Monday, November 12, 2007

NEWSFLASH! Rabid WEEN fan calls out the Evangenitals for "antic ripping"

I don't know how many of you frequent the Ween Forum but if you know me at all, you may know that I absolutely adore that friggin' band and they are a huge influence and inspiration to me. So you can imagine my combination of giddiness and utter despair when this forum post was brought to my attention:

"So, this band rips off WEEN'S stage antics... The band is the Evangenitals."


To be fair, I was totally doing an homage to Ween's "Painting the Town Brown" live album that night, which, if you don't know it, means that before and after every song I would say, "This song is ______, by the Evangenitals." Any serious Ween fan who listens to a lot of live albums and bootlegs would probably pick up on a number of shout-outs and nuances on my "stage antics" that are inspired by Deaner and Gener. Those boys are like icons in my mind that help me get through shows without having a panic attack. When in doubt, I simply pretend like I'm Gener prancing about in a Hawaiian shirt and his Las Vegas-worthy bravado helps me get through the night.

In the end, it seemed that the Ween Forum members, who are usually horrifically cutthroat, came out on the side of the Evangenitals... considering that Ween is a band who is known for the frequent homage, cover, rip off, and riffing on the styles of those who came before.

In other news, Ween's new album "La Cucaracha" has been on rotation in my iTunes with a horrific frequency lately. To be honest, I can't stop listening to it. That and Devendra Banhart's "Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon". The Devendra Banhart album is getting an average of 3 full plays per day, while Ween's La Cucaracha is coming in at an average of twice a day.

Banhart does have a bit of an advantage, though, as the album has a lot of super-mellow cuts which means I can keep playing "Smokey" late into the night in my apartment building without disturbing my neighbors. "With My Own Bare Hands" wouldn't go over so well at 3am... however, it has earned its place on my "if I were a stripper" playlist! It is filthy, fierce, and delightful. I love it.

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