If you’ve spent any time at our pub, you probably have an inkling as to the influence the band Ween has had on our company. On the surface, it is obvious that the inspiration for many of our menu items stem from Ween’s various albums. Those who were able to attend our 10th Anniversary Party this past April surely remember original Ween member, Dean Ween (Mickey Melchiondo) backed by Ween cover band, The Brownouts rocking out in downtown Bellaire. It was a night not to be forgotten, that’s for sure.
But where did this company wide fascination with Ween originate? With our fearless leader, Joe Short, of course! In preparation for the upcoming Dean Ween & The Brownouts Concerts at the Pub (on December 19th and December 20th, 2014), Joe took a moment to share with staff the significance of these concerts…and now we share it with you!
The Dean Ween & the Brownouts concert at the Pub is important to me because……..
I’m a Ween fan.
I discovered Ween when I was in my late teens, shortly after I realized my affinity for craft beer. Ween was one of those bands who I felt I had a real connection to. They were weird, talented, dynamic, and covered a wide range of music. They are an awesome rock band, but cover harder stuff, love songs, kids songs, country and good ol’ fashioned weird shit. I really identify with their music because it’s different, but all pretty awesome – kind of like Short’s.
Ween has shaped a lot of my taste in music. Some songs and some albums I never tire of. When listening to one of those Ween songs that require me to sing along out loud (and play air guitar) while I’m driving, working on my computer, making beer or feeding the boys dinner – it changes the tone of my day. It makes me happy, curious and inspired. I ask myself a lot of questions like “how’d they figure that out? What was going on in their life that caused them to write that? What the hell is the Argus? What interested them in music? What inspires them? What do they do in their spare time?” Having a daily dose of Ween is just as important as my morning cup of coffee or my afternoon IPA. I love the band Ween.
I saw every Ween concert with Leah and that’s a bond anyone would want to share with their spouse.
In 2005 we set out for a 3 show road trip out east and it covered New York, DC and New Jersey. Being able to experience a live Ween show for the first time just exacerbated my creepsterness superfandom. I was truly enamored and in disbelief that I was able to see them in person, up close in such a small venue in New York – post the White Pepper album. It was truly amazing and I will always cherish that I was able to share that experience with Leah. That adventure sunk a long lasting Ween inspired root structure into the young Short’s Brewing Company. It also shaped a bond between Leah and I as Ween fans and now as a married couple with two boys who also love Ween.
On our way back to Michigan from a Ween concert oh so many years ago, Leah and I created the first Ween menu.
It seems that Ween has been with us every step of the way as we began to figure out how to make Short’s a viable career path.
I made the best beer of my career in the basement at the Pub.
Those were truly some of my happiest times as a brewer. I loved cranking out to any and all Ween I could get my hands on and turn it up loud. I loved trying to keep pace with Gene Ween as he belted out the high and low notes as I would turn valves, add hops, pull spent grain and enjoy my shifty after an epic day in the brewery. Happy brewers make good beer, so in a sense, Ween has contributed to the quality and creativity of our products.
I wanna be Deaner’s BFF.
Yeah that’s right. Who can say that one of their all-time musical heroes is one of their friends. When Tyler, Forrest and I got to go on a charter fishing trip on the Arch Angel with Mickey Melchiondo (Dean Ween) in the fall of 2013 – we laid the foundation for a future together. Mickey agreed to play our 10 year Anniversary Party and just as much as that show blew our minds – we blew his. I want Mickey to come back and see us in a different capacity. I want him to experience us in the “non 10 year Anniversary Party mode.” I want him to see what Ween has helped create over the last 10 years. I want him to meet you – the people of Short’s, who are truly the best product that Short’s has to offer. I want Dean Ween to order off the greatest Hits Menu and order a beer at the bar.
Because the pub stage is a symbol of what thinking big is all about.
Ten years ago my vision was for that stage to bring people into the sleepy community of Bellaire and “wake it up!” It has. Having Deaner stand and play on that stage just seals the deal.
I want Simon and Elmer to meet Dean Ween.
They have big dreams to be rockstars. Simon told me yesterday that he’s going to be better than the Black Keys. He asks me all the time when we’re listening to music, “Is that Dean Ween?” I’m really looking forward to introducing him to Mickey when we do the podcast interview on December 20th. Hopefully, he can stay awake long enough to see Deaner play at the pub.
This is going to be a special show. It’s important to me, because I believe life is short and having dreams and seeing them to fruition is truly what life’s work is all about. Working with people like you, running a brewery, having a family, and seeing Dean Ween perform live at the pub is my dream come true. The next big dream is to get Ween back together and have the reunion tour kick off at the pub. I think we can do it.
– Joe Short
So there you have it, straight from Joe Short himself! For a look back at Dean Ween’s first venture to Bellaire, listen to our Short’s Cast episode Anniversaries, Aliens and Dean Ween. These concerts are hugely significant to our company and we’re looking forward to sharing them with all of you. Be sure to mark your calendar as tickets go on sale on Monday at 9 am, December 1st, 2014 and are expected to sell out.
