Ween

Ween is a rock duo from New Hope, Pennsylvania made up of Aaron Freeman ("Gene Ween") and Mickey Melchiondo ("Dean Ween"). The two school friends recorded a series of lo-fi cassette tapes that included the twisted, drug-fueled and eclectic songs that would become their trademark. They quickly gained a rabid underground following with the release of their first full-length albums and soon signed to the major label Elektra where they released Pure Guava; the single "Push Th' Little Daisies" even aired on MTV.

Chocolate and Cheese became their benchmark recording in 1994 and saw them start to hit their musical stride. They continued to release albums that defied the norm but garnered praise from critics who noted their uncanny ability to both satirize and tribute other artists while simultaneously composing quality original music. The tirelessly innovative pair reinvented themselves live with a full band setup that allowed their music to have a familiar rock uniformity on stage, instead of the genre-hopping and unpredictability of their recordings.

Fast Facts

1. Formed: 1984
2. Origin: New Hope, [[PA]
3. Aaron Freeman: "Gene Ween" (vocals, guitar)
4. Mickey Melchiondo: "Dean Ween" (guitar, vocals)
5. Record label: Chocodog

Live Band

1. Claude Coleman, Jr. (drums)
2. Dave Dreiwitz (bass)
3. Glenn McClelland (Keyboards)

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