POMONA
– Ween’s alternative and experimental rock sounds mixed with a lot of
other styles will be let loose Tuesday at the Pomona Fox Theater.

“We write out a set list but it changes very quickly,” said
Dean Ween (real name Mickey Melchiondo). “It depends on what it feels
like. If we play in a small bar, you know packed with drunken people on
a Friday night, you keep it kind of rowdy. You just adapt. Performing
is give-and-take with the crowd.”

With fellow member Gene Ween (Aaron Freeman), the duo will play with their band for about three hours at the Fox.

The
group is known for changing their sets every night and playing between
35 to 45 songs that mine a multitude of genres from country to funk.

Now, the band is ready to take off a few months to write a record, which they plan to do in the fall or winter.

Their
process consists of “starting off with ideas laying around but it’s a
momentum thing. When you finally write a song good enough, you get the
momentum going. We like to set aside the time to write.”

He said as he gets older, “I’m a lot more comfortable being Ween now than 10 or 15 years ago.”

He
acknowledged the industry has changed since the band released its first
album in 1990, “GodWeenSatan: The Oneness.” Their last album, “La
Cucaracha,” was released in 2007.

“We haven’t changed much. I don’t think we’re doing
anything different than we were 19 years ago. I feel the same way about
it. But I never envisioned us being a live band. Way
back, I used to struggle with Ween on stage versus Ween on record. Now,
all this time later, people aren’t buying records any more. Your record
is kind of like this vehicle to tour behind. I think it’s really sad.”

He said making a complete record is a lost art and he doesn’t own an Ipod.

“We
still take records as seriously now as we did then. But we’re fooling
ourselves in thinking it would matter to a group other than like-minded
people who want an album.”

He doesn’t care about respect from anyone other than the fans.

“We’ve
been around for freakin’ forever. We have a bunch of records and make a
living. I really don’t care. It doesn’t matter because I made a career
out of music and it’s a privledge. We’ve gotten plenty of respect. We
have our fans.”

The band also finds strength in itself. “I remember, when
we made our second record, thinking this it. I’ll never get the
inspiration … and then there’s the third, the fourth and another one.
And it’s like this disease that’s incurable. You eventually just have
to do it. If you love it, and we love being in a band, you just have to
do it.”

WEEN

Where: Pomona Fox Theater, 301 S. Garey Ave., Pomona

When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday

Cost: $28

Information: www.ticketmaster.com