris about his early bands, including the cult favorite Three Colors , which he started in college with some fellow art students. The seminal album "Be Headed" that just happens to be the major label debut of some of our other musical friends being released in 1992. The independent record label "Soul Selects" that Chris and his friends started in the 80's and still run to this day. Living with Andrew Weiss and Sim Cain while the early Ween albums were being made, and Chris explains to everyone once and for all what the hell the "Zion House of Flesh" actually is!! Chris explains what it was like to be produced by Mickey and working on the Chocodog Records release of his record "Looking out for Number 6"; a true anomaly among the Chocodog and Schnitzel projects. We also talk about some of the really cool current projects that Chris has worked on within the last few years; like the Birdfeeder collaboration with Mark Mulcahy of Polaris and Miracle Legion . The very groovy instrumental record he made with the Philly based Jazz band Channel Collective , and his travels with Paul Muldoon and the rock-poetry group Rogue Oliphant. Please go to Soul Selects.com to see all of the available releases by the record label, and Chris Harford.com to download all of the catalog releases by Chris and his constantly evolving Band of Changes. Join us on Patreon.com for some more fun and exclusive material including the entire Chris interview where we discuss Chris' Dub project Blanc du Blanc, his thoughts on vinyl vs and download, and some other fun surprises! Also live is a new episode of Shane's Ween Vinyl featuring the Chris Album "Looking out for Number 6", its a cool mini-sode talking about the albums vinyl and some fun facts about the CD compared to the record. Thank You and Please enjoy!!!…

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Ep. 62: 4/28/2004, The Fraternal Order of Eagles Hall, Levittown, PA 43:07

13 weeks ago43:07

43:07

Ep. 62: 4/28/2004, The Fraternal Order of Eagles Hall, Levittown, PA Let’s turn the page to a new year for Ween as we discuss the first show played in 2004, and of course, it’s a banger. Coming off of a long touring year in 2003, the band had taken a few months off and is now gearing up for a long weekend, and later a busy Summer and Fall. So what could be better than a relatively small “warm up” show? A “warm up” show for charity, that’s what! The “FOE” or Fraternal Order of Eagles make a habit of doing such good deeds around the Fairless Hills and Levittown area, let’s team up. This show was a benefit to raise money for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. It feels good to give to a good cause, especially when Ween is involved! In addition to the ticket sales, there was also specific shirts made for the night, raffle tickets sold, and of course….BEER!! This is going to be sweet. The band is back to being tight as hell, and breaks out some sweet picks like “Captain”, “Reggaejunkiejew”, “Marble Tulip Juicy Tree”, and more! Grab your solo cup and join Shane and Rory for their discussion of the first Ween show of 04, and for a good cause! Enjoy!…

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Join Us for our Full Retrospective on Quebec and The Caesar Demos 0:45

23 weeks ago0:45

0:45

Well, so far this has turned out to be a rough year for Ween fans. But what do we do when times are bad? We do what we always do, we come together as a family. We would like to take you back to a time that was not so innocent either, but we know now that this part of the story was not the end, and although dark at the time, we can now see that there was light on the other side. Please join us for our full retrospective on Ween's brilliant album "Quebec" and the subsequent Caesar Demos. We hope you enjoy the episode, and no matter what happens we will always love listening to, and talking about music. Maximum love from both of us, Shane and Rory.…

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Ep. 61: Quebec and The Caesar Demos 1:35:23

23 weeks ago1:35:23

1:35:23

Well, its been over 20 years since the monumental 2nd to last Ween studio album launched into the heads of the unexpecting public. Songs from this record seem to keep popping up over the years since in some of the most unexpected places. Why? What is it about Quebec that keeps all of us heads coming back and screaming for after all these years? We dive into the time period, the songs, the credits, the live performances and stats, and of course, The Caesar Demos! This may be the only set of songs to accompany a studio release to come straight from the band. These included almost all of the songs from Quebec, plus a number of other amazing songs that made it into the Ween live show, and a few others that have latched onto the flam and have not let go. Please enjoy our full review and discussion of the Ween jewels that are Quebec, and the Caesar Demos.…

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Ep 60: 11/01/2003, Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY 57:10

47 weeks ago57:10

57:10

Wow, New York City, just like I pictured it.... skyscrapers, and ...everything. Thats right, the big apple, the city so nice... all that jazz. Ween brings the funk and the punk for what we are deeming "The Live In Chicago Tour" of Fall 2003. Just days before the three night stand when Live in Chicago was recorded, the shows of fall 2003 are underway. Believe it or not, this is the only time the band blazed the legendary Roseland Ballroom in the heart of Manhattan. Just months after the release of the album Quebec, the band is still breaking out some songs that have only been heard a few times since they debuted like "Hey There Fancy Pants", and a lesser known beauty; "The Argus". Plus, as we had discussed in some of our other episodes about shows from the year, the acoustic guitars get dusted off along with a country album song "Help me Scrape the Mucus off my Brain". As if that is not enough, did someone say Zeppelin? Oh yeah they did! This would be essentially the only time in the groups history that "All of my Love" is breathed into the universe. Join us as we discuss the show and the trip which also includes posters, spending time in the city searching for sites which should be there, and taking the old travel standby, the bus! Enjoy!…

