Ween was an American experimental rock band from New Hope, Pennsylvania that formed in 1984. The key members were vocalist and songwriter Aaron Freeman and guitarist Mickey Melchiondo Jr. , and the two performed as a duo backed by a Digital Audio Tape for the band's first ten years of existence before expanding to a four piece act. The choice of pseudonyms was inspired by The Ramones, and both members were more commonly referred to by their fans as Gene Gener or Dean Deaner than their real names. The band's style was eclectic, and while they could generally be referred to as rock music, one of their defining tendencies has been experimentation with various styles incorporating a strong element of humor and absurdity. Despite being generally unknown in pop music, Ween developed a large, devoted cult following. After a 28-year run, Freeman quit the band in 2012, effectively ending Ween.