Zappa.com

Did you attend this show at the Fillmore in Denver?

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

I never saw FZ while he was alive, but I did manage to cataloge some 20 albums. For some reason I couldn't escape his sound. Anyway, after his passing I slowly faded away from Zappa music. A friend told me about ZPZ and I thought, oh another son of a rock star gets to surpass any measurement of talent, and go on tour why would I want to pay to see that? I am proud to say I was totally off base with Dweezel and the band. Simply one of the best events I have seen. When people are doing something really incredible you tend to stop and take notice. My jaw was open for 2+ hours. They are so tight, they brought the music to life for me again after some 15 year hiatus. I was blown away by Dweezels skills and touched that he had obviously spent so much time studying his fathers legacy. Truely a remarkable experience. Top notch. I never moved for 2.5 hours even though I really wanted a beer after a while. A really nice change of pace from all the poo-poo I typically pay money to see. I will catch this tour anytime I can.

Denver Set List:
Son Of Suzy Creamcheese
Brown Shoes Don't Make It
America Drinks And Goes Home
Magic Fingers
Carolina Hardcore Ecstasy
Dumb All Over
What's New In Baltimore
Doreen
Dog/Meat
Pygmy Twylyte
Dupree's Paradise (including Packard Goose Vamp)
Uncle Remus
(at this point I lost my pen, but I'm pretty sure this is right)
Willie The Pimp
Joe's Garage
Gas Station
San Ber'dino
Zoot Allures
Ship Ahoy (?)
Illinois Enema Bandit

Encore:
Cosmik Debris
Muffin Man

Had a great time at the Fillmore. Arrived ticketless about an hour before showtime. Stopped in at Deadhead bar next door to the venue for a quick beer, then off to check out the ticket situation. Lo and behold, a rep from radio station KBCO lays a free ticket on me!! Back to the bar for another beer and celebratory shot of tequila.
The Fillmore is a huge hall that has a capacity between 3 and 4,000. I'd say the venue was about half full, which made for a comfortable concert environment. The band sounded fantastic, of course. Dweezil began by saying that since this place is called the Fillmore East (?), that he was in the mood to play some stuff from Absolutely Free. The opening segment was an unusual and bold choice for an opener, but very enjoyable. I was hoping for Doreen, and was very pleased to hear it. The Dog/Meat ala Ensemble Modern was beautiful. Pete has added some electric upright to the set and along with the trumpet and sax adds a very nice, orchestral touch. I was hoping to hear Wild Love, but hey, who's complaining? This band is great fun, and I feel really lucky to have seen the band at both of their Denver appearances. And to be able to hear this music sung by Ray White (and NMB last year) is a dream come true. How about playing in Boulder next time? The Boulder Theater is a great venue, and I'm sure the band would enjoy hanging out in Boulder.
It may be taboo to mention Project/Object, but I was thinking of them last night during "Baltimore". They would sing a quote from the Leo Sayer syrupy 70s hit "When I Need You" (guessing the title) over the refrain..."..it's cold out, but hold out, and do like I do..". I always thought that was really clever and funny, and in the Zappa tradition (recall "...Dawn, go away I'm no good for you..." from Shall We Take Ourselves Seriously). It would be fun if ZPZ did this too.
However I digress.....not much more to say other than the show last night was wonderful, and please come back to Colorado soon!

I did buy a copy of ZAPPA BUFFALO at the show, and it sounds great.

In 1988, I had tickets to a Frank Show. Being a troublesome tee, I stayed out way past curfew with my girlfriend the weekend before the show. I got busted and was grounded from attending the show...
Nineteen years later I got to truly experience the music of Frank, played by an absolutely superb group of musicians. I was so impressed that Dweezil and Co. were able to pull this off so professionally with no ego.
The show itself was incredible, I was facinated by the band. Everyone was so tight, and at the same time were realxed and really enjoying the time on stage. Ray was in fantastic form - I loved Willie the Pimp shades and all. Scheila was just - WOW! one in a million. Dweezil was fantastic, and this show is a real testament to how much effort and work he put into developing the content. Top notch job by all.
Highlights for me were Doreen, Magic Fingers, Pygmy Twilite (Qualude Thunder version), Carolina, Dog-Meat, and Illinois Enema Bandit. All fantastic. This was my wife's first live Zappa experience, and I think I exited the venue with a new hard-core fan. We can't wait to see you all again.

The show rocked... missed the first song... dinner was a bit long.

I wasn't sure what to expect. I rode up with a guy who saw last years and he said to expect great things...

I have to say the bands was EXTREMELY tight and fun. Dweezel made it look so easy... excellent work indeed!!

Ship Ahoy had to be my favorite of the night, incredible guitar work!

It was fun to watch Frank and Dweezil play a couple songs together... although as a father it hit a soft spot that had me hurting for Dweezil on many levels... I'm sure not many were aware of the son's acute attention to his father... thanx for the insight Dweezil...

Took 3 hours after the show to get to sleep... I kept re-living the extreme detail and creativity of the show...

Thanx again to all of you in the band... you're all awesome musicians and entertainers!!

Thought the show this year was really good, with the set list about 75% different than last year's Denver show. Dweezil also sang and interacted with the crowd more.

During Zoot Allures and Ship Ahoy, you could close your eyes and almost image it was Frank playing. Dweezil's guitar sounded great.

There were a lot more young kids and women at the show too.

Got to meet Ray White after the show and he autographed my ZPZ dvd that I bought at the show. Pretty cool - the Illinois Enema Bandit himself.

Thank you, thank you , thank you!!! That show rocked my dick in the dirt, I can't express how much I appreciate what DZ and the band have brought to the optional entertainment scene right now by dedicating themselves to performing to the T some of the most difficult and mindblowing music compositions on the planet! I am 30 yrs. old and never had the opportunity to see Frank live, but I can only imagine this is without a doubt the very next best thing. Please keep it up fellas and I will always be more than glad to spend my hard earned money to see Franks music done right.


Here's what I have for a setlist:

1) Suzy creamcheese
2) Brown shoes don't make it
3) America drinks and goes home
4)Magic fingers
5)Carolina hard core ecstacy
6)Dumb all over ( with Frank on video)
7)What's new in Baltimore
Doreen
9)Dog/meat
10)Pygmy twylite
11)Duprees paradise
12)Uncle Remus
13)Willie the pimp
14)Joe's garage
15)Wind up workin in a gas station
16)San Berdino
17)Zoot Allures
18) Illinois enema bandit

ENCORE: Cosmic debris (w/ video)
G-spot tornado
Muffin man (w/ video)

Drove from Gillette Wyoming to see ZPZ. Brought a friend who wasn't familiar with Zappa's music. He was totally blown away! I have seen Frank and the Mothers many times. Went to several New Years Eve shows at Long Beach Arena. I am not ashamed to say that I had tears of joy throughout the show. The most memorable to me was when they had Frank playing lead on the big screen and the whole band was turned so they could watch him. They played there hearts out for him. You could see the admiration in Dweezil and it looked like he was having a blast playing with his Dad. I just closed my eyes and I was 30 years younger in Long Beach. It was just Great! Thank you Dweezil for putting in so much work and effort to keep Frank's music alive. I can't tell you how much it meant to me to see and hear that wonderful sound again. The sound in the Fillmore was awesome. I had never been there before so did not know what to expect. There are very few chairs in the auditorium and we ended standing in front of the mixing board. After 4 back surgeries it took all I had to stand there for 3 hours, but it was well worth it even if I can't hardly walk today. Wanted to stay and try to talk to Dweezil after the show, but back was hurting so bad I had to go back to the motel and lay down. I wanted to tell Dweezil how much it meant to me to see and hear Franks music again. When I was a kid growing up in Southern California Frank Zappa was like a god to me and my friends. We had every album and knew every word to every song. Even if we didn't know what the hell he was saying we sang along to them all. On our many side trips into the depths of our minds, Frank was right there guiding us through his music. He was truly a very big part of my life and when Frank passed it was like losing a brother. I have missed him dearly. I dont understand why God takes so many of the great ones before there time. This show was like a blast from the past for me and I hope ZPZ keeps coming back for many, many years. I bought the ZPZ DVD at the show and watched Disc 1 last night. Oh my Gawd! It was fantastic! It was like being back at the show again. Dweezil got a bit emotional when he was telling the audience about the DVD being filmed and how much it meant to him and his family to be able to keep the music out there. Yeah I was crying again. Good thing nobody was here to see me. When you get older and your body is all broke up you tend to get more emotional than normal. Anyway it was a GREAT show and if you get a chance to see ZPZ by all means do whatever it takes to go see them. You will not be disappointed. One of the tightest bands I have ever seen. Sheila Gonzalez is my new hero. She was just incredible. Her musicianship was stellar! Getting to see Ray White again was wonderful. He has just gotten better with age. Everyone in this band is top notch and Dweezil was just......... Well what can you say. I know Frank is looking down with a great big smile on his face watching his son play his music. Bless you Dweezil for bringing Franks music to another generation of fans. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have no idea how much that show meant to me.

I was at the show at the Fillmore here in Denver, last Friday. I had been waiting for this show since LAST year's show at the Paramount. Previous to that experience, my knowledge of Frank Zappa's music was "Sheik Yerbouti" and "Ship Arriving Too Late...", both of which I loved. Since the 2006 show, my collection of FZ's recorded music has increased significantly, mostly centering on the "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore" series, so bringing that expanded knowledge of FZ's oeuvre, I had great hopes for this year's show.
The ZPZ Band was tight and sharp, and their knowledge of, and comfort level with, the compositions were unmistakeable. Seeing and hearing Ray White was a great experience. The jaw-droppingly cool sight of FZ's filmed performances and the ZPZ Band sync'ing up memorable renditions of those songs will never be forgotten. The fact that the set list this time was (entirely, maybe? not sure about that) so significantly different from that of 2006's show points out the band's commitment to learning challenging pieces and then performing them, in order to keep them "alive" and vital is wonderfully admirable.
2006's show redefined, for me, the concept of live music performance, regardless of genre.
This year's show brought more of that great music out into the light of public performance and served, for me, as a significant enticement to keep an eye on the ZPZ website, on watch for the next time you come to, or close to, Denver. I'll be there.
Two other things:
Thanks for the DVD of 2006's show. Except for a little too much reliance on that "look down the guitar neck from the headstock" camera, it's a marvelous souvenir.
And PLEASE, when you come back to Denver, think long and hard before returning to the Fillmore with its unimpressive acoustics. This ZPZ show was the first one in many years that was important enough to me to make me go back there.