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Ep 59: 08/09/2003, Penn's Landing Festival Pier, Philadelphia, PA. 1:09:20

1 year ago1:09:20

1:09:20

Welcome to another waltz down memory lane where yet again we return to the auspicious year 2003. 2003 was perhaps Ween’s most awesomely prolific year and the show we’re covering for this episode certainly did nothing but add to the legend. You see, we’re going back to August 8th and the Quebec tour finale at Festival Pier in Philadelphia. What a time to be alive! Let me set the scene. Quebec had just been released three days ago. Ween was in full tour mode, and were coming to Philadelphia for the first time in over three years. The theme of the evening was spontaneity, rarities and period pieces, and a little nuevo Ween mixed with some raw-dog Pure Guava action! At the last minute, Ween decided to open with an acoustic mini-set. It was amazing! They opened with a beautiful Birthday Boy , and also wooded out some really fresh and rare Chocolate Town and Tried and True . The wooden set wrapped up with one of the absolute highlights of the evening, a Joppa Road rendition with super clear guitar licks and a Deaner in fine form. Switching to full electric, the band then rocked through a batch of standards, leading into a fast and furious Voodoo Lady . In the midst of the revelry, Deaner busted a string, and then the monitors went out. But Ween would not be dismayed. Stepping aside from the planned setlist, they then broke into an impromptu cover of the great Doors tune Riders on the Storm , the 12th and last time they would ever play the tune. And oh boy, how about Glen? Maybe I’m amazed at the way I love you all the time! The evening had plenty of rock anthems, but didn’t shy away from the jams, with such tracks as Springtheme, Zoloft, one of the best versions of ReggaeJunkieJew ever, and a main set ending with Buenos Tardes Amigo . The show then wrapped up with another all-time highlight, If You Could Save Yourself (You’d Save Us All), which is a song they brought out in the early days of Quebec, but which has only been played twice since 2003. We say a whole ton more than that, so you really should just check out the podcast already! Thanks for listening!…

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Ep 58: 08/01/2003, Promowest Pavilion, Columbus, OH. 28:29

1 year ago28:29

28:29

Merry Christmas everyone! Not only are we dropping a regular episode, but also check us out over on Patreon for some exclusive shit that is also dropping extra-hot for the holidays! Time marches on, and we continue working our way through the banner year of 2003. We’d just left off with Ween’s Quebec tour opener in Pittsburgh, PA, at Club Laga, and now just a week later, we head west to Columbus, Ohio, for a romping show at the Promowest Pavilion. It was a hot first day of August, and Ween was dealt a raw hand: the AC had busted on their tour bus. In a stroke of fate, the bandmates apparently chose to deal with this turn of events by getting wasted on the way to Columbus, a long-ass drive in heat with no AC! By show time, it was no bueno. Ween is a mercurial band, and some evenings live on more in infamy. Join us as we recount this moment in Ween history, have a happy holiday and happy new year!…

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A Catty Christmas with Sean Faust! Sunday, December 10th 2023, John and Peters, New Hope, PA 3pm! 8:33

1 year ago8:33

8:33

Do you love cats and music? So do we! Join Sean Faust and Eddie Kamenitzer this Sunday, December 10th 2023 at John and Peters in New Hope, PA for the first ever "Catty Christmas"! Sean and the crew at J&P's are asking for cat food, litter, or toys to benefit the MeWow Cat Cafe in Doylestown, PA. ( https://mewow.cafe/ ) This is one of the coolest spots in the area for cats and they need your help! The cats prefer the taste of Purina Pro Plan cat food, a non-clumping litter, and of course any cat toys! The music will start at 3pm with full sets by Eddie and then Sean. Listen to hear how this cool event was planned and please show up for the cats this Christmas! Happy Holidays everyone!…

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Ep. 57; The 2023 Weencast Stunningly Staggering and Stupendous Summer Contest Results Episode 1:19:28

1 year ago1:19:28

1:19:28

Oh baby did we get some stories for this years contest!! From old school Ween shows to just a few weeks ago, we tasked the fans to tell us about their favorite show attended and why. We can't thank everyone who submitted their entries enough, as this has our best contest yet! Alas, only one can be crowned the winner and someone has my friends, someone has. The best story will receive an amazing handcrafted wooden cutting board emblazed with the mighty Boognish by West Brandywine Woodworks! Check them out on Etsy, Facebook and Instagram.…

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Ep 56: 07/25/2003, Club Laga, Pittsburgh, PA. 1:10:42

1 year ago1:10:42

1:10:42

Yinz redd up the car cuz’ we’re heading out to the Burgh for one heck of a show. It was the summer of 2003, and Ween descended upon The Steel City for their Quebec tour opener. And what a show it was! Ween had just wrapped up the All Request Live recording a few nights earlier, and they were ready to rock at their first and only show at the estimable Club Laga. From the first notes of Buckingham Green , through multiple jam-blocks that included songs as diverse as Spring Theme, ReggaeJunkieJew, Pandy Fackler, and Captain, and onto the final notes of LMLYP , this show had a little bit of everything, but was especially heavy on the jams. It also had a crowd that wouldn’t quit, and I’ve never seen so many people dancing on stage either before or since! Ween would end up playing more than 70 shows that year, but this has got to be one of the best. So check out the podcast and then give the show a listen!…

