A void has been in the hearts of most Ween fans around the world for almost two years now. A huge subculture of fans has yearned to hear those tunes of this epic band only to be left with stories of them never uniting again. So for many Chicagoans, fans get their fix via a ripping cover band called The Pod. About 14 years ago, a friend of drummer Nick “Nepo” Nepomiachi was looking to book cover bands in the city. When Nick and the guys thought of who they would want to cover, they decided that the coolest cover band would have to be a tribute the the great WEEN. So The Pod was formed and really didn’t have too many gigs until about eight years ago. Since then, the band has had a residence at Lincoln Park’s, Tonic Room and has been drawing in die hard Ween fans on a regular basis. The band Nick Nepomiachi, Chris Harden, Matt Ginsberg, James Crane and John Sabal are amazing musicians whom all have other projects besides blasting the tunes of their favorite band. When The Pod plays, they bring the energy that Ween fans crave. So much so that members of Ween have given them praise in the past.
So Friday night fans piled into the Tonic Room to rock out. After four songs, to much surprise an all too familiar face took the stage. Mickey “Dean Ween” Melchiondo strapped on his guitar, tuned up and ripped right into “My Own Bare Hands”. The walls of the room shook like never before. It sounded more like an arena than a 100 max occupancy bar. Dean originally was planning on playing just a few tunes, but decided to sit in for the two set evening playing an amazing selection of Ween favorites. A very touching moment of the evening is when Deaner announced a song for his brother, “I Saw Gener Crying In His Sleep”.
I spoke with Nepomiachi and Harden about their experience and they both said that it was like a dream. They didn’t have too much insight on the status of Ween other than the obvious that Dean misses playing as it showed in Friday nights show. It was an epic moment for many. All Ween fans can do is wait, hoping that one day the news will come that the band will once again play. In the mean time, to get your fix, go to the Tonic Room in Lincoln Park and check out The Pod!!
