Zappa.com

Did you attend this show at the Warner Theatre in DC?

Dweezil and the band would love to read your reviews.

Please do not post in this thread if you did not attend the show.

Mikey
Zappa.com Webmeister

Excellent outing, I must say--setlist, schmetlist, any show that kicks off with Zoot Allures and Ship Ahoy in tandem--and fits in Yo Mama and G-Spot Tornado along the way--is all right by me.

Dweezil, you were in awesome form--everything that Halloween wasn't was wiped clean by your performance tonight. Then again, the entire outfit was hitting on all cylinders tonight. Dupree's Paradise felt like it was brand new all over again (I dug Scheila's Rahsaan Roland Kirk turn), and the way each of you explored your space within the context set for you by Frank, so many years ago.

Thanks to ZappaPlaysZappa for bringing Frank's legacy forward, and for building a new canon of performance around a brilliant composer's past.

See you next time!

Are you with me on this one people.....

Absolutely amazing show! Dweezle you are an exceptional musician! The technical mastery you displayed was awe inspiring. I will be practicing, practicing, practicing. And maybe before I die I can play as well as you!

Kudos to the band!!!!! Exceptional chemistry and loved all the interaction. You all look like you had a really fun time. Keep up the great play and thank you for keeping Frank alive.


Is it possible to email me with a list of all the songs played last night?

I thought the show was absolutely spectacular.
I don't think the Warner Theater was the correct venue this time around for the band in its current formation. Maybe the place filled up last time b/c of the guests Vai, Bozzio and Brock. Last night the place was 3/4 full at best and the vibe was quiet mellow. This is in stark contrast to the show in Baltimore (Rams Head, everyone standing and groovin!!) earlier this summer and the Warner show last year.
Dweezil Zappa's solo during Pygmy Twylyte was especially sizzling and the band gave a fine fine show to a practically empty balcony.

I hope last nights attendance doesnt deter ZPZ from coming to DC again, b/c it's the best show out there.

I have to start by saying the band gets better every year. As for the audience being cold, I think folks just wanted to listen instead of screaming and yelling constantly but eventually people did start showing their appreciation in decibel format. I have to admit I yelled out "Yeah" after Zoot Allures and Dweezil smiled at that. It was great.
The Osaka like guitar solo on Zoot Allures was really fantastic.
Dog Meat and G-Spot Tornado were totally unexpected delights.
Ray White's singing and the George Benson like guitar sing and play was fantastic. I never knew Ray could do that.
Sheila played Tenor and Alto Sax simultaneously at one point in the show and made some really weird sounds, and at one point pretended to serve cocktails on the side.
All the guitar solos were great. Yo Mama was wonderful. Really nice background after the guitar solo for introducing the band as Frank used to do.

Somebody else wrote earlier that the Warner isn't a good venue for the ZPZ show. I have to disagree with that. The acoustics at the Warner are great, the venue warm and cozy, and you can tell the band loves to play there.

I enjoyed the show last night very much - more so than last year's version in the same venue. Though Vai/Bozzio were fun guests last year it seems to me that having them there may have been a bit of a distraction from the business of making awesome and highly focused music, which was in full flower last night.

As one of the folks who raised their hand to having 'Bongo Fury' on vinyl (!) I was thrilled to hear several songs from that classic album played, and played well. It was also nice to see such a wide representation of Frank's repertoire.

I can't really name highlights, because I loved it all. But Carolina was fabulous, and Dupree's (which I always find somewhat tedious on recordings) was a terrific showcase for the talents of each member of the band. Ray's vocals were superb and I really dug him on Tiny Lites. And every person on stage was clearly having a great time and were fully engaged in the music - something that is too often absent and which affects the quality of any performance to a great degree.

Finally, I really felt FZ's presence coming through Dweezil - there must be something in the DNA. His guitar, his demeanor, his voice; I admit to having tears in my eyes more than once last night.

Thanks for the wonderful experience, and be sure to visit DC during every tour!

i was actually a bit dubious about seeing this tour. i'd heard good reviews but couldn't help shake the thought that maybe DZ was just riding his dad's proverbial coattails. boy, was i ever wrong!

i've been to the warner theatre several times, and yes, i too was a bit disappointed by the turnout. personally, i just don't think this is the right venue for ZPZ. i would suggest the 9:30 club. even though i prefer to have a seat like last night, it just makes it tough to stand up as you know you're obscuring someone's view behind you who also paid $75. so, i did stay sitting most of the show, and for that i apologize, since i could tell the lack of energy from the crowd had an effect on the musicians. eventually the crowd did get going, and i'll give credit to the musicians for not phoning it in after seeing it might be a lethargic evening from the crowd.

i was also a bit dubious of the new musicians, (save ray, of course), as i'd heard last year's tour included some of the old players like terry, napolean, et al. again, boy, was i wrong! the playing was of the highest caliber and i particularly enjoyed sheila's mastery of so many instruments. i'll also give a nod to pete who held the low end down more than ably. also, i've seen some old frank clips where his musicians were reading sheet music. nobody read a note last night, and that to me is amazing--amazing enough that i'll excuse the fact that the musicians stared at their hands a lot (probably because the crowd was so chill).