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Ep 55: 05/07/2003, The Pageant, St. Louis, MO. 50:05

2 years ago50:05

50:05

Welcome back listeners! Have we got an episode for you! It was the year 2003. Claude was back, Quebec was looming larger on the horizon, but still a few months away, and Ween was ready to rock! We’re taking you back in time, but also back to the Land of the Arch, and we’re not talking about McDonald’s! St. Louis, chicos! Twas the seventh of May, at The Pageant, and what a night it was! So join us as we head back in time and reminisce about an amazing show and cool moment in Ween history. Claude’s devastating accident, just months earlier in 2002, meant that nothing was certain, and nothing could be taken for granted. Ween embarked on this little spring tour with something to prove; that rock and roll would never die! It was a night where Aaron really came to rock on the guitar, and by the encore, with perhaps the most legendary Buenos Tardes Amigo ever, they proved that not only would rock never die, but that if it did, it would rise back from the grave and kill whoever killed it, with poison interlaced with the meat! Enjoy the episode, and don’t forget to submit an entry for our Stunningly Staggering and Stupendous Summer Contest! It’s easy. Just tell us about the best Ween live show you’ve ever attended. Email us, or drop us a line on the socials. Deadline is Labor Day! Results by the end of September! Be brown my friends!…

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Ep. 54: 6/30/2023 The Peach Music Festival, Scranton, PA 58:48

2 years ago58:48

58:48

Head north young men!! Well, not quite that far north... but yes, again!! Ween joins the lineup for the 11th annual Peach Music Festival at Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and yes, we had to be there. But wait a minute, a Jam band festival? Really? Does this mean the band has finally taken on the moniker of "Jam Band"? The anticipation was absolutely ridiculous leading up to this show. What would the band play? Would they finally just unleash the full power of Reggae Junkie Jew or LMYLP and slay all of the straights who may not be aware of the true power of the brown? Or perhaps the opposite? Not knowing who would be receptive to the music of a demon god, would the band play it safe and stick to a Tried and True path (pun intended)? In any case, being the headliner of Friday night of the Peach Festival is an honor. Ween wielded the reigns of the weekend along with the likes of Goose, Ziggy Marley, My Morning Jacket, Mike Gordon of Phish, and brother to the band, Les Claypool. Yeah, things were looking good for hippies of all walks of life. Go north with Weencast, leave your notions of what is and what is not a "jam band" at the door, and find out how Ween handled being in the driver's seat for Friday night. See if the Boognish could literally start a fire on this mountain. Don't forget to join in our summer contest!! Send us an audio recording telling us about attending your favorite Ween show and why. Was it the music? The friends? You tell us! Weencastpodcast@gmail.com . The winner will receive a one of a kind hand crafted Ween themed wood carving from West Brandywine Woodworks https://www.facebook.com/westbrandywinewoodworks/…

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Ep. 53: Claude's Accident and the Josh Freese Era 1:17:05

2 years ago1:17:05

1:17:05

Happy 4th of July Weencast listeners, and welcome to another episode. To celebrate Independence Day, we go back to 2002 one more time. We revisit 2002 one more time because that year wrapped up with a series of events that would end up playing a significant role with the band as well as the surrounding music scene for years to come. August 7th, 2002. A date that will live forevermore in infamy: the day of Claude’s devastating car accident. We recount that horrible day, as well as his path to recovery, and go into all the deets about the resulting cascade of events, a laundry list of the legendary, revolving around what we’ve come to call the Josh Freese Era. Consider such seminal events as Claude Aid at the Whiskey Bar in Hoboken, New Jersey, which was the last time Aaron and Mickey played as a duo with the DAT. And the short-lived residency of future Foo Fighters drummer Josh Freese, who replaced Claude for six shows, and who will forever be a part of Ween lore due to the celebrated job he did as stand-in drummer. He learned more than 50 Ween songs in a matter of days, and rocked them out like he knew them his entire life. The conversation goes on to the legendary two night stand at the Bowery Ballroom. These were the so called “Concerts for Claude,” where the dream of witnessing a “Ween” festival was finally realized with two nights that included not only Ween, but also acts from the family tree such as Chris Harford, Sound of Urchin, Chocolate Genius, Instant Death, and Sharief in Burgundy. Never before, and never since, have all the guys gotten together like this. To round it out, we also discuss the impact Claude’s accident would end up having on the Ween community writ large: how it led to a resurgence in such acts as the Moist Boyz, Sound of Urchin, Instant Death, and others. These were difficult but heady times indeed! So come check out the episode while you enjoy a beer at your 4th of July cookout or pool party. And when you’re done, come on over to Patreon for some amazing dessert because we got some great bonus material including interviews with fans who were there, as well as Tomato of Sound of Urchin, who played at Claude aid and the Concerts for Claude, and had quite the tales to tell.…

