Zappa.com

Did you attend this ZPZ show at Elements in Kitchener, ON?

Dweezil and the band love reading your reviews.

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

Mikey
Zappa.com Webmeister

What a fantastic concert last night in Kitchener! I don't write reviews, so I won't even try to make this sound like something in Rolling Stone (it's gotta be true!)... so I'll just say that the show was a rock and roll assault! Starting with a medley of Kashmir and Approximate (!!), it just got more intense and creative from there. They played for a good 2.5 hours straight. After about an hour I was thinking to myself, "can they play a tender ballad?" but only because the intensity level from stage was so high!
Freaking brilliant!
The whole band played with outrageous accuracy and inspiration.
And Ray White looks and sounds like he's in his prime.
Bamboozled grooved so hard I thought my neck would break!
There ya go... a poorly written review, but honest nonetheless!
It was an honour to see the show again, this time within 10 minutes of where I live!
There was a guy in line behind me who drove from the far East Coast of Canada to see the show.
I've heard rumours that Adrian Belew is performing in Ottawa tonight, and thus, the possibilities of an appearance are floating around. If that happens, please somebody share the story. (The guy from the East Coast will be there for that show too!)

Frank's music lives on through this show. It was a pleasure.

For anyone on Facebook (MyFace!), I have created a ZappaPlaysZappa group. Look it up and send some pictures and share some stories.

Cheers

I am just getting ready to go to the show tonight. Adrian is playing on the same stage before ZPZ. CITY OF TINY LITES would not suprise me with ade helping out. It really sucks that they have Steely Dan playing at the same time. I would love to see SD but can see myself haveing a hard time leaving the Dweez.

I went to the show last night with my brother and father in Kitchener, I personally stood on the rail at the bar level in complete and utter awe of what i was witnessing. I've never seen a band quite so tight, or led so well. My father, who has had the good fortune to have seen frank several times said he had a tear in his eye midway through the first song, and that several times throughout the night he was transported back to some of the shows he's seen in the past. Long story short, ticket prices could have been double or triple what they were and it still would have been worth the price of admission for the 2 1/2 hour mind blowing sonic assault. Even though Dweezil was feeling a tad under the weather, he promised (and delivered as far as i was concerned) to to as best as he was able. this show gets an 10 out of 10 from all parties involved here, and we can't wait to see the band come back around the area

This is the third time that I have had the honour of seeing the ZPZ show and it blows me away how the show gets better and tighter each time. Each year the play list has been completed different from the year before and this time around Dweezil dug deep into the archives to come up with some rarely performed gems. It was a nostolgic trip for me because the first time I saw Frank Zappa live was in 1975 in Kitchener at the University of Waterloo (the Overnight Sensation Tour).

This venue was excellent for the show. The crowd was able to move and groove with the band. It was a hot and rocking show.

As always, every member of the band was exceptional but Scheila rocked my heart, you put on a terrific show. Dweezil plays so brilliantly yet so effortlessly. Apparently Dweezil announced to the audience at the beginning of the show that he was "feeling a bit under the weather". WOW! I can't imagine how better the show could have been if he was feeling better.

I brought along my two daughters and two of their friends (all in their early twenties) and they haven't stop talking about the show and the musicianship of the band.

Thanks for the great show(s) you've given me the opportunity to see. Please make sure that you always include this area of Canada in your future tours. Come back, I'm hooked. After three hits of ZPZ I need at least a fix a year. So, God willing hope to see you next year and I will bring some Tim Horton's coffee and doughnuts.

i was there and it was horrible,bad sound until packard goose(3rd song from the end) admittedly dz was not feeling well and suspect all others were not well either as it appearded they were just going thru the motion. but if you like this type of show than by all means enjoy it as well as the mediocre beer that was sold....this buds fer you!
on the other hand if you enjoyed other zpz shows and or fz shows or off-shoots(from the bad guys who used to play with fz...shame on you!) then you will understand that not ALL shows are going to be good and that is something we have to put up with.
also remember they are sick...and as a side note.....truth is not beauty

This is the third straight year I've seen ZPZ, and it just keeps getting better and better. My only regret is that I didn't purchase a Zappa towel.

