It’s been almost two months since the genre-defying alt-rock entity Ween announced that it would “step away from the stage for the foreseeable future.” The decision came following several waves of cancelations made out of concern for Mickey “Dean Ween” Melchiondo‘s mental health. While all remains quiet on the Ween front, guitarist Dean Ween was recently photographed in his element fishing for striped bass.
Trenton, NJ’s Old School Outdoors posted several pictures of Deaner in his happy place on October 10th, happily holding up some massive fish, any one of which would make a fine catch of the day. In addition to selling fishing and skating equipment, Old School Outdoors runs an online blog which on March 29th detailed a close encounter of the Ween kind.
Sometimes you don’t know who is going to walk in the shop… these stories always start out the same… guy came in that looks familiar but can’t place him… just thought he was one of the boys… Anyway, when he walks in, we had great conversation about fishing for Striper fishing and talk about how he Captain a boat and how he was fishing everyday. then as we got deeper in the conversation, he mentioned him being from the Legendary Band WEEN then I realized it was Dean Ween… Now I was around in the City Garden error and seen Ween multiple times at that Legendary Venue. It is truly amazing the people you meet in life…. Thanks for your support Dean and tight lines!!!!
Deaner also appeared on the Old School Outdoors social media channels on September 6th, proudly displaying some smallmouth bass he caught on the Delaware River.
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The man born Mickey Melchiondo has been a lifelong fisherman, with his nautical interests seeping into Ween’s music on the band’s 1997 oceanic-inspired prog-rock masterpiece The Mollusk. When he wasn’t touring the globe or recording with Ween, Dean spent his time fishing in the Atlantic Ocean near his New Jersey home. In 2009, Deaner launched the BTFishing YouTube channel which documented his aquatic exploits and showcased some choice archival Ween clips. He’s also gone fishing with fellow underground hero Les Claypool and made fishing-related appearances on blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus‘ short-lived TV show in 2012 and the Discovery Channel‘s Saltwater Underground with Nick Honachefsky in 2022. After Ween broke up in 2012, Deaner busied himself by chartering guided fishing expeditions booked by fans until the band reformed in 2016.
This year was originally slated to celebrate Ween’s 40th anniversary. In observance, Ween—comprised of Dean Ween and Aaron “Gene Ween” Freeman alongside Claude Coleman Jr., Dave Dreiwitz, and Glenn McClelland—was set to embark on its first full-fledged tour since reuniting in 2016, with a 14-date tour split up into April and August legs. Shortly before the spring leg was set to begin in the Southeast, Ween scrapped the first seven concerts with Deaner writing, “I need to step away from performing live in order to preserve my mental and spiritual well being, and instead focus on myself and loved ones.”
The band briefly returned to the stage in early August for a pair of shows in Missoula, MT and a gig in Spokane, WA. That week, the band also issued a 30th-anniversary Chocolate and Cheese re-release with 15 additional tracks, including recordings of several songs that had never circulated. The release prompted a 100,000% spike in the band’s album sales. Then on August 6th—four days after returning to the stage in Montana—Ween canceled its remaining four summer dates, cutting the planned 14-date tour short after just three shows. This second cancelation announcement did not include any personal details beyond, “We love performing for the best fans in the world, and we are beyond disappointed we won’t be able to do these shows.”
With all 14 shows canceled, the only gig left for Ween was a 30th-anniversary celebration of Chocolate and Cheese in Philadelphia, which on August 29th was canceled in the announcement revealing the band’s immediate and indefinite hiatus. In a joint statement, the band wrote, “Despite three great shows this summer, it’s become clear that touring and performing is too taxing on Deaner’s mental health to continue. As always, we thank you for the love, dedication and ongoing support.”
Get well soon, Deaner.