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Announcing The Stunningly Staggering and Stupendous 2023 Weencast Summer Contest!!! 0:57

2 years ago0:57

0:57

Happy Summer everyone!! We are kicking off the all new Stunningly Staggering and Stupendous 2023 Weencast Summer Contest! You have until Labor Day to tell us the story of the best live Ween show you have been to and why!! We're sure you can narrow it down to just one story right? You can record yourself on our Spotify for Podcasters page, or simply record a message and send it to us at weencastpodcast@gmail.com. Not only will you beat the heat by sending in your entry, you will have a chance to win an a beautiful woodcraft prize from West Brandywine Woodworks. They have made the prizes for our previous contests, and the work is second to none. All entries should be 5 minutes or less, and we will accept entries until Labor Day. We look forward to hearing your entry and enjoy!!…

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Ep. 52: 10/06/2002, John and Peter’s, New Hope, PA, Early and Late Shows. 1:08:31

2 years ago1:08:31

1:08:31

Welcome back listeners! Join us as we go back to the year 2002 to chat about a truly seminal moment of Ween history, the twin shows at John and Peter’s on October 6th, 2002, that served as a warm-up for the Concerts for Claude that ran the following two nights. Due to Claude’s terrible car accident on August 7th, just two months earlier, Ween decided to raise some money for his recovery. So they turned a two night stand at the Bowery Ballroom, that they already had booked, into the Concerts for Claude benefit shows. Needing a drummer, they brought in Josh Freese and taught him 50 songs in a matter of days. What can you say about Josh Freese? He’s a pretty legendary “drummer for hire” and has played with all kinds of acts, from Guns N’ Roses to Devo, just to name two. It turned out he was definitely up for the task, and Ween rocked out a couple of great shows! Well, I don’t want to say too much more, because you really should just just tune into our latest episode to hear all about it!…

Ween Cast

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Ep. 51: 12/11/2022, The Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD 55:24

2 years ago55:24

55:24

Once upon a time the demon god boognish predicted that in the Christmas season of 2022 Ween would play their 1,000th show. With a little help from Brownbase, the brown crowd spent the last few months making 1,000th show stickers, pins, shirts, and just about anything else they could think of to celebrate. Shortly after everyone got all of their stuff ready for a Brown Christmas Brownbase added some old shows to the overall show count making the technical 1,000th show already to have happened...oh well, its still fun that the band hit the milestone! Even if it wasn't the 1,000th show, the band took care of us for sure! This marks the second time that Ween lands at The Fillmore in Silver Spring Maryland, a small city suburb of Baltimore. The crowd nestled in nicely for a long winters show at this club for the last Ween show of the year. The band blazed through the set with just about perfect sound and banged out zingers like "Sweet Texas Fire", "Mononucleosis", "Vallejo", and after someone asked for a basket of chips, and for the first time in four years; "Polo Asado". Join us as we talk about the final Ween show of the year, the perfect precursor to the holiday season, and the "1,000th Show" celebration. Enjoy!…

Ween Cast

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Ep. 50 The 2022 Weencast Summer of Lovin’ Favorite Ween Album Fan Contest Results 52:51

2 years ago52:51

52:51

Welcome, Weencast listeners, to this year’s contest results show! This is our third annual summer contest, and we got tons of great entries. The contest this year was simple: tell us which Ween album is your favorite and why. It turns out there was quite a bit of dissension when it comes to choosing your favorite Ween album! Some contestants went with The Pod, others Quebec. The Mollusk got some love, as did All Request Live. We even had a shout out for Live in Chicago. All great albums of course, and all great entries; but there can be only one winner! Big thank you to all our contestants: Deana, Cody, Eli, Helen, Steven, Ernie, Adam, Joe, and Todd, Echo, and Ed. You guys all rock, and we wouldn’t have a podcast without fans like you! The winner gets some beautiful Boognish wood art from West Brandywine Woodworks. WBWW does some truly awesome work with wood, and you won’t be disappointed. We won’t spill the tea, so check out the episode to see who wins!…

Ween Cast

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Ep. 49: 06/11/2022, The Borgata Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ. 1:03:21

3 years ago1:03:21

1:03:21

New Jersey has a special place in the history of Ween. Hailing from just across the Delaware River, Ween basically got their start in Jersey, in now defunct but once iconic venues such as City Gardens in Trenton, and Court Tavern in New Brunswick. Before they were big, there was Jersey! Given this rich history, it might be surprising to learn that they hadn’t played in Jersey in 12 years. Damn, that’s a long time without Taylor Ham! But that all changed last month when Ween descended upon The Borgata in Atlantic City. Playing like they had house money, Ween rocked out yet another epic two-night stand. Weencast was there and we lived to tell the tale! The second night started off loud and proud with a rock block that included You Fucked Up, Nan, and The Grobe. Nothing too rare here, but it was pretty cool because this was only the eighth time You Fucked Up was used as a set opener. After a hard rocking opening, they eased into the show with some jammed out commons from Chocolate and Cheese like Can’t Put My Finger On It and Roses are Free . Nothing too fancy, but some sweet bait for the less initiated fans among us. Things started to really get brown when Ween laid out a trifecta of rarities: Oh My Dear (I Must Be Falling In Love), Stay Forever, and I Wuz Nuthin’. I think I’ve seen those live a grand total of 7 times, and in particular, Oh My Dear was played live for only the seventh time ever. It also featured Aaron with some superior solos on the guitar, and that is always a pleasure for sure! Much like the previous night, Ween played music from all across their discography. Unlike the previous night, this night featured two songs from the Friends EP. Classic tunes that just don’t get too much airtime, if you ask me. Light Me Up, and then a little bit later Got To Put The Hammer Down, showed that the Friends EP is a force to be reckoned with. And I can’t be stopped when I break out my dueling hammers dance for Got To Put The Hammer Down ! It’s smashing to say the least! It was still early in the evening, after they finished off a slow and sombrous Albino Sunburned Girl , when they laid down one of the absolute highlights of the evening: Beacon Light with a ferocious 3-minute Deaner solo. Jammy pacs were strapped on and we were gone! The evening was beginning to get a little late, when they once again blew our brains away with a trifecta of rarities: this time El Camino, Put The Coke On My Dick, and The Enabler. El Camino included some spontaneous Borgata related lyrics as well as a White Rabbit tease. Put The Coke On My Dick was hilarious, as you’ll hear about on our episode, because Claude had tons of family at the show and his moment to shine was all about coke and dicks and cocks. As he said, “It’s a living!” The Enabler is probably my favorite Ween cover and it is such an amazing and epic tune. I also love me some Dave, so it was a delight when he got to come up to mic. In the lead up to the end of the main set, we were then treated to another amazing highlight: Claude on an epic 7-minute drum interlude for Never Squeal on the Pusher . At one point, he even dropped his stick, but just kept going bongo style. Rock on Claude, you legend! Well, I don’t want to spill all the tea here because you should check out our episode! Saturday night was another big time throw down from Ween. Enjoy the episode and stay brown my friends!…

Ween Cast

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The 2022 Weencast Summer of Lovin’ Favorite Ween Album Fan Contest 2:18

3 years ago2:18

2:18

Hey everyone, we want you to tell us your stories! Tell us your favorite Ween album and why, and you can win a beautiful piece of Boognish emblazoned wood art by West Brandywine Woodworks. Drop us a message right here on Anchor, message us on Facebook or email us at weencastpodcast@gmail.com with an audio file. The deadline is September 22nd. Can't wait to hear from you!…

Ween Cast

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Ep. 48: 06/10/2022, The Borgata Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ. 50:44

3 years ago50:44

50:44

New Jersey has a special place in the history of Ween. Hailing from just across the Delaware River, Ween basically got their start in Jersey, in now defunct but once iconic venues such as City Gardens in Trenton, and Court Tavern in New Brunswick. Before they were big, there was Jersey! Given this rich history, it might be surprising to learn that they hadn’t played in Jersey in 12 years. Damn, that’s a long time without Taylor Ham! But that all changed last month when Ween descended upon The Borgata in Atlantic City. Playing like they had house money, Ween rocked out yet another epic two-night stand. Weencast was there and we lived to tell the tale! The first night started off a little slow, but next thing I knew, I was blasted off to space with rarities such as Get A Little Taste of You , Now I’m Freaking Out , and The Argus . With Z-Rock Hawaii in the house this early, I just knew shit was going to get even browner. And it did. Deaner shredded an absolutely intense Johnny on the Spot , and then I was treated to the double country delight of Japanese Cowboy followed by I Don’t Want To Leave You on the Farm . Gener, who was en fuego all weekend, then broke out the acoustic for a quartet of rarities, including my first ever Hey There Fancy Pants , and my second ever I’ll Miss You . My mind was basically already blown, and the show was only half over. Aaron put away the acoustic and after jamming out the fan favorite but common, Voodoo Lady , they proceeded to one of the top highlights of the evening, Bumblebee . This hard-rocking rarity has only been played 12 times, it was my first time hearing it live, and it hadn’t been played at all since 2001, when it was brought out one time only, for the live performance of God Ween Satan at John and Peter’s. Talk about Boognish bliss! A short while later, they raised the stakes once again, breaking out the ultra-rare, The Rift . The Rift has only been played live six times. Not only that, but Mickey invited guitar monster, The Reverend B’ill, to sit in on the song. Bill Fowler has been sitting in and otherwise jamming with Ween here and there since the early 90’s, and when he’s up there with Deaner, there’s some serious guitar god synergy going on. So this is a fantastic version of The Rift , and also the only time B’ill ever sat in on it live. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any browner, Deaner launched the band into Suckin The Blood From The Devil’s Dick . It was my virgin experience with the song, and it left me…shook. After a little Big Jilm , they then launched into the sweet one-two punch of Laura followed by Demon Sweat . Aaron really shined here, on Laura he did a little dueling guitars with Mickey, and then for Demon Sweat he plopped himself down on the piano. Both songs were awesome and rare, but it was especially freaking cool to see Gener taking things to another level and being totally in his element. Viva la Ween! Friday night was one for the record books. Enjoy the episode and stay brown my friends!…

