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

Ween Cast

Join us as we head back to 2002 and to the comfortable and historic confines of Allentown’s The Sterling Hotel. Built back in 1890, this beautiful exemplar of the Romanesque Revival style is on the national registry of historic places: fitting for such a badass show!

This show was memorable for a whole host of reasons. First off, it was one of three stand alone shows from early 2002, this one being the first full electric show of the Quebec era, featuring some really early and formative renditions of songs like “Zoloft,” “Someday,” and “If You Could Save Yourself (You’d Save Us All),” to name just a few. You get a real sense that Ween was here figuring out how to fit these songs into their already considerable pantheon.

Another reason this show is memorable is because even though it was heavy on music from the 5-piece era: the albums Chocolate and Cheese, The Mollusk, and White Pepper feature most prominently, this show nevertheless had tons, and I mean tons, of rarities in the mix! You’ve got 8 songs played fewer than 66 times, like “Flutes of the Chi,” “Don’t Laugh (I Love You),” or “Ooh Va Laa.” Early 2002 literally hit you over the head with new shit and rarities, and this show was no exception!

Now, to make a show memorable you would certainly start with a banging list of rarities, sprinkle several new releases like “Transdermal Celebration,” and then you might call it a night. And that would be a great show. But to make a show truly legendary, you might also want to throw down some extra guitar monster shit, and that’s just what this show does with a guest appearance by none other than The Reverend B’ill! He steps in for three tunes, and in particular, his help on “A Tear For Eddie” takes the song to a whole nother level!

To get all the details, check out the episode! Adiós gatos geniales!

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