Arf, arf, arf!

This big Zappa fan saw the Toronto 2006 show and had very high expectations for this show. It started unexpectedly with a Zep Kashmir flavor that started my face-wide smile that continued for much of the evening. The Dweez can sound just like dad on guitar, no minor feat. The band was terrific, and Ray White sounded like he just stepped out of a Joe's Garage recording session. Then it happened...don't know what it was! About half way through the show the sound went to shit. It got boomy and muddy and all the intricacies were inaudible. The band continued to play their asses off, but the sound was so bad that some of my Zappa die-hard friends actually left. I hope the sound people read this and avoid fucking up future shows.

Wow, this is the 2nd time I've seen a show in Kitchener and the 2nd time the venue made one of my favorite bands sound like crap. The 1st being a Jethro Tull show at Lulu's.
The Dweez didn't feel too good, but Ray White did more vocals than he did last year to help out. What a voice!
I can tell that the band were playing very well, but a lot of times the sound just wasn't there. I was right next to mister-gray-ponytailed-sound man and quite often I would see him make an adjustment, then I'd hear the instrument or voice that was supposed to have been highlighted. I don't know if it was the accoustics of the venue, or the amount of beer he was drinking during the show, but musicans as outstanding as this line-up deserve way better. I left after about 10 minutes into the first (was there anymore?) encore. Even I, a die hard Zappa fan, couldn't take it anymore. I pretty much rode my motorcycle 230 miles for nothing.
The place had no seats, so we were on our feet the whole time. The Canadian crowd was very well behaved (wish my fellow fans here in the States were the same) and polite. The town of Kitchener was very nice and had a lot of nice little restaurants and bars with a very diverse population.
I hope you feel better Dweezil. I plan on catching another show because when your band plays in a decent setting the sound is nothing short of mesmerizing.

Seems everyone has there own opinion. As for me I absolutely loved the show, and so did the guys I went with. Im not a musician but its clear to see the professionalism of this band with every perfectly hit note. Iv had the privledge of seeing ZPZ twice in 06 (Detroit and Chicago) and now in my home and native land in Kitchener. Venue wise, Detroit (please come back to Meadowbrook) is the best,Kitchener was much more intimate but nowhere to sit. Anyway GREAT job, your dad would be proud.

Thanks for the wonderful show, hope to see you guys next year somewhere. Mike.

I caught the show in Kitchner Friday night and it almost made up for my never having seen Frank play. He and Hunter Thompson topped my suitably doomed list of 'People That I Most Want To Meet And Probably Gibber Like A Loon At Until Security Has To Be Called'.

Having said that; I absolutely loved the show. I've read some complaints regarding sound quality but I had none. Perhaps that's due in part to the fact that I knew that we were going to a show in Kitchners' primo cheeseating dance palace; a venue that pumps bilious techno-shite into the downtown core for the rest of the year. And, I have to admit, I was so absolutely tuned for the show that it could have just as easily been fed to me through a cardboard tube wrapped in tinfoil and tiny lights. I could have probably lived with that. So I can definitely forgive any small sonic shortcomings and lack of ass-platforms for the opportunity to see these guys up close. Oh, and the Moosehead in my hand.

I did get a little concerned that it might turn into a 'greatest hits' type of show but then they just kept playing stuff that would invoke involuntary random muscle spasms in me. So, if you're reading this, sorry that when I dropped my almost empty cup of beer at my feet the resulting geyser nailed you in the back of the legs. I just gots a little transposed. It happens occasionally so if you're a local you might want to steer clear of me if you see me driving.

And, as it was pointed out to me at our weekly 'Breakfast at Ethels' this morning, Kitchner is spelled wrong on the tour shirt. I love it.

And I'd like to apologise to Dweezil (if he's reading any of this) because I was the bald git that didn't have something for him to sign after the show (I just kinda wanted to shake his hand and say thanks) but then I found my ticket stub and he was kind enough to sign that. I was probably gibbering. Sorry

Although I knew the band would be good, I never imagined it would be THIS GOOD!!!