on that note, at times the sound in the warner was phenomenal, with evident separation of all instruments. however, the bass seemed a bit muddy to me occasionally, and sometimes sheila's keyboard was buried, probably a product of the acoustics in that old theatre. however, dweezil's tone was outrageous and clear as a bell throughout.

rather than go song by song, let me just say that each song was wonderfully performed, and that's saying quite a lot, because after all, these are compositions from the master himself. standouts for me were dog/meat, carolina hardcore ecstasy, pygmy twylyte, and illinois enema bandit.

lastly, the spared usage of frank on screen was absolutely choice and tasty.

thanks again for a wonderful evening. please offer merch on your website and please come back next year!

(This post amended per the welcome additions of fellow FZ/DZ prophets.)

Thank you, DZ, Ray White and the entire band for another brilliant evening, the best live music I've encountered in years, other than last year's show. All in all, I think last night's show was better than last year. The band seemed more at ease, with a little schtick, some light costuming and props, a little goofing off, having some fun, just working out and not sticking to the stock, rehearsed presentation. Fantastic show--thank you.

1. Zoot Allures
2. Ship Ahoy/Duck Duck Goose
3. Cosmik Debris, with that excellent integrated FZ appearance.
4. Lonely Little Girl
5. City of Tiny Lites
6. Advance Romance
7. How Could I Be Such a Fool?, with a hot, uptempo chorus
8. Ain't Got No Heart
9. I'm Not Satisfied
10. Carolina Hard Core Ecstasy
11. Suzy Creamcheese
12. Brown Shoes Don't Make It
13. America Drinks and Goes Home
14. Pygmy Twylyte, with a fat, FAT sound, positively thrumming, with a magnificent DZ solo
15. Dupree's Paradise, with everyone getting all kinds of clearly unrehearsed solos, very much like the FZ old days.
16. I Love Me Some Bush
17. Uncle Remus
18. Willie the Pimp
19. Dog Meat
20. G-Spot Tornado
21. Joe's Garage
22. Wind Up Working in a Gas Station
23. San Ber'dino
24. Yo Mama
Encore: Illinois Enema Bandit and then Muffin Man, with another brilliantly executed FZ audio/video appearance--great stuff.

It was great--revelatory? epiphanic?--to hear Ray White on Enema Bandit, just magic.

Question for DZ/UMRK et al.--when is the live ZPZ archival set coming out? Record this stuff, and let's see it available, please.

The volume was way, way up from last year, seriously loud, my hair and clothes vibrating on the lows and with those bass and floor toms booming--outstanding.
It doesn't matter whether you're back next year or next week, I'll be right there.
Thanks for coming, and best of luck on the rest of the tour.

Hey Rugby,

couple of minor enhancements to your setlist:
- After Zoot came Ship Ahoy AKA Duck Duck Goose
- It's Lonely Little Girl, not Lovely
#12 was really America Drinks & Goes Home (loved Scheila as "Trixie Sanchez"

po

thank you for printing the list... I could only remember a few songs and my buddy in Philly is going to grill me!!!!!

Thanks for a great show, which happened to occur on my birthday in my hometown. I also saw the band play in Baltimore 3 months ago. This was a great show, but I have to say, I liked the Baltimore show better, for the following reasons:

- The set list was mostly the same, with a couple of exceptions. It's always better hearing it the first time. I think the shows would be much more interesting to see more than once if the setlists varied more.

- The mix was off. Certain drum sounds were overbearing sometimes, while the bass was entirely too quiet, which is a real shame because that bass player is ridiculously awesome. Ray's vocals were also a bit on the quiet side. Overall, sound quality was poor compared to Ram's Head.

- The "hot syphilus/Natty Bo/famous baltimore crabs" vocal jam was way better than the "I love me some Bush" jam. Ray clearly wasn't feeling it this time and gave up 1/2-way through.

- the seated theater atmosphere is not as lively or intimate or interactive as the club atmosphere is, and consequently I think the music was less organic and less exciting. It seemed like the jams were better at Ram's Head, and I think that has to do with atmosphere

On the plus-side:

- Dweezil's guitar playing is even better now than 3 months ago, and that's saying a lot

- Zoot Allures was awesome, and wasn't played at Ram's Head 3 months ago.

- Dog Meat was totally ridiculous! Insane musicianship and coordination. Wow. Same with G-spot, though I saw them play G-spot in Baltimore.

Note to Dweezil and the band: I think you've collected an amazing group of musicians and you're all playing really good & really complex music really really well. But I think the music is better suited to clubs and festivals rather than theaters. And please think about picking from a bigger pool of songs and varying the setlists more from night to night. If you did that, I swear my friends and I would go see you anytime you came within 500 miles! If you did that, I think you'd be just about the best thing out there.

Kudos to DZ and the entire band and crew for a great show!

