What can I say about these guys (and girl) ? They consistently put out a dynamite show and this night was no exception.
I had never been to The Roxy and was amazed at the intimacy of the place. That, coupled with the performance, made it worth every penny of the admission price - I'd gladly do it again (and several people must have agreed with me as there were many at the show who had been at some, even all, of the 3 previous shows). What a great call to do this kind of small show, where there isn't a a bad seat in the house.
When I got in, the place was about half full but mysteriously the front row was nearly empty. I plunked down right in front of where Ray White would be standing. You know, even when he's not knocking you out with his incredible vocals, he's entertaining with his antics in support of the songs' themes. In Billy The Mountain , he was looking down at the floor next to me so convincingly (this is when Studebaker is falling into Billy's mouth), that myself and 3 others around me started looking down to see what he was looking at!
I also had a great view of Scheila, and I was just hyp-no-tized by her performance in Echidna's Arf Of You, amazing! And it doesn't hurt that her smile makes the stage lights seem dim by comparison
The only downside to this seat location (probably why so many passed it up) was that you couldn't hear the house sound very well, but I love hearing the sound come off the amps, and Dweezil did not disappoint, I got to hear a lot of nuance that you miss when mixed in with all the other instruments.
If you've seen ZPZ, you know that one of the most enjoyable things about their performances is how much they seem to enjoy playing this difficult and challenging music. After all the stage antics, you get the sense that they really enjoyed playing the show as much as we enjoyed watching it.
There seemed to be a lot of musicians in the audience, almost everyone I talked to played one instrument or another, and I guess this is not surprising because FZ wrote such challenging stuff. As a drummer, my seat location prevented me from seeing any of Joe's fabulous work, I could hear it all right but I love trying to figure out how he plays those amazing runs he does. I couldn't see Aaron either and really you just don;t want to miss what any of these musicians are doing. I could hear him OK but part of why I like live shows is because some part of me really doesn't believe that it is humanly possible to play some of this music and I need to see it with my own eyes to believe it. I'd love to have a view of Aaron's work at the keyboards! Maybe an overhead "Aaron Cam" ?
I also had a pretty good view of Jamie and Pete. In fact, by hearing the sound coming off the amps, I got a much greater appreciation for the stunning guitar work of Jamie's. You know, his rhythm and backup guitar work is really quite astounding but when you listen to a total mix it can go underappreciated. Believe me, if you see what he is playing and hear it you will be impressed. And Pete - wow- he lays down a groove like nobody's business! Some of those bass lines just seem impossible but he delivers them with enthusiasm and precision. You just can't keep still when he gets it going. In the back, Billy The H is another one I'd like to see a camera on - so many different things he plays back there and each one is a crucial part of the total sound, it wouldn't sound right without the accents and nuances he adds. And I loved the way he shared "gong duty" with just about everyone in Muffin man! Who doesn't like to bang a gong ?
Lastly, of course, Dweezil MF'ing Zappa - when you see him play and direct the action, you can really see the Zappa genetics at work. Good genes + hard work = fantastic performer! I'm so impressed with his achievements in recreating the tones of his father's original works, and his dedication to bringing these songs back so faithfully, in technique and spirit. I've used up all my vocabulary and can only say "Thank You" for continuing to bring this treat to us fans on a regular basis. I went right home (3 hour drive) and purchased my ticket to see them when they come to San Diego.
I like the voting on the set list concept and was totally chuffed to see my favorite "Magic Fingers" find its way into play. You simply NEVER hear that song anywhere (unless you own 200 Motels), and to see it played live, well, you could have killed me right there and I would have died happy!
Thank you ZPZ, keep on playing and we'll keep showing up. A good time was had by all this night. If you are on the fence about seeing these folks perform, jump right off it and get yourself a ticket, because I don't think these guys ever have a bad night!
Oh, I almost forgot, the special appearance by Warren Demartini in Montana was like the cherry on top of the sundae, what a treat!
As I am remembering, another special treat was when Dweezil handed the SG over to Ray - man that cat can play! Keep this in the show folks, it was really a blast !!
If I can make one suggestion, I know making up the setlist is hard, but it would be really sweet if one of the old songs could be squeezed in somewhere, like a song off Freak Out - Hungry Freaks, WowieZowie, You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here would be among my "vote list"
Robert in San Diego
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