i have experienced all kinds of music
i was there when the beatles came to america
stuck around st. petersburg when i saw it was time for a change (anastasia screamed in vain)
farm aid
live aid
michael jackson and quincy jones sung we are the world
back in the 60s we had the electric cool aid acid test
i was there when starchild shone his flashlight
sir nose *finally* reached funkentelechy
we all found our funky soul *that* night

i have experienced great music
have you asked alice what the doormouse said?
"out here on the perimeter, there are no stars," i once heard someone sing

i have experienced great music . . .
but, never, NEVER, in my whole natural existence
have i ever seen such an in-fucking-credible performance
as ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA in denver last night

thank you to the whole band.

i have *now* experienced the greatest fucking music ever
a little more than a nominal service charge, nevertheless, we all reached nirvana last night
and it was the best,
because
music is the best


p.s. - a shout out to Bill Hulting: the official ZPZ website says that you were "also born with an extreme desire to hit thing." Thank you for the extra cymbal smashes at the end of Muffin Man. That was fun! May you always find enjoyment smashing things! And may you always find someone in the crowd who appreciates an properly timed cymbal smash!

I love music, especially Zappa! I saw ZpZ @ the paramount (third row center) and pleasanlty had my mind completely blown. I could not wait to see the next crop of songs. Then came the Fillmore (15th row center) and again, completely blown I can not believe the love this band has for music and life The Cosmik Debris was hauntingly ethereal earth shattering bliss I was litterally bawling tears of joy during Muffin Man One of the best experiences of my life My girlfriend is jealous of Schiela Long Live ZpZ

Heidi and I did make it to Denver, and thoroughly enjoyed the ZPZ show, AGAIN! Fourth time this year, third time this month! The enthusiasm, fun and friendliness all of you project from the stage is wonderful, and the incredible musicianship behind it is thrilling to watch and hear.

We had the first box seat up above on Scheila's side of the stage, so unfortunately, Aaron, Joe and the video screen were blocked from our view, but we were free to get up and move around to see the entire stage. If we hadn't just seen the show twice a couple of weeks earlier, the seats would have been very disappointing, and we wouldn't have spent any time there at all. At that location, a couple of Frank's solos approached an unpleasant ear-punching volume, but it was OK.

Our only other disappointment was that the band didn't (or couldn't) hang out onstage afterwards as at previous shows. I had taken a nice photo of Heidi and Dweezil in Providence she hoped to get autographed, but it didn't work out. We won't make it to Australia, but we'll catch you next time around!

Anyway, thanks again for one of the most incredible live music years of my life. As I said before, we go to a lot of concerts, many different genres, and ZPZ has been the best ticket(s) this year, absolutely!

Love your crew, too! Had the opportunity to chat a bit with some of them, and they were quite approachable and friendly. Thanks!

Love to you all!
Steve Brittenham & Heidi Hilland

the modern day composer was back in town!waiting in line taking in parts of conversations on frank,the mamoth events center(before it became the fillmore),the previous paramount show of zpz,would special guests show up...aaahh the scene.....wish i had more $$$$$ to purchase the buffalo cds,i'll end up with it off the website,hopefully soon.the fillmore was about half full as opposed to half empty...the band came out and cooked. they're much tighter than the previous denver show,much tighter! dweezil's playing has become more lyrical,his work over the last 2 years on all aspects of the music was and is astonishing..all the players have grown into one of the finest ensembles out there today.the love,appreciation,virtiousity(sp?) was stunning.if you were there you know,if you weren't i'm sorry,and don't miss them next time!!!!! ray white was his old "normal" self! i got a great laugh during audience participation time hoola hoop witches,i thiught i heard ray say hoola hoop bitches,he was trying to keep a straight face and keep it together!last show seniors bozzio and vai were a serious bonus, but this band kept a'rollin all nite long...we'll see ya next time around and we want to see y'all out there too!musical memories like this are precious and don't happen like this too much any more.... p.s. do we ever get to hear the version of horse pussy from arizona?????hahahahaha

Dweezil,

This show was incredible, as Nov 2006 was. The Zappa fans I brought along were blown away. I regret to say this may be my last show, however ...

In Denver you have used venues which require Ticketmaster or itssubsidiaries! TM of 8800 Sunset BLVD Los Angeles, is a greedy monopoly which charges unreasonable "convenience fees" for tickets.

TM engages in an economic model that is doomed to failure. While some may be duped into paying extra fees, more and more of us will not purchase tickets if you continue to use TM.

Dweezil, there are many, many other venues in the Denver/Boulder/Fort Collins area which will be happy to host your show. Please support other venues.

Jake