Zappa.com

Did you attend this show at Berkeley Community Theatre in Berkeley?

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

WOW- Frank truely lives on thanks to Dweezil & the awesome cast of young musicians he has assembled ( along with alum Ray White). The show @ Berkeley was everything & more than I expexted. After the first time seeing The MOI @ the Berkeley Community Theater in 1971 with the Grand Wazoo/Waka Jawaka band. The complete enjoyment & fun it appeared the band was having was a treat. Thanks ZPZ & we look forward to the next tour.

Dweezil and band-

Thank you for allowing all of us to hear Frank's music performed live once
again.

The community theatre is a great hall and the sound was very good. Frank played this theatre many times, I somehow feel it was one of his favorite places to perform.

I was upset to learn that the Portland and Seattle DVD has not been released yet. At least it was not available at the show last night.

...and while we are discussing video and DVD what's up with the Roxy release?

HEY all still reeling from last nights show.......City of Tiny Lights still plays in my head. Could someone please post the set list from last night. My tiny little brain doesn't recall it all in order. Thanks again Dweezil & Co.

This was my 7th time seeing them and I'll definitely go again, and again.

setlist(from what I can recall)

Dog Meat - with an intro I was not familiar with(not exercise#4)
City of Tiny Lights - Ray intro
Advance Romance
Carolina Hard Core Ecstasy
Dumb All Over (w/FZ video)
What's New In Baltimore?
Son Of Suzy Creamcheese
Brown Shoes Don't Make It
America Drinks & Goes Home
Pygmy Twylyte
Dupree's Paradise - Packard Goose/Keep It Greasy/Heavy Duty Judy/Big Swifty solo sections - "Let the raccoon scratch your face"
Uncle Remus
Willie the Pimp
Joe's Garage
Wind Up Workin' At A Gas Station
San Ber'dino
Illinois Enema Bandit
Wild Love
Yo Mama


Encore:
Cosmik Debris (w/FZ video)
G-Spot Tornado
Muffin Man (w/FZ video)


I'm not sure when the Absolutely Free medley fell in. Any help fixing the order or actual songs would be appreciated.

Fantastic show last night by Dweezil and the rest of the ZPZs. Superb playing and singing, and it was great to have Frank sitting in for a few numbers. He really seemed to be digging Dweezil's solo in Cozmik Debris!

I hope they do come back every year.

The way I see it, Barry, this sure was a very dynamite show!

First off, if the admin sees this and is near Scheila, tell her that the Dahlberg contingent and friends was there to see her last night backstage, but had to cut out. Though I haven' t met you yet Scheila, I wanted to thank you PROFUSELY for the passes and whatnot, tell you you're the bomb playin' 2 horns at once (what??) and I'm the one on that tape Ian gave you. You rock, and will hopefully get to meet you someday soon!

The show was awesome!! I've never been able to groove to Zappa's music live before, and was honored to get the opportunity. I was just getting to get familiar with FZ and his music about the time he was diagnosed with the big CA. I had only known "Valley Girl" prior to that, and I thought it was brilliant. Later, I was totally bombarded with FZ by a friend who had at least 2/3 of the Zappa discography, and I was floored. It tweaked my head, and fucked with my mind and it was the best drug ever! I fell in love with Lumpy Gravy I, St. Alophonso's Pancake Breakfast and sooo many others. One size fits all, thus far continues to be my favorite, followed by the best band you never heard, and will now pursue more of the discography beginning with all the You can't do that on stage's. Thank you, Dweezil for giving me the opportunity to hear your Dad's music live. It was a real pleasure! And bravo for doing the Yellow Shark Versions of Dog Breath and G-spot! I was NOT expecting G-spot! I want to sing with you!

Rock on!!

Blckbtch
aka Juanita

It was a totally amazing show last night. Dweez was very generous. I stayed about 10 minutes after the show and he spent a lot of time talking to fans and shaking hands at the front of the stage.

This is as good as it gets if you are a Zappa fan. Dweez is well on his way to matching Frank's musical abilities but I don't think he is quite there yet. I listened to Hot Rats on the way home (the only Zappa tape I had in my car) and there is an extra level of sophistication to Frank's playing and ability to orchestrate the music of the other players.

