Ween

Ween is an American rock band from New Hope, Pennsylvania, that was formed in 1984 by Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their respective stage names Gene Ween and Dean Ween, who are the band's sole constant members. Generally categorized as an alternative rock band, they are known for their irreverent, highly eclectic catalog of songs inspired by funk, psychedelia, soul, country, gospel, prog, R&B, heavy metal, and punk rock.

Ween self-released several cassette albums from their formation until 1989, after which they officially released three lo-fi albums: GodWeenSatan: The Oneness (1990), The Pod (1991), and Pure Guava (1992). For Pure Guava, the band signed with major label Elektra Records. The album spawned the single "Push th' Little Daisies", which was a chart hit in Australia and the United States. Under Elektra, the band released five professionally recorded albums: Chocolate and Cheese (1994), 12 Golden Country Greats (1996), The Mollusk (1997), and White Pepper (2000). They later returned to independent labels for the albums Quebec (2003) and La Cucaracha (2007). Freeman quit the band in 2012 citing a need to treat his alcohol and drug abuse. Ween reformed in late 2015 and toured extensively without plans to record new material, but later entered an indefinite hiatus in 2024 citing Melchiondo's mental health as a reason.

For their first decade, Ween performed live as a duo backed by a Digital Audio Tape with pre-recorded drum machine patterns. Chris Williams, better known by his stage name Mean Ween, occasionally joined on bass guitar. With the release of Chocolate and Cheese, they stopped playing with Williams and expanded to a four-piece for live performances, later adding a fifth member. Their live members include drummer Claude Coleman Jr., bassist Dave Dreiwitz, and keyboardist Glenn McClelland. Ween also collaborated extensively with Andrew Weiss, who joined the band as a bassist in 1989 and also produced five of their nine studio albums. Despite never receiving much mainstream recognition, Ween has developed a large, devoted cult following and garnered critical acclaim.