Ween Cast

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Ep. 47: Amandla, The Claude Coleman Jr. Solo Project. 1:09:35

3 years ago1:09:35

1:09:35

There’s so much more to the Ween world than just Ween, and this episode is the first in a new series about all the various Ween side gigs and solo projects. To kick things off, we’re diving deep into Claude Coleman’s solo project Amandla. Claude got his start in music as a teenager back in the 80’s with a band called Skunk, and has played in a myriad of bands and projects, most famously as the drummer for Ween, but also in Eagles of Death Metal, Chocolate Genius, with Angelo Moore in Brand New Step, just to name a few. His drumming skills are near mythical, but what many don’t realize is that Claude is a multi-instrumentalist, and is nearly as comfortable on a guitar or bass as he is on his kit. He also is one helluva songwriter, and this is where this episode comes in! You see, Claude also has his own solo project, Amandla, where he literally IS the band. For Amandla, Claude does it all, with just a smattering of help from various musicians. For this episode, we talk about how Amandla got started, with songs written as far back as the late 80’s, to the “formation” of the band in ‘99, when Claude finally got access to a quality studio, as well as the impact his accident had on his solo work. We then talk about each of his three solo albums, Falling Along (2001), Full Catastrophe (2006), and the more recent Laughing Hearts (2018). Yes, there’s been some time between each one, but Claude puts a lot of work into Amandla, and the results are definitely worth listening to! I don’t want to say too much here because you really should listen to the episode! Enjoy! PS: We did a lot of research for this episode, and didn’t come up with all this shit on our own. Here are links to check out if you want to learn more: https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/24/nyregion/rocking-on-two-fronts-after-a-nearfatal-crash.html https://www.denverpost.com/2005/11/02/a-body-broken-a-spirit-intact/ https://www.ween.net/claude-coleman-jr.html http://www.stopsmilingonline.com/story_detail.php?id=757 https://www.drummersresource.com/claude-coleman-interview/ https://glidemagazine.com/110989/ween-drummer-claude-coleman-talks-breakup-more-in-ama/ https://glidemagazine.com/11714/amandla-the-songs-of-claude-coleman-jr/ https://www.whereyat.com/claude-coleman-jr-breaks-down-his-new-album…

Ween Cast

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Ep. 46: 04/27/2002, The Shryock Auditorium, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Ill. 49:03

3 years ago49:03

49:03

Join us as we go back to 2002 once again, this time dropping in on the bucolic scene of Southern Illinois University for an evening at the Shryock Auditorium. Carbondale, Illinois, bitches! Ween had played eight shows in nine days across the South and Midwest, and this was the finale, yet another tour de force from this era! Sometimes the trip can loom almost as large as the show itself. This was one of those times. The drive out was 13.5 hours for me, and more than 15.5 for Shane; a true overnighter complete with a sleep rotation. To this day, it remains our longest Ween road trip. Infamously, on the drive home, at our hotel, we got caught up in a massive tornado outbreak. We were fine, but nothing like the power going out mid-tornado warning, and not knowing what county you’re in. It really hit home the next day, when we found out that actual tornadoes had, in fact, torn through the area just miles from our hotel. But I digress: we’re here to talk about a show, aren’t we? And Ween came to rock. Despite a Chocolate and Cheese heavy evening with commons aplenty, the band’s musicianship was impeccable, and they dug into the vault just enough to content any true-hearted fan. Some highlights include a talk box infused jam in Voodoo Lady followed up immediately with Spring Theme , and Deez Nutz , which was the absolute highlight of the evening. For the uninitiated, Deez Nutz is a parody of the Guess Who’s hit These Eyes , where every mention of “eyes” is replaced with “nutz.” It features Claude’s falsetto on vocals, and has only been played live fifteen times, just once since 2003. They then brought the first set to a close with the super rare If You Could Save Yourself (You’d Save Us All) . The night closed with an epic encore that featured six songs, among them a cover of CSNY's Ohio , and a Tender Situation with Papa Gener taking a turn at guitar hero. The night had plenty of brown for sure! Check out the episode, yo!…

Ween Cast

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Ep. 44: 12/10/2021, The Metropolitan Opera House, Philadelphia, PA. 56:40

3 years ago56:40

56:40

Night #1. Our pandemic wait was finally over as Ween descended upon Philadelphia’s Metropolitan Opera House for a two-night stint. Join us as we relive two of the greatest Ween shows ever to grace this green Earth. It was amazeballs, so listen in for all the highlights of these two great evenings. When Ween comes to Philly, you know it’s going to be great. Hailing from New Hope, PA, Ween has always made Philadelphia its big city home. The crowds are usually full of fans who know the words, and if you know anything about Philly, it’s that when it comes to partying hard, these Jawns don’t play. Add on top of that, Ween’s infatuation with the recently reopened historic Philly Met, and you not only have a hometown crowd ready to burn the place down (relax people, it’s a metaphor!) but also a beautiful venue as the backdrop of your dreams. The theme of the weekend was two-fold: rarities galore and variety of the source material. Both of these were present in spades for the first night! I Wuz Nothin was about as rare as it got, and I barely even recognized it. But it was a sign of what was to come, as the rarities kept piling up. Mononucleosis, Stallion Part 1, I’ve Got To Put The Hammer Down, I Don’t Want To Leave You On The Farm, and Cornbread Red, to name just a few! Slather on top of that some absolutely shredded jams in songs like Frank and Pandy Fackler , and you really got a freakin’ fantastic night. In particular Frank was a pleasure because it featured Aaron pulling off a rare but beautiful solo of his own. It’s not often that Aaron truly jams on the guitar but he did that night, and he did on Frank . Beautiful! Night #1 was full of rarities, and Deaner and the rest of the band was in classic form. But little did we know they were just getting started, and that the second night would equal if not exceed the amazingness that was night #1. Stay tuned for our next episode as it covers the second night. Thanks for listening. Merry Christmas and may the brown be with you!…

