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The audio above includes a music calendar. Review is in text below.
ZPZ: Schelia Gonzales, Ben Thomas and Dweezil Zappa on stage at the Rio Wednesday night. EB photo.
I am not a fan of “tribute” bands. Call me whatever, but there is nothing like memories of the real thing. Ever since they started touring in ’06, I have been skeptical of checking out ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA led by the late Frank Zappa’s son and guitarist, Dweezil.
Why? Back in dinosaur days, I saw the original Mothers of Invention so many times it’s an “almost” blur. Anybody remember the Mothers’ “Freak Out” performance on the ultra-conservative talk host Joe Pine tv show? Later I worked with and got to know a number of the various Mothers but lost touch with them during the Napoleon Murphy Brock years, whose vocals I never cared for. Which reminds me, a moment of silence for Jimmy Carl Black, the Indian in the group.
So it was with a good deal of trepidation that I went to see ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA (ZPZ) who made their annual SC return Wednesday night, February 15th at the almost sold out Rio Theater. The 8 piece ZPZ piece band walked on stage and Dweezil announced that they had decided to stop playing Frank’s well known songs from what I call FZ’s “stoopid comedy years” even though his concise arrangements were out of this world. Those silly “hits” like: “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow”, “Moving to Montana” “Valley Girl”, “Dynamo Hum” etc… although, ZPZ did cave in with “Disco Boy”. Instead they dug into the early Mothers albums like “Absolutely Free” and “We’re Only In It For the Money”.
Dweezil kicked off with his dad’s instrumental warm up “Sexual Harassment in the Work Place”. Low and behold, ZPZ followed this with a tight version of “Plastic People” that goes all the back to the “Freak Out” album of 1965. This was followed with the classic and “never performed until now” “Bow Tie Daddy” complete with the bullhorn vocal. My pals and I used to sing this song all the time back in the dino day. This was a bit too much “deja vu”! It took a few more songs before I settled in and accepted talented lead singer and multi-instrumentalist, Ben Thomas, who is eerily good at channeling Zappa senior and Napoleon Brock right down to the ad libbed but somewhat contrived stage banter Zappaphiles are used to.
Musically speaking, Dweezil’s ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA is an outstanding group of top notch musicians. In every way ZPZ is as tight and well rehearsed as any of Franks’ bands were. They turned on the dime or slammed on the brakes wherever Zappa’s complex arrangements called for it. Technically a more proficient guitarist than his father, Dweezil led the group through a 2 hr plus show allowing each member plenty of spotlight time. but he does not have the stage presence of his Dad. Dweezil’s guitar soloing on “Ride My Face to Chicago” and the encore closer “Whipping Post” were high points. Thankfully, Dweezil kept his proclivity for Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Van Halen licks to a minimum.
Serious high fives to saxophonist and flutist Scheila Gonzalez and Billy Hulting on percussion and marimbas. Holy Ruth and Ian Underwood! Gonzalez’s jazz sax solo on “Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy” blew the roof off the Rio and for a minute I thought I was at Kuumbwa Jazz. ZPZ also brought out a roadie to do the Captain Beefheart vocals on “Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top” from the “Bongo Fury” live lp.
ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA is a must if you never saw Frank Zappa live or need an introduction to his vast library of intricately arranged songs and instrumentals.
Personally, I would like see ZPZ can the vocals and stick to instrumental only versions of the senior Zappa’s songs. No one can capture the real stage presence of Frank Zappa but when it comes to the music, Dweezil’s ZPZ is every bit as good as any Mother.
ELSEWHERE:
For more about Dweezil and the current ZPZ players, check out ZPZ band members
Frank Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993)
Don Vliet aka Captain Beefheart (January 15, 1941 – December 1, 2010)
Jimmy Carl Black (February 1, 1938 – November 1. 2008)