ZPZ absolutely rocked the place! This was probably the best most accomplished group of musicians to play a live show in a 500 mile radius on Friday night - never mind in "Wooden Shoe Town" (Kitchener Waterloo) in the last TEN years.

Live music doesn't get much (any?) better than this! Period.

I haven't seen FZ in well over 15 years, and that last time I saw Dweezil was in a bad snowman Movie with Michael Keaton! So I didn't know exactly what to expect. I knew it wouldn't be second rate, but was I ever blown away.....

Indeed, my buddies and I arrived a little late for the show (we got side-tracked on the way...) As I walked into the "theatre" past the big guy with the oxygen tank, I could not believe my ears! Classic "hits" from the 70's, newer stuff from the 80's and 90's, you name it. All tight and syncopated!

Bamboozled by Love, and LUCILLE were my absolute favourite moments, as was the awesome xylophone solo. What a night!

I am definitely going to see the show in Buffalo. It's a free one. I would strongly recommend this show. If I didn't have a gruelling day job I would tag along with the band! How come no shows in Toronto?!?

COME BACK TO KW ANYTIME!!!!

First off, I'd like to thank Dweezil for putting this show together celebrating Frank's music! Also, I'd like to thank the promoter who brought this show to Kitchener!!! I know it isn't exactly cheap to arrange something like this, especially in the big K-town, but I'm so glad they did.

The concert was amazing and special, even from the point of waiting in line to get in. From sharing stories and chatting with other Zappa fans to shaking Dweezil's hand and getting a guitar pick at the end, it was a wonderful night of music and fun.

What a talented band! This was, without question, the best live rock band I've ever seen. From my perch right directly in front of Dweezil, I could see everything and everyone really well. Dweezil came out and announced he was feeling a little under the weather, but he'd do his best. He was great and he didn't seem too uncomfortable so I hope he enjoyed it also.

I saw Zappa Plays Zappa at the Hummingbird in Toronto in 2006. That show was wonderful also, although they played a lot more instrumental music since the guest singer couldn't make the show due to a family emergency. This time they played a wide array of Frank's music, including some classics including some of my favourites like Cosmic Debris and Broken Hearts Are For Assholes. I was pleasantly surprised at how they incorporated so many sound effects during the show. As I learned from Frank in the first place; little noises, magically placed, can make all the difference.

Dweezil's guitar tones are so Frank-like it's scary. Ray White sang like a champ and the bass player and other guitar player were brilliant too. The bass player looked waaaay too young to be that good. What did they do? Put a bass guitar in that guy's crib or what? The drummer, xylophone player and keyboardist were great too, each shining in their respective moments. My favourite band member, other than the Dweez, was Sheila G. She's so talented and funny on stage.

Some of the other songs they played were:
Flakes
Wet T-shirt Night
Willie The Pimp
Carolina
Joe's Garage
Lucielle
St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast

Thanks for brining ZPZ to this neck of the woods and long live Frank!!

Can anyone help out an enfeebled, shellshocked and downright bamboozled fan with a playlist for Kitchner's show?

My memory has been compromised...

Max Lobster
Joined: 05 Jun 2006
Posts: 64

Posted: 05 Jul 2008 14:53 Post subject:

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ZPZ
July 4, 2008
Elements Night Club
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

1. Kashmir/The Purple Lagoon
2. Imaginary Diseases
3. City of Tiny Lites
4. I'm a Beautiful Guy
5. Beauty Knows No Pain
6. Flakes
7. Broken Hearts are for Assholes
8. Bamboozled By Love
9. King Kong
10. Don't Eat the Yellow Snow
11. St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast
12. Father O'Blivion
13. Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up
14. Joe's Garage
15. Wet T-Shirt Night
16. Toad-o Line
17. Outside Now
18. He Used To Cut The Grass
19. Packard Goose
20. Willie the Pimp
encore
21. Cosmik Debris
22. Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy