I had the fortunate pleasure of attending this show with a life long friend John Verterano. Growing up in our teenage years John and I were two of a crew of 100 that hung at a local Maspeth/Middle Village hang out knows as The Moon Pub. John and I were the resident Zappa Freaks while the majority were into Blue Oyster Cult. Anyhow in celebrating John's 44th Birthday we started it off this past Thursday by getting a crew of 8 together for a Deep purple, Blue Oyster Cult & Edgar Winter Extravaganza at what is becoming a ZPZ Stomping Ground known as the Chevrolet Theater in Wallingford CT. The weekend then culminated with a crew of 50 gathering at a lake house in the Catskills where it seemed like we were off playing The Sopranos with Bobby Baccala. I left the long weekend party a day early as I headed to see ZPZ in Red Bank NJ and here were are now continuing the celebration at Sound Check For ZPZ. There seemed to be a group of about 100 people intimately situated throughout the theater. They went through there rounds of articulating Sonic Perfection and towards the end Dweezil commented on how in order to fit in Wild Love & Yo Mama what would need to be omitted from the program. I took the commentary as an indirect quote of respect towards my desire to hear this Album Side as I had been talking to Joe and Dweezil in a variety of forms of communication about my desire to hear this selection over the last few days. As this set of material is not only intricate with delicate nuances but also quite time consuming due to a variety of factors which most importantly seem to include having everything in the theater and ear plugs working correctly for this to be pulled off it is understandable that this selection is not standard included and performed night after night. What I mean is there could be intent to perform it but some unforeseen circumstance could prohibit actual performance once the show starts rolling. Anyhow the crowd loved the sound check and as I awaited for the sternest accomplished core band member who quite possibly holds the longest term of employment for the name Zappa since 1940 to finish up and then join us for dinner I knew there was a possibility for side four of Sheik Yerbouti to finally be a part of my personal fanatical desire.
So we made our way to Post Avenue in Westbury having a wonderful dinner of salads and pastas. I commented on how when I was a kid how a typical Pizza place had tin ceilings and paper cups with flowing orange and grape drink but now these marble and cherry wood infested high end pizzerias were the new trend. The food and conversation was great with us all catching up on life since the last tour. While there are lots more surprises in store(biting my tongue) a good portion of what has been written by that Trendmonger Guy and the rest of the Zappa NG naturally seemed to be a portion of the conversation in addition to all the spoken and unspoken issues that dominate the Zappa Community. I will tell you that I have a clue as to what is on my very own personal Vault Tape Worm but I will leave it up to those who purchased that amazing official release #81 CD to figure out what is on their very own piece of Vault Tape. I can't wait to hear the stories as some fan may invest the time and money to get there little Vault BLIP Sampled. Wait listen I can hear that millisecond of Vault DNA. As it would be a near by eater who made his way down from Quebec the day before along with his buddy overheard our conversation. I used this opportunity to once again pronounce my admiration for how ZPZ performs Franks music Authentically by not only applying all the impossible Notes and Rhythms but getting all the necessary tone colors into the composition the same way a maestro would demand of an orchestra. I explained how Unexpected Perfection was based more on Frank Zappa Standards than a Fanatical point of view. Anyhow these guys were fun and eagerly could not wait to see ZPZ.
Improvisation (conducted by DZ)
A fine way to start off the show giving a glimpse as to how this band can improvise with a set of given hand signals from Dweezil. As this is now the second ZPZ TDF Dwezil seems to be in command of the band more so than ever. Wait folks this is only the second tour. If this goes on for 20 years who knows what is in store. I continue to expect the unexpected. Dweezil may not have chosen as of yet to play the role of a foaming vile crazy monster that was just let out of a cage that Frank at times may have exhibited at will but Dweezil is far more at ease and expertise in this role of ringleader. But remember folks while there are notes involved in these multifarious compositions at times Dweezil & the ZPZ band show their ability as a unit to present in the moment composition as heard here and Duprees Paradise.
