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904:, December 6, 2011. Accessed February 9, 2023. "We spent some time this week with co-founder and lead vocalist Gene Ween (a.k.a. Aaron Freeman) of alternative rock band Ween at their New Hope headquarters, God Save the Qweens, 13 W. Mechanic St.... The Gener works from his Lambertville studio/home, and will be playing with Wheezer in January and releasing a new recording with Ben Vaughn in March."
322:), started the group in the mid-1980s. Ween would expand to five members and perform together until May 2012 when Freeman abruptly quit the band due to his want to move forward with a solo career, as well as his desire to remain sober. Over the next few years, Freeman would briefly abandon the Gene Ween name and lead a new five-piece band called
356:, where they both grew up. Both of them talked about bands they liked and playing their own music. Soon, they hung out and began jamming, recording most of what they put together. Ween's music slowly progressed from a bedroom-style recording project, eventually signing to a major record label and transforming into a full live band.
430:
At the end of the day, people know Gene Ween. It's not anything I should be ashamed of...I was really having an identity crisis and that happens – just what you said – so it's important to separate those things. You get lost in who you are. As I grow and get more confident in who I am and my sobriety
451:
in
Broomfield, Colorado in February 2016. Ween has continued to perform and tour since. Freeman has also continued performing outside of Ween, including a 2017 tour of his Gene Ween Does Billy Joel tribute show. Freeman was scheduled to perform with Umphrey's McGee once again on June 21, 2020, until
363:, and guitarist Scott Metzger as The Gene Ween Band. The band's shows featured rarely played Ween songs, a few covers, and Freeman-penned songs performed for the first time. Freeman would perform dozens of shows, both solo and with the Gene Ween Band, from 2008 to 2011.
439:
onstage during their second set at the May 22, 2015 Summer Camp Music
Festival. Jokingly referring to their collaboration as Godboner, Freeman and Umphrey's McGee performed a set of Ween covers, as well as
366:
In May 2012, Freeman suddenly announced his departure from Ween, as an attempt to rehabilitate himself after years of drug and alcohol abuse, which peaked during Ween's 2011 tour. That same month,
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Aaron
Freeman is married to Leah Ben-Ari with whom he has one son. Freeman has one other child, musician Ashton Freeman, from a previous relationship, born in 1998. He is Jewish.
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Freeman occasionally played solo acoustic shows as a side project of Ween. In
December 2008, Freeman began performing with Ween bassist Dave Dreiwitz, drummer
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Freeman has talked about his drug use, prior to his sobriety, He spoke openly and in detail about his personal life, drug use, and time spent in Ween on the
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389:, a six-song collection of demo tracks Freeman had previously recorded before dropping the Gene Ween moniker. The album was released digitally via
385:
Two months after leaving Ween, he stopped using the name Gene Ween and began performing as Aaron
Freeman. In November 2013, Freeman self-released
326:. Shortly after reviving the Gene Ween name for a series of Billy Joel tribute performances, Ween reunited in February 2016 for three concerts in
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921:, September 12, 2010. Accessed February 9, 2023. "We spoke with Freeman, a Lambertville resident and father of two, via phone last week."
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it's like, 'Oh yeah, Gene Ween.' It's a positive thing and it represents the work I did since I was 16.
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On
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884:"Coming Clean With Gene Ween: Ween's Former Frontman Talks Sobriety and Miley Cyrus"
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In 2015, Freeman returned to using the Gene Ween name for his "Gene Ween Does
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Melchiondo met in an eighth grade typing class in 1984, in
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828:"Gene Ween Announces Special Billy Joel Tribute Tour in August"
784:"Aaron Freeman Talks Billy Joel Tribute – Using Gene Ween Name"
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from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially
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318:. Freeman, along with childhood friend Mickey Melchiondo (
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403:. The second half of 2014 was spent touring alongside
303:(born March 17, 1970), better known by his stage name
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414:" tribute concerts. The band featured, among others,
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Gener's Gone: The Final Demo
Recordings of Gene Ween
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Freeman also used the Gene Ween name when he joined
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Gener's Gone: The Final Demo
Recordings of Gene Ween
330:. The band has continued to perform and tour since.
