Fans will no doubt pray to Boognish that this is some sort of sick joke, but after nearly 30 years of delivering some of the brownest music the world had ever heard, Ween frontman Aaron Freeman (aka Gene Ween) has announced the project has come to a close.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Freeman admitted that he's putting his alter ego to bed. "It's time to move on," he said. "I'm retiring Gene Ween."
Freeman, who started the outfit with Mickey Melchiondo (aka Dean Ween) in 1984, went on to say that the group had "a good run," but it seems that he's more in the mood to promote his recently released solo debut Marvelous Clouds. Judging by his comments, though, it seems the split wasn't an acrimonious one.
"For me it's a closed book," Freeman said of Ween. "In life sometimes, in the universe, you have to close some doors to have others open. There's no, 'Goddamn that such and such!' For me, I'd like to think it's a door I can close finally."
Ween's big breakthrough was 1992's Pure Guava, which featured the helium-huffing anti-hit "Push th' Little Daisies," though their career was spiked with other oddball highlights, like their C&W-styled 12 Golden Country Greats and the classic Chocolate and Cheese. Ween's final studio album was 2007's La Cucaracha.
So far Melchiondo has yet to comment on what very much looks like the end of Ween -- something many Vancouver fans feared after a disastrous show in the city last year.
For an in-depth history lesson on Ween, check out our previously published Timeline piece here.
UPDATE: As the AV Club points out, Melchiondo wrote on Ween's Facebook page that the breakup "is news to me, all I can say for now I guess." Ween's publicist also told the publication, "I actually don't have any further info at the moment but will alert you once I do."
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Freeman admitted that he's putting his alter ego to bed. "It's time to move on," he said. "I'm retiring Gene Ween."
Freeman, who started the outfit with Mickey Melchiondo (aka Dean Ween) in 1984, went on to say that the group had "a good run," but it seems that he's more in the mood to promote his recently released solo debut Marvelous Clouds. Judging by his comments, though, it seems the split wasn't an acrimonious one.
"For me it's a closed book," Freeman said of Ween. "In life sometimes, in the universe, you have to close some doors to have others open. There's no, 'Goddamn that such and such!' For me, I'd like to think it's a door I can close finally."
Ween's big breakthrough was 1992's Pure Guava, which featured the helium-huffing anti-hit "Push th' Little Daisies," though their career was spiked with other oddball highlights, like their C&W-styled 12 Golden Country Greats and the classic Chocolate and Cheese. Ween's final studio album was 2007's La Cucaracha.
So far Melchiondo has yet to comment on what very much looks like the end of Ween -- something many Vancouver fans feared after a disastrous show in the city last year.
For an in-depth history lesson on Ween, check out our previously published Timeline piece here.
UPDATE: As the AV Club points out, Melchiondo wrote on Ween's Facebook page that the breakup "is news to me, all I can say for now I guess." Ween's publicist also told the publication, "I actually don't have any further info at the moment but will alert you once I do."