My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama was a fine ZPZ Core Band opener following the improv segment. The arrangement was live and vibrant as heard on Weasels Ripped My Flesh. Anyone who feels or fears that ZPZ sounds like some Juke Box must really be smoking some Kronic because Out of the Box ZPZ very enthusiastically performed these multifarious compositions with unexpected perfection. While Frank did perform arrangements of this track in the 80s for my taste the original arrangement is most appealing and ZPZ nailed it. Be it Dweezil bringing it on with FZ long lost Vocal & Guitar Tone as heard on the LP or Scheila Gonzalez frantically interluding with some serious Soprano Sax that put the 2007 Kenny G Wille The Pimp Joke to rest the ZPZ 2007 My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama was a very inspired introduction to how this Core band can Stand On Their Own with Franks Multifarious Compositions.
City of Tiny Lights was the perfect show intro for Special Guest Ray White. A bit earlier in the program as compared to the previous evening in New Jersey but for a second night in a row ZPZ took me to the peak of Mt Everest. Rays voice and stage presence was strong. As expected he could not only hit all those high notes and rhythms that Adrian Belew did as heard on Sheik Yerbouti but Ray added his really fine personal stage presence as the showman he is. The Guitar Work, Drumming and Rhythm Section was by far the highest level of energy version of City of Tiny Lights I have ever heard. Anyone thinking that I saw Frank on a bad night must seriously have weasel dust for brains. Dweezil was in some serious overdrive throughout delivering all sorts of monstrous Frank Zappa Signature Guitar Air Sculptures that I wished could go on forever. He soloed quite a bit more than Frank did on the LP and it only grew in it's adventurous compositional approach. The Band just kept vamping that deep rhythmic bass and drums culminating the musical phrase time and time again with a Billy Hunting Gong Crash. The phrase repeated over and over as that driving Rhythm with Joe Travers mastering Bozzio Territory and Pete Griffin driving the deep bass with Dweezil locked into Frank's air sculptures. When the solo ended the Unilateral Return To Forever Infrared Fusion Outro severely articulated the spoken phrase by my friend John and I
"We're witnessing a performance of ZPZ TDF City Of Tiny Lights from the top of Mt. Everest."
Montana (w/DRS video trailer 74, FZ vocals & guitar solo)
First time seeing Montana on this tour for me. Amazing.
This would be one of four special arrangements of the ZPZ Band performing with Frank Zappa. As last evening Franks Voacals & Guitar could clearly be heard where the arrangement sounded full in this marriage of ZPZ with Frank Archived Video/Audio. At times this form of arrangement of mixing an Audio Track with a live band may visually and audio be surreal but I was extremely impressed at how well it was mixed and how much balls Franks guitar had. It really appeared through my eyes and ears that Frank was performing with the ZPZ Band. While there were 4 arrangements in the show I never felt during any moment of any one of these arrangements that a loss of energy was instilled into the show. The crowd loudly cheered The Living Spirit of Frank as he presented himself with the ZPZ Band. Once again if a single audio track as is done here as it is extrapolated from a video you would expect a drop in live energy but it all seamlessly felt like a live show. I am not sure if this can work out 100% each time out for bands doing this type of thing but ZPZ & Archived Frank on Audio & Video is a most special adventure into alternative live entertainment.
Carolina Hardcore Ecstasy Once again the ZPZ Band nailed a Bongo Fury Classic. By now fans who may have been searching for the smallest criticism on how the performance may have too much or too little emphasis on anything in particular regards to some Alumni Quotient Waving Flag should have realized in just a few numbers that ZPZ is stronger than the star power guest lineup in 2006. As the show progressed whether it be the many songs in the set list that included massive amounts of Signature FZ Guitar Air Sculptures or the most complicated seemingly humanly impossible chamber works Dweezil & The ZPZ Band carried a torch of Unexpected Perfection.
On the way over to the show the human
AnsleyThomHumphBozziAiutAckerman Clone turned up my Zoot Allures CD. As I commented on how Frank seemed to have arranged those (La la la la la-ahh la) and (Rat-tat-tat-tat ta-da!) vocal harmonies in the style of The Doobie Brothers in
Find Her Finer I find the little Conceptual Continuity to this number most fitting. Be it a Doobie Brothers tape, a Roger Daultry Cape or being stomped on by the ZPZ TDF 14 triple D Shoes, yes you heard right Unexpected Perfection by Frank Zappa standards.