Ween Cast

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Ep. 45: 12/11/2021, The Metropolitan Opera House, Philadelphia, PA. 55:44

3 years ago55:44

55:44

Night #2. Our pandemic wait was finally over as Ween descended upon Philadelphia’s Metropolitan Opera House for a two night stint. The first night was truly a night to remember, and we were doubly psyched for what might await us for night #2. Join us as we relive the second night of Ween’s two night stint at the Philly Met. The second night was yet another freaking fantastic evening by Ween. When Ween comes to Philly, you know it’s going to be great. Hailing from New Hope, PA, Ween has always made Philadelphia it’s big city home. The crowd’s are usually full of fans who know the words, and if you know anything about Philly, it’s that when it comes to partying hard, these Jawns don’t play. Add on top of that, Ween’s infatuation with the recently reopened historic Philly Met, and you not only have a hometown crowd ready to burn the place down (relax people, it’s a metaphor!) but also a beautiful venue as the backdrop of your dreams. The theme of the weekend was two-fold: rarities galore and variety of the source material. Both of these were present in spades for the second night! You want wild source material? How about Z Rock Hawaii’s Get A Little Taste Of You? We got more than a little taste of Ween, and it was fabulous! The second night featured plenty of old school rarities like Can You Taste The Waste ?, and Boing , which hadn’t been played live since 1994, before most young Ween fans were born. Springtheme was a delightfully mellow funk jam, and put me in a groove for the rest of the night. Ween gave us a little bit of everything night #2, from the wild, raunchy and exceptionally rare Sweet Texas Fire , to the philosophical Argus , and onward to the speed metal jam in I’ll Be Your Johnny on the Spot . Deaner game to rock, and as a rock god, he walked among us that night! Night #2 wrapped up with a couple country tunes to end both sets: Fluffy and then I’m Holding You . It was a great, mellow, way to end two long nights of rock. Fluffy featured an amazingly epic riff that you have to hear to believe, and I’m Holding You, was a call back to the country tour for me, and took me home with sweet songs for dreams. Thanks for listening. Merry Christmas and may the brown be with you!…

Ween Cast

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Ep. 43: 04/20/2002, Dana Auditorium, Guilford College, Greensboro, NC. 57:09

3 years ago57:09

57:09

Go back to college young man! It was the spring of 2002, and Ween had just embarked on a brief tour of the South and Midwest. After a three hour drive from Asheville, the first stop on the tour, they now found themselves at the quaint and quiet Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. But it didn’t stay quiet for long, once Ween took the stage! April 20th usually brings out the best from the band and fans alike, and on this evening, Ween was certainly rocking. This show was sprinkled with a few rarities, such as “I’m Dancing in the Show Tonight, “Don’t Laugh I Love You,” and “Albino Sunburned Girl,” as well as many of the standards, and then topped with some early renditions from the as yet unreleased Quebec , including a formative “Zoloft” and the oh so rare “If You Could Save Yourself (You’d Save Us All).” Then they wrapped things up with “Buenos Tardes Amigo,” which featured Aaron with a sweet solo of his own. But that’s just scratching the surface! Tune in for all the details and to see how the show stacks up against our previous April 20th experience at Rutgers!…

Ween Cast

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Ep. 42: 2021 Weencast Megatacular Fan Favorite Song Contest Results Show 45:32

3 years ago45:32

45:32

Over the summer we announced a fan favorite song contest, and now we're delivering on the results! It was tons of fun listening to all the fan tell stories about their favorite songs, each of which was actually a different song; nine in total. So many great and unique tales! Thank you Helen (Ween Lebowski), Geoffrey, Hot Shot Pony, Mark, Brain of the Playlist Wars Podcast, Fred Moore aka August Forming, Cody, Eli Schwab of Cosmic Lion Productions, and Kelsey, for your entries! Everyone had a cool story or reason behind their love of a particular song, but only one can be the winner! The winner receives some truly amazing Boognish Coasters from West Brandywine Wood Works. These guys do some seriously good wood work, from cutting boards and coasters to tables and refurnished park benches, so check them out yourself and mention Weencast in the order to get 21% off! Anyway, thanks again to all the fans for sharing their stories, we'll definitely have to do it again sometime. And I'm not gonna spill the tea; you gotta listen to the episode to hear who wins! Happy Thanksgiving everybody! May the brown be with you!…