I also think the people that Frank played with were a bit better then the musicians in Dweezil's current band. But where the heck are you going to find another Captain Beefheart?

Dweezil's playing was some of the best I've seen in decades, however. I just saw Velvet Revolver and I don't think Slash played any single notes or runs at any point in the entire show (what a disappointment).

I would definately go again just to see Dweezil get even better. I suggest an injection of more training in Jazz and composition. The videos of Frank playing were great to see; but Dweez, you're good enough to stand out on your own. Keep on keeping on. You have one of the best shows out there today.

It was an awesome show. Dweezil does his father proud. Every bit as talented -- I need to check out some of his solo stuff.

Loved the show in Berkeley last night. My first time seeing ZpZ, but not my last. I hadn't heard some of that music in decades.

Dweezil has an excellent vision with this series of shows. I think he has chosen well from Franks' large catalog of music, with a good representation drawn from all his father's stuff.

It seems obvious from the performance that the players love the music and enjoy what they're doing.

I was also impressed by the high level of talent and musicianship displayed by all the players. They may not all be well-known players, but each one of them is very versatile and quite accomplished.

I feel this group of players held their own musically when compared to Frank's original bands. I really enjoyed the show and will see it again.

Pete - I'm on the phone with your Mom right now. She sez she loves you.

Dweez has really gotten his father's tone and phrasing down, it was fabulously sleezy sounding stuff. An unrelenting assault. Just awesome.

Besides taking on "Dog/Meat" and "G-Spot Tornado", how about having the cajones to handle the "Wild Love/Yo' Momma" couplet? Dweezil is doing a fine job with the song selection by avoiding the more risque crowd favorites. Keep it up Dweezil, I still want my wife to go to these, she's loving it!

And isn't Pete Griffin just the happiest, rockin' bass player? Man, was he a lot of fun to watch.

Also, Dweezil had some fun with some drooling fool in the audience who was requesting "Valley Girl" before they even started playing. The guy kept on demanding it and after Dweezil refused the dude yells "Zappa Plays Zappa!" Dweezil replied with: "Yes, you're in the correct auditorium."

I also took a friend along (a more casual fan), he's ready to go again when ZPZ returns.

Zappa Plays Zappa - Absurdity and musicianship, presented with conviction. Ask for it by name.

Like BustaNut, I listened to Hot Rats on my way home. To me it felt like a seamless continuation of what I had just listened to. Dweezil was amazing. I also found Ray White to be very entertaining - San Ber'dino and Enema Bandit were a riot. Everyone on stage was excellent as demonstrated by the solos, but it was clearly Dweezil's show. I should say though that one of the highlights of the night for me was Dweezil dictating to Scheila what horns to play (culminating with the 2 horns at a time solo)!

It was a good mixture of jaw-dropping virtuoso playing and goofy, silly falsetto harmony songs, though my preference is for the instrumentals in general. I just got back a couple weeks ago from seeing the Eric Clapton Crossroads concert with Jeff Beck, Blind Faith, John McLaughlin, and the guitar playing last night is comparable. If I were to make a request it would be for Gumbo Variations (I suppose that would require a fiddle).

I'm looking forward to this being annual!

Thank You Thank You Thank You Dweezil for an incredible show!

The band was awesome and I'd say Dweezil has done Frank's legacy proud!

I had to pleasure to take my 14 year old son, also like me a guitar picker, and we both were blown away by Dweezil Zappa's playing. My son can do the fast double picking like those crazy young heavy metal pickers, but we never heard anyone maintain that level of speed for as long as Dweezil, and with great musicality, power, and feeling!

It was my son's first rock concert. My first concert was the Mothers of Invention at the Shrine Expo Hall in L.A., June or July 1968! I may have been hallucinating but I swear that Clapton sat in with the band, with his back to the audience... That same summer I saw Jeff Beck (with Rod Stewart), The Who (albeit without a Roger Daltry cape..), Mike Bloomfield (Butterfield Blues Band), Buddy Guy with Junior Wells, Albert Collins, Albert King, and Jessie Ed Davis (with Taj Mahal). Frank Zappa ranks right up there with the best, and now Dweezil is in a league of his own.