I Am The Slime
In similar fashion to Red Bank, NJ who could imagine you could be Fantasia Barrino, who could imagine you could be Don Pardo, who could imagine you could be Frank Zappa, Who could imagine...... well Dweezil gladly suggested for some audience participation here. The arrangement was true to the SNL version with Billy Hulting delivering the Don Pardo intro and Dweezil delivering that Frank in Bozzio's Bass Drum Deep Reverb Vocal , the band was in the pocket vocally, rhythmically and adding all the special sauce necessary to a tune that primarily is a disco rock groove. From the first thunderous snare, accentuated Sax through a blistering solo by Dweezil this was everything and more than one could have expected out of a performance of an audience favorite. As fans sing along we knew, Don't touch that dial for the show still had an additional two hours of the finest optional entertainment in it. I'll take this time to mention that at the end of many numbers the house lights came on briefly and the band received a thunderous ovation that was as loud as any of the 50 or so Zappa concerts I had attended. There may very well have been 12 thunderous standing ovations as some songs did not have a break in performance.
Dumb All Over (w/DRS video trailer 81, vocals & guitar solo tracks by FZ)
What can I say. It gets better each time I see this. Being front row center at Halloween 1981 Palladium show was one of the most enjoyable performances in my life but the clarity of FZs Vocals and Guitar is really something special here. After the vocal Frank sits on his stool with his Les Paul and it's one amazing Air Sculpture. Once again the guitar has balls and can easily be heard in the live mix with the ZPZ Band. I can only guess what is in store down the road with ZPZ. You have to witness this stuff to believe it. Let me tell you this, some forum member here in a Re:View below had some issues with the front row sound at the North Fork Theater. What did he expect siting in Row A. The original concert I was at as seen in this video I was front row center and ZPZ sounded better, much better a significant difference. You want to see the fingers, get band member sweat or a guitar pick sit in the front row. You want excellent sound sit in the mixing console sweet spot. For this concert I specifically purchased the lower pricing seats and I was in Section A Row O. For the sound check here at Westbury just for the hell of it we sat closer maybe 5 rows up and the sound was no where near as good and that was without any moronic fan that sat behind me during the show that when he was almost continually talking to his buddy I heard it in my ear disturbing the house mix. I'd cup my hand towards my ears to catch the sound and wall whatever buddy voice ramblings going on behind me and still Row O was 100 Times Better than 5th Row. So this guy had Row A what does he expect. This show to my eyes and ears and the show the night before was the best Concerts I had ever seen in my life.
What's New in Baltimore?
Well this is another fine example of how the ZPZ Band Authentically performs these arrangements by not only playing all the impossible Notes and Rhythms but getting all the necessary tone colors into the composition the same way a maestro would demand of an orchestra. When it came to the solo section Dweezil once again boldly performed Frank Zappa Air Sculptures without for a minute sounding out of context. Folks this commentary is in no way ass kissing. It is just how good these performances sound. The vocal section response where Dweezil stated
Hot Rods Lips was true to a Frank quote and as heard in the Count Basie Theater performance an air of
I Don't Know until they actually play in Baltimore in a few days was part of the program. Is Brittany Spears and her fake flower tattooed skinny dipping nipples moving there for that Mickey Mouse Club gal also seemed to be a part of a running joke over the two nights? Billy Hulting and Aron Arnst stood out in performance of the first section and Dweezil not only note for note but in tonality performed Franks solo with what is becoming commonly unexpected perfection . A wonderful new addition to ZPZ TDF for 2007.
To Be Continued ----
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
I'll now listen more closely when my companion puts on a Zappa tune.
Growing up hearing Zappa every day, it wasnt until the last year that I've become a fellow Freak. A major reason being I was too young to see Frank play. So all I've heard for years from my dad was no show could ever compare to a Zappa concert. Ya Ya Ya, I went to plenty of amazing shows (mostly metal/harcore) , just a matter of taste, right? Well when last years ZPZ came round to NYC on ole' Hallows Eve, my mind was changed forever. The brilliance that is Frank's music has endured decades of absolute "cheese" and does so without mercy. Since that show, I've been studying the endless back-catalouge that is Zappa religously, praying that ZPZ would tour endlessly for years and years to come so one day my children can appreciate the amazing music Frank had created. Dweezil, your the man, last night proved it. The smile on your face as the crowd cheered you on said it all. You've really come into your own, and like everyone on here says, your father would be so proud. For as long as you wanna keep ZPZ alive, I shall be there. Beacon Theatre be prepared, Zappa and the Freaks will own you.