Last time I heard that music was also at the Warner for Frank's
show(s) in 1988! My seats last night were in the center on the floor and there were some mixing issues re: vocals/bass - Scheila and Ray were often not loud enough vocally compared to Joe's vox and the bass was not prominent enough in some spots. Rays' guitar could have been louder in the mix for my taste. I did head up to the balcony towards the end of the show, during IEB, and noticed a: barely 1/2 full and b: a much, much louder sound and different mix, mostly from being in front of the PA in the balcony, rather than in between it, as I was downstairs.

I agree that the caliber of all the musicians was astonishing.
I also want to cast my vote for a full-on horn section for next year's tour!

I do not agree that it would be better to see the show in a club, I prefer having my own space to absorb the complexity of the presentation and not have to deal with standing all night to maintain one square foot of floor space, while some boob spills beer down my back...

Having missed last year's tour and the Baltimore show in July (when the Mayor proclaimed it Frank Zappa day- man, was I bummed to have missed that!) I can't compare this to anything other than the three Frank shows I saw back in the 70's & 80's.

Sure, it wasn't the same as seeing a giant balloon blow up behind George Duke's keyboard rig at Constitution Hall, or as funny as some of the antics at the Capital Centre show, like Frank totally dissing some schmuck who was annoying him, or bringing folks up on stage to join the show, but the performances last night were entrancing and the energy coming off the stage was palpable! No doubt, many times I closed my eyes during a DZ solo and it sure sounded Frank-like to my ears! The duets were quite tasteful and done in a very classy manner. Let's not forget Scheila channeling Roland Kirk and Aaron's outrageous echo improv.

I'm looking forward to picking up a copy of the DVD and seeing next year's tour!

Thanks, Dweezil!!

PS - How do you get such a fabulously clear wah sound?!

Im pretty partial to the Warner theatre. Im not sure about how full the place was since I didnt see the upper levels but it seemed like plenty of people. I think this is a much better venue than the 930 club. Its just a nicer place and the sound is nice there. It just works. I like Rams Head, but its in....Baltimore and well thats another state over and a lot further from a lot of us in Northern VA. Id probably be just as inclined to go to Richmond.

The band was actually better this year than last year, as was the set list. I prefered the band with Ray, hes just the best. He was fire on every tune he sang. I actually thought Dweezil played a lot better. He is really just a guy who is hitting that next level. I mean his solos were freaking world beaters. His tone is amazing.

We also got the videos of Frank this year which we did not last year. After seeing them this year it bums me out that I missed them last time. Those two clips were pretty damned amazing stuff.

This band is so good too. I think, and I cringe a bit when I say this, that the shows were better without Vai and Bozzio. Man it hurts to say that but I thought overall this band was tighter without those two and maybe its just because they have been playing together longer but Dweezil just blew me away this time around and the individual solos were great. That was definetly a highlight.

I really hope he keeps this up. For people like me who were too young to see Frank play live this is an amazing thing. It really just means so much to see the love and to be around people who get it that I really hope I can do this every year and will be there every time he comes to town.

This is our third show in a year. Went to last year's Warner show and Asheville in the summer. The band has really come into its own, and is better every show. We like Nappy, Vai and Bozzio, but this show was way better. This group has gone way beyond a Zappa tribute band as some in the press call it-- ZPZ is one of the best touring bands out there today.

I agree that the crowd was not fully energized, and that sucked. The lack of applause after Brown Shoes and some other tunes was disappointing. The band deserved a standing O after ever tune, and in some cases with this show the band got too little thanks for their efforts.

Dweezil's guitar playing is getting exponentially better as every show passes. Carolina, Tiny Lights, Pygmy Twilite, Yo Mama, all were incredible, and damn, the solo in Illinois EB was fucken smokin. The rest of the band was also spectacular--every one is looser and really at ease and are playing at the top of their game. Frank would have hired any one of them.

The antics on stage are starting as the band matures and relaxes, with Sheila being chased across the stage by devious men with enema bags, and Dweezil threatening folks with attacks of the Praying Mantis girl. The phrase of the day should have been Fuck Dick Cheney (in 88 it was Fuck Ed Meese), But "I love a little Bush" worked ok.

Hey Ray--You were brilliant, every tune. During Willie the Pimp, your pimping with those of us up front was great, and your offers of the enema tube to the drunken chicks right of us was funny as hell. Tiny lights, IEB, Advance Romance, I Love a Little Bush, yeah. Thanks Ray.

Dweezil, keep it up and come back to DC. We'll be there everytime.[/list]

Baltimore: I bring my unexcited wife. She leaves saying "Best Concert ever"

Warner: I bring 3 friends. Leaving, they are crying thanking me. We decided were bringing our kids next time so they get a baseline for great music.

Im blown away, but I get too emotional when I see FZ play on the screen.

DZ: Ill bet your dad would say "Work in a couple of your songs!"

I think Baltimore appreciates you more! THe Baltimore crowd was much younger than D.C.