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1181:Paintin' the Town Brown: Ween Live 1990–1998
452:the event was cancelled as a result of the
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467:Freeman lived and recorded at his home in
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58:about living persons that is unsourced or
129:Learn how and when to remove this message
856:"Philadelphia seriously awash in irony"
685:"Aaron Freeman Closes the Book on Ween"
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1370:
870:"GWE — The Interviews: Ashton Freeman"
157:Gene Ween performing with Ween in 2009
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965:but does not often divulge specifics.
1393:People from Lambertville, New Jersey
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728:"Freeman Runs Amok At Lincoln Hall"
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399:, was released on May 23, 2014, by
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638:(2013) (released as Aaron Freeman)
632:(2012) (released as Aaron Freeman)
370:released Freeman's debut solo LP,
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932:"Aaron Freeman: Life After Ween"
687:. rollingstone.com. May 29, 2012
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1:
976:"WTF with Marc Maron Podcast"
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36:biography of a living person
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759:"Gene Ween Does Billy Joel"
63:must be removed immediately
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469:Lambertville, New Jersey
378:cover songs produced by
1241:Push th' Little Daisies
917:, NJ Advance Media for
490:podcast (episode 309).
422:and performed shows in
1188:Live in Toronto Canada
657:"Where are they from?"
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163:Background information
50:Please help by adding
16:American rock musician
738:on September 27, 2014
428:
1114:Chocolate and Cheese
858:. November 22, 2007.
808:on November 17, 2015
786:. February 20, 2015.
530:Chocolate and Cheese
494:Selected discography
420:They Might Be Giants
328:Broomfield, Colorado
56:Contentious material
934:. December 4, 2014.
488:WTF with Marc Maron
473:Woodstock, New York
1056:Claude Coleman Jr.
586:With Z-Rock Hawaii
418:and Dan Hickey of
374:, a collection of
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1283:Even If You Don't
1223:GodWeenSatan Live
896:Sahner, Charlie.
844:. April 26, 2020.
475:in 2012 and then
454:COVID-19 pandemic
444:" by Billy Joel.
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213:experimental rock
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39:needs additional
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1293:Related articles
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1070:Glenn McClelland
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757:Freeman, Aaron.
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734:. Archived from
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1159:Compilations
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983:. Retrieved
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913:Rose, Lisa.
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812:November 17,
810:. Retrieved
806:the original
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740:. Retrieved
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689:. Retrieved
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601:With Freeman
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442:The Stranger
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354:Pennsylvania
350:Bucks County
343:
309:experimental
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252:1984–present
248:Years active
198:Pennsylvania
194:Philadelphia
125:
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45:verification
38:
18:
1398:1970 births
1331:Josh Freese
1255:Voodoo Lady
1173:Live albums
1128:The Mollusk
715:. May 2012.
671:"Gene Ween"
546:The Mollusk
267:Formerly of
78:"Gene Ween"
1372:Categories
1107:Pure Guava
742:January 6,
732:Chicagoist
643:References
522:Pure Guava
481:Washington
416:Paul Green
412:Billy Joel
380:Ben Vaughn
376:Rod McKuen
231:Occupation
184:1970-03-17
169:Birth name
89:newspapers
1300:Moistboyz
1276:Ocean Man
1047:Gene Ween
1040:Dean Ween
616:Solo work
499:With Ween
483:in 2020.
424:Woodstock
361:Joe Russo
320:Dean Ween
305:Gene Ween
257:Member of
221:hard rock
145:Gene Ween
119:June 2011
41:citations
1359:Category
1337:It's Pat
985:March 4,
802:Ween.com
768:March 3,
405:Arc Iris
396:Free-Man
391:Bandcamp
346:New Hope
287:geneween
234:Musician
67:libelous
1313:Freeman
1100:The Pod
691:June 1,
659:. 2015.
608:Freeman
514:The Pod
477:Seattle
324:Freeman
282:Website
272:Freeman
103:scholar
1142:Quebec
919:NJ.com
798:"WEEN"
626:(1987)
611:(2014)
596:(1997)
581:(2007)
573:(2005)
565:(2003)
562:Quebec
557:(2000)
549:(1997)
541:(1996)
533:(1994)
525:(1992)
517:(1991)
509:(1990)
334:Career
314:group
205:Genres
200:, U.S.
105:
98:
91:
84:
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225:lo-fi
110:JSTOR
96:books
34:This
1028:Ween
987:2016
814:2015
770:2015
744:2015
693:2012
340:Ween
316:Ween
289:.com
261:Ween
178:Born
82:news
43:for
1374::
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