Best to you and the Zappa family.
-PabloSablo - aka Paul Burtone

I saw ZPZ twice last year, Warfield in SF and the Moranga Casino out near where potato headed Bobby lived... The progression and maturing of both Dweezil and the entire band then was incredible. I have been looking forward to this Berkeley show for a very long time and Dweezil and the band blew away my already very high expectations. I originally purchased two tickets for my wife and I on the pre-sale and got some orchestra front row center seats. The the ticketbastard auction pops up, and despite a not so fan-friendly sound-check experience at Moronga, I went ahead and put in what I was willing to pay to try again. The reward, two front row pit tickets with sound check. We got a fifth ticket for a great friend who is also a Zappa fanatic and gave the front row orchestra seats to our 14 year old daughter and 16 year old son. Now, while these kids are not huge Zappa fans, they did grow up listening to a lot of his music and were singing along to "Titties and Beer" in the back seat of the car when they were around 3 years old.

Okay, long winded preamble done... Sorry about that. The five of us drive from Santa Cruz to Berzerkely mid-afternoon in time for mom and dad to hit the sound check. Very well organized, on time entry, and around 45 minutes of incredible music from a very gracious Dweez' and band. Totally unlike the Moranga nightmare. Thank you!!!!!!

The show itself was mind blowing. The venue was special for me since I had seen Frank play there years ago at one of the many shows I saw of his. Dweezil was on fire. His playing has stepped up to a whole new level even since just last December. The entire band was, as they were last year, amazing and clearly having fun. Ray...what can I say. The first time I have seen him perform since the 1980s with Frank and he was incredible, though he did need a little help from the Vaultmeister with Joe's Garage lyrics. (Happy Birthday Joe!!!!) Our friend who came along had seen Frank almost as many times as I had and he has been hearing me rave about ZPZ for over a year now. He went in with reasonable expectations and left blown away. Our kids loved the show too, especially my death metal fan son who listens to crap that makes my skin crawl. He came away totally blown away by the entire band and especially Dweezil's guitar playing--he demanded that any time I go see this band in the future that he must come along--a new Zappa fan for sure! My 14 year old daughter is an amazing musician (keyboards) and if nothing else she came away with inspiration of musical greatness.

Almost too many hi lites to mention. The solo on Yo Mama was mind blowing. Dweezil's amazing guitar playing that at times almost felt like he was channeling his father into the room with his playing, and I don't mean just on the video screen. Ray's voice. Pete's energy. Schiela's mind blowing chops and stage presence. Aaron's ever present keyboard virtuosity and trumpet work. Joe never missed a beat and truly is an incredible drummer. Billy's percussion was spot on and brilliant. Jamie's guitar playing was perfection. An awesome band. Great setlist. I can't wait for next time.

The video tracks worked flawlessly. As an AV Engineer I know full well the technological challenges to make that work and the crew and band pulled it off with perfection.

Dweezil and many of the band members graciously stayed after the show to sign autographs, chat with fans, and be real and genuine. They didn't have to. In fact, at 11:00 at night with a gig some 600 miles away the following night I thank them all for staying and I know we fans appreciated it very much too.

A night I will treasure for the rest of my life. We all had a great time. Thank you Dweezil so much for putting this together!!!!!!!!!!!! Please keep this going as long as you can!!!!!

Still reeling from the show on Monday. It was the complete package for myself. I brought my 18 yr old son who has had the opportunity to see the Grandmothers back in 2005 I believe ( @ the Avalon Ballrooom SF) & now for him to be able to see Dweezil recreating his fathers music so perfectly & with such fun was a great experience for both of us. The professionalism & skill of each of these talented musicians was a thrill for me beyond words. I very much look forward to the next time ZpZ tours.
.....................................KEEP FRANK'S MUSIC ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks again to Dweezil & co. for the awesome music & show.