Screeching Weasel is now a Ben Weasel solo project

The resurgence of seminal Chicago pop-punk band Screeching Weasel hit a potentially fatal obstacle today, when four-fifths of the band—everyone but mercurial frontman Ben Weasel—announced an indefinite break from the group following Weasel’s altercation with two women at a South By Southwest performance last Friday. 

In a letter to PunkNews.org, Dan Schafer (a.k.a. Dan Vapid, the only other longtime member of Screeching Weasel’s current incarnation) and recent recruits Justin Perkins, Drew Fredrichsen, and Adam Cargin (of Madison band Blueheels) called the episode “shameful and embarrassing” and said they were unable “to muster the dignity to attempt a live performance as ‘Screeching Weasel’ in the forseeable future.”

If it seems like they left the door open, they did, adding they “look forward to re-evaluating our involvement in the band” down the road. But for now, the band is done, which doesn’t bode well for Screeching Weasel’s sold-out 25th anniversary shows at Reggie’s in Chicago this May.

We all feel extremely deflated following this public spectacle and would no doubt be doing the music an injustice if we were to force a performance. As friends and band mates, we are absolutely positive that Ben regrets his actions last Friday night. We have no doubt that his apology is sincere and that if he could take it all back, he would. We don’t wish to place any more hardship upon him with our decision to discontinue our involvement at this time, but it is something that can not be avoided.

After nearly a decade of inactivity, Ben Weasel reformed Screeching Weasel (along with his post-Weasel band The Riverdales) in 2009, but 2011 was supposed to be the band’s big comeback: a 25th anniversary, a solid new album recorded at Madison’s Blast House Studios, and numerous lucrative tour dates. But punching women at a concert has a way of killing momentum.

For his part, Ben Weasel has kept a low profile since the incident, emerging only to apologize on his website. It’ll be interesting to see if he pulls in a new crop of hired guns to continue—a move his now former bandmates say they’d understand—or just stays out of sight.