Watch Ween Cover Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ For 1st Time Since 2003

Ween kicked off a two-night stand at The Met in Philadelphia on Friday night and added a pair of rarities to the setlist. The band busted out a cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain” for the first time since 2003, and also played “Mango Woman” for the first time in over five years.

While working up the intro to “Stay Forever,” elements of “Purple Rain” crept in, prompting guitarist Aaron “Gene Ween” Freeman to ask fellow guitarist Mickey “Dean Ween” Malchiondo if he was “feeling it?” After getting a positive response, Geener fully embraced the unexpected bust out, singing lead on the Prince classic that featured a blistering Deaner solo.

“Purple Rain” was last performed by Ween on July 29, 2003, at a concert in Prince’s hometown of Minneapolis. Following “Purple Rain,” Deaner said “let’s play the song we gonna play” which led to “Stay Forever.” Watch Ween’s first performance of “Purple Rain” in over 19 years below:

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Prior to the cover bust out, Friday’s concert at The Met saw the band perform their rarely played original “Mango Woman.” The brief, reggae-tinged song last appeared in a Ween setlist on March 17, 2017.

Friday’s “Mango Woman” was dedicated to Gener’s daughter, singer-songwriter Ashton Freeman. According to Brownbase.org, Friday’s performance was just the fifth known time “Mango Woman” has been performed by Ween, check it out here:

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Setlist (via BrownBase)

Set: Strap on That Jammy Pac, Piss Up a Rope, The Golden Eel, Mango Woman, Roses Are Free, Push th’ Little Daisies, Don’t Sweat It, Take Me Away, Tick, I Got to Put the Hammer Down, Beacon Light, Japanese Cowboy, Buckingham Green, The Final Alarm, It’s Gonna Be (Alright), Gabrielle, Touch My Tooter, Suckin’ Blood From the Devil’s Dick, Exactly Where I’m At, Mutilated Lips, Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down), With My Own Bare Hands, Frank, Purple Rain, Stay Forever, Polka Dot Tail, Pandy Fackler, Ocean Man, Vallejo

Encore: Homo Rainbow, Shamemaker, Your Party

Notes:

• Mango Woman dedicated to Ashton Freeman
• Roses Are Free with pumpkin lyrics
• Purple Rain was not on the written setlist and appears to have been played spontaneously

Source: JamBase.com