Artist bio

Any goofball with a few guitar lessons under his belt and a few more bong hits in his lungs can blather away into a four-track, but it’d be next to impossible to equal the fucked-up genius that is Ween.

With their twisted sense of humor (borderline offensive songs about AIDS, homosexuals, and the mentally ill are the norm) and ability to seemingly master any genre of music (hard rock, country & western, psychedelic pop), Aaron “Gene Ween” Freeman and Mickey “Dean Ween” Melchiondo have carved out a singularly amusing career over the past 15 years. Crude, narcotics-addled early albums such as 1990’s God Ween Satan and 1991’s The Pod set the table with songs that ranged from alternate-universe masterworks or listener-baiting mindfucks (the latter’s “Pollo Asado” is the band ordering a meal from a Mexican restaurant). Ween somehow got signed to Elektra in time for 1992’s Pure Guava, highlighted by the insanity inducing “Little Birdy” and the helium-voiced “Push Th' Little Daisies.”

From there, it was one triumph after another: 1994’s pop/soul plate of Chocolate And Cheese, 1996’s straight-up Nashville romp 12 Golden Country Greats, 1997’s nautical-themed, pomp rock powerhouse The Mollusk, and 2000’s mature but masterful White Pepper, the group’s final Elektra album. Ween is also a notoriously must-see live act, a fact documented by 1999’s double-disc Paintin’ The Town Brown and a series of self-released concert sets.

Albums by this artist

Quebec (2003)

Live In Toronto Canada (2001)

White Pepper (2000)

Paintin' The Town Brown (1999)

The Mollusk (Recommended) (1997)

Chocolate And Cheese (1994)

The Pod (Recommended) (1991)

Concerts

May 12, 2000
The Riviera, Chicago, Ill.

Interviews

Ween Wonderland
August 25, 2003

White Pepper Time!
September 1, 2000

Ween

The Riviera, Chicago, Ill. (May 12, 2000)

---

» TROY CARPENTER | CO-DIRECTOR

Ween The Riviera, Chicago, Ill. May 12, 2000

The brothers Ween and their trusty band made good on their promise of pure entertainment in front of a large, excited crowd at Chicago's Riviera Friday night.

"It's Friday night! Alright!" yelled singer/guitarist Gene Ween, in an attempt to get a growing crowd to show some enthusiasm in the early going. But the band started at 7:30, and many of the audience probably assumed there was an opening act, as many didn't show up 'til the show was well underway.

This was OK, of course, because Ween ended up playing for three full hours, and gracing us with a set list no shorter than 33 songs. The rock was brought to all, and a giant poster of Boognish (Ween's patron saint) presided joyously over the proceedings from behind the stage.

There were times during the course of the show when I literally felt bad for knowing -- and singing along to -- the lyrics, which occasionally cover such distasteful subjects as "Spinal Meningitis," a pet pony with a "fucked-up lung," and of course the unmentionable "Reggaejunkiejew."

But overall, the pure rock power of the show could not be denied. Ween has a new album out, but this was not any scant promotional show. Ween brought songs from all of their varied six albums to the table, running the gamut from country bar tunes to seafaring waltzes to bone-crushing metal.

The closer of the regular set was an extended version of the Mexican murder drama "Buenos Tardes Amigos," and its grandeur was only exceeded by that of the astounding closer "Let Me Lick Your Pussy." Introduced by two Prince covers, the song stretched on for eons, seducing all in the crowd and providing a forum for solos by all the band members.

By the end, band and audience alike were exhausted and wished each other good tidings until we meet again. Hopefully that will be soon.

TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.