Ween

Ween
Founding members Dean and Gene Ween in 1997
Background information
Origin	New Hope, Pennsylvania, USA
Genres	Alternative rock, experimental rock, lo-fi, psychedelic rock
Years active	1984–2012, 2015-present
Labels	Elektra, Sire, Chocodog, Sanctuary, Rounder, Shimmy Disc, Schnitzel Records Ltd.
Associated acts	Moistboyz, Freeman, Z-Rock Hawaii, The Dean Ween Group, Gene Ween Band, The Jimmy Wilson Group, Skunk, Regressive Aid
Website	ween.com
Members	Gene Ween Dean Ween

Ween is an American alternative rock band formed in New Hope, Pennsylvania, in 1984 by childhood friends Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their respective stage names, Gene Ween and Dean Ween. After meeting in a middle-school typing class, the two began playing music and immediately chose the name Ween as well as their Ramones-inspired pseudonyms. Ween performed as a duo backed by a Digital Audio Tape for the band's first ten years of existence before expanding to a four- (and later five-) piece act. The band's highest charting single is "Push th' Little Daisies", which was a hit in the United States and Australia.

While Ween is generally categorized as an alternative rock band, they are known for their highly eclectic catalog of songs inspired by funk, soul, country, gospel, prog, R&B, heavy metal, punk rock, and more. Despite never receiving much mainstream recognition, Ween developed a large, devoted cult following. After a 28-year run, Freeman quit the band in 2012, citing the need to focus on his alcohol and drug addiction issues.

In November 2015, Ween announced a February 2016 reunion for three shows in Colorado, with later dates subsequently announced.

Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo met in a junior high school typing class in 1984. Freeman recalled, “We didn't like each other. He was a jock, and I was more of a trench-coat guy. But we sat next to each other in typing class and both realized we were into music.” The name Ween was a word made up by the duo, a combination of the words wuss and penis. Their earliest home recordings were drug fueled and free-spirited; Melchiondo would later say about this era, “the music was designed to be obnoxious”.