Ween Cast

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Ep. 41: The Eli Schwab Interview. 1:08:17

3 years ago1:08:17

1:08:17

For this episode, we are thrilled and honored to have as our guest Eli Schwab. If you don’t know Eli, then you should start now. A 21st century renaissance man, Eli keeps busy with his Cosmic Lion Productions. CLP is a platform for his various ventures, from Monkelion (which, as he’ll tell you, “is the world’s only comic about an intergalactic afro-synth band on tour through the galaxy”) and the Weenzine, to his podcast Cosmic Lion Radio (among other podcast ventures). Eli has his hands in a lot of pots, and we were just happy to get him on the phone for a couple hours! First and foremost in the eyes of Ween fans, Eli is the man behind Don’t Get Too Close To My Fanzine (affectionately known in shorthand as the Weenzine), the most recent issue of which just came out earlier this year. If you haven’t seen the Weenzine, you totally have to check it out. Do yourself a favor and go to theweenzine.com because everything you need will be right there, and last I checked, there are still a few copies of the 2nd printing of issue #6 still available. Talk about brownness! Eli and all the contributors really knock it out of the park. Tons of amazing and original fan generated Ween content! And what impresses me the most is the quality of the printing. High quality paper, a rich color palette, professional layout, all combine to make Don’t Get Too Close To My Fanzine the envy of fanzines the world over. We talk a lot about the Weenzine, the origins, production process, and the community at its heart. The secret, I learn, of Eli’s success is not just his endless positive energy and ambition, but is perhaps more so how he threads community through all of his work. The Weenzine is like a culminating manifestation of the communal vision of the entire Ween Nation, and at the middle, stands Eli Schwab, directing and guiding this fancy into being. But we also talk about so much more. We dive deep into Eli’s time up in Vermont (he’s out in San Diego now), and he regales us with tales from his time working at Nectar’s as a short “Jewish security guard”, and attending shows at Higher Ground. Especially brown topics include attending a Sound of Urchin Halloween show at Nectar’s, and the first night of Ween at Higher Ground. Talk about legendary status! Among Eli’s other ventures, he’s been podcasting at Cosmic Lion Radio now for more than ten years! More or less, this makes Eli an OG podcaster, and so we chat about what he’s learned over all the years, and we also relive a few moments from all the amazing interviews he’s gotten over the years, including Kevin Eastman, of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fame! (oh wait the TMNT part of the chat is on the extended cut only available at Patreon.com/weencastpodcast, sorry). It was truly awesome to get to chat it up with Eli, and we hope you enjoy the conversation!…

Ween Cast

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Ep. 40: 08-21-2021, Surly Brewing Co. Minneapolis, MN, With Our Friend Cody. 47:47

3 years ago47:47

47:47

Ween is back, baby, and for this episode we’re covering the Surly Brewing Company show from August 21st. Although we couldn’t be there, our friend Cody made the trip, and we’re just tickled pink that he agreed to join us to discuss the show. Cody has been a fan of our podcast for a few years now, and in that time he’s shown himself to be quite a Weenhead, but also just a genuinely nice guy. When we heard he was going to the show, it was a no brainer to see if we could make this conversation happen. Now, what made this evening especially amazing is that it was Cody’s first show. He became a fan something like ten years ago, but through the hiatus, and then the pandemic, he had just not been able to get to see Ween until now. But man, what a trip he made. Hailing from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, it took him two flights and many many hours to get up to Minneapolis, for a weekend that he’ll not soon forget. I don’t want to say too much here, because you really should hear Cody himself talk about his first show. Besides the concert, we also chatted about Cody’s artwork; he’s committed to the old school, doing amazing work with paper and pencil. If you’re in Ween groups on Facebook, you’ll surely run into his work at some point. It’s brown to say the least. You should check his work out and give him some love, ‘cuz it is awesome! Shane and Cody also discuss their shared love of Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart, among other musical acts. Relive your first show by listening to Cody talking about his! Ween is back, baby, and it doesn’t get any better than this!…

Ween Cast

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Ep. 39: 04-19-2002, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville, NC. 48:57

4 years ago48:57

48:57

Join us as we head down to North Cackalacky for one heckuva rockin’ and a rompin’ tour opener! Way back when, April 19th, 2002, Ween descended upon the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville, NC, and we (well, at least one of us!) were there to tell the tale! And what a tale it was! From the first note in “Buckingham Green,” to the last note of “I Can’t Put My Finger On It,” Ween came to rock. This uptempo show featured a lot of jamming and rock and roll flare, hitting up such rarities as “Now I’m Freakin’ Out,” and “Never Squeal on the Pusher.” Did I say jamming? This show has you covered! “Voodoo Lady,” and “Rose are Free,” though standards, were jammed out like they were freshly pressed singles. And they practically brought the house down when they police siren-jammed “Johnny on the Spot,” right into “Don’t Sweat It.” And the drums on “Never Squeal on the Pusher?” Damn son, Claude was on fire! What can I say, the shit was real brown that night!…

Ween Cast

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Ep. 38: 03/21/2002, The Sterling Hotel, Allentown, PA. 58:35

4 years ago58:35