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Zappa Plays Zappa on Tour

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bouche Apprentice

bouche

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ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA ON TOUR AGAIN THIS SUMMER

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Zappa Plays Zappa, the concert experience that brings the music of the late Frank Zappa to the stage, under the direction of Dweezil Zappa, will this summer again embark on a North American tour. The tour starts July 18 at Winnipeg 's Centennial Hall with a total of 30 performance dates set for the tour's first leg which concludes in Los Angeles at the end of August. Following a break, Zappa Plays Zappa embarks on a 17 city European tour including dates in the UK , Netherlands , Switzerland , Germany , France , Belgium , Denmark , Norway and Sweden .

In concept and performance, Zappa Plays Zappa offers audiences an opportunity to spend an evening with Frank Zappa's music, performed meticulously by a group of top flight musicians who have been schooled in its subtleties. Far from a “tribute band,” Zappa Plays Zappa is more of a vehicle that underscores the compositional genius of Frank Zappa much as a symphony orchestra would perform pieces by a master composer. Nate Chenen, writing about Zappa Plays Zappa in the New York Times recognized this when he wrote that the show fully realized Dweezil's intent for it to be "an argument for Frank Zappa's legitimacy as a composer."

Frank Zappa died in 1993 after a career that saw him record over 80 albums. Today, the younger Zappa and his band mates are taking full advantage of the wealth and breadth of the material contained therein. "What we're preparing to do for this tour is perhaps even more complex than what we did on the first tour," says Dweezil. "Last year we learned about 40 songs from a very popular period of Frank's career and this year we will be learning about 30 more new ones that are somewhat more obscure. The tour will include material from 'We're Only In It For The Money,' 'Absolutely Free,' 'Weasels Ripped My Flesh,' 'Joe's Garage,' 'You Are What You Is,' The Yellow Shark' and much more, including orchestral works.”

Frank Zappa will be, quite literally, visible during the Zappa Plays Zappa concerts. Large screen video of Zappa will be accompanied musically by the band enabling concert goers who might never had the opportunity to see Frank Zappa on stage in person to have this experience first-hand. Dweezil will rotate Frank Zappa video performances over the course of the tour.

The band Dweezil (lead guitar) has assembled for this year's Zappa Plays Zappa is composed of veterans of last year's tour including Joe Travers (drums), Billy Hulting (percussion), Scheila Gonzalez (keyboards, saxophone, vocals), Aaron Arntz (keyboards/trumpet), Peter Griffin (bass) and Jaime Kime (rhythm guitar). Joining the tour this year is Ray White, the vocalist who toured and recorded with Frank Zappa during the period of such albums as “ Tinsel Town Rebellion ,” “ You Are What You Is ” and “ Zappa in New York “ (his is the lead vocal on beloved song "The Illinois Enema Bandit").

Dweezil is also working on bringing Zappa Plays Zappa into the home with a feature length performance DVD, that documents the 2006 tour. It is expected to be released early this summer, concurrent with the 2007 tour.

Zappa Plays Zappa is an undertaking with a higher purpose in mind beyond filling seats with concert goers. Dweezil Zappa explains, “I think my Dad's music deserves to be heard by a wider audience. I really think he's been misunderstood for far too long, which brings me back to why I'm doing this: I'm so in awe of his accomplishments and want more and more people to know about him, and I think the best way for people to first discover his music is on a visceral level in a live situation. I think you have to be confronted with the complexity and the beautiful subtlety of all of it to fully appreciate the artistry of it."

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Official Site:

http://www.zappaplayszappa.com

Dweezil Zappa on MySpace:

http://myspace.com/dweezilzappa

Frank Zappa on MySpace:

http://www.myspace.com/frankzappa

Zappa Plays Zappa 2007 Tour Dates

July

26 - Columbus, OH - LC Pavilion

27 - Detroit, MI - Meadow Brook Festival

28 - Cleveland, OH - Cain Park

30 - Toronto, Ontario - Hummingbird

31 - Montreal, Quebec - Metropolis

August

1 - Quebec City, Quebec - Albert Rousseau Hall

2 - Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino

4 - Boston, MA - Fleet Boston Pavilion

5 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre

6 - Westbury, NY - North Fork Theatre at Westbury

8 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory

9 - Baltimore, MA - Ram's Head Tavern

10 - Norfolk, VA - NorVa

11 - Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

13 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom

15 - Albuquerque, NM - Kiva Auditorium

16 - Tucson, AZ - Fox Theatre

17 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theatre

18 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues

20 - Berkeley, CA - Berkeley Community Theatre

21 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues

22 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues

23 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theatre

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Kanada Kev Newbie

Kanada Kev

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Who else is going???? I'm psyched for the Toronto show on Monday.

Thanks for posting this article. It articulates well what this show is all about.

Last year's show was a live music highlight for me. I was really impressed with Joe Travers (drums) and Aaron Arntz (keyboards/trumpet). Fantastic musicians who are noticeably enthralled by performing this art on stage.

the best way for people to first discover his music is on a visceral level in a live situation. I think you have to be confronted with the complexity and the beautiful subtlety of all of it to fully appreciate the artistry of it.

PERFECT! I urge people to come see this show. Even if you don't know that much material by Zappa at all, you will still be blown away by the performance. See and hear where Trey got a huge portions of his influences. The last time you could get in pretty cheap with extras floating about outside.

Some fine seats avail right now too:

Section ORCH9

Row M

Seats 53-54

Description

ORCHESTRA SEATING

CENTRE SECTION

or

you could try to win freebies from Q107 up until midnight tonight:

http://listenersclub.q107.com/SweepstakeDetail.asp?aid=35270&status=Current

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tree troll Newbie

tree troll

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I can't wait.. i've been pumped about this for awhile!! last years show was great.. the music was amazing, and the crowd was totally into it. there was a standing ovation after the second song!

the set list consisted of some of his lesser known tunes (inca roads, stinkfoot) and some classics (yellow snow, peaches, montana)..

this year i'm hoping for the muffin man :)

on a random note... it was also only the 3rd out of countless shows i've been too that had a line up at the guys washroom.. and the womans was empty :) take that..

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Kanada Kev Newbie

Kanada Kev

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The show last night was AMAZING! Top notch from start to finish. The talent on stage was overflowing and everyone seemed to be in top form.

Still blown away by dummer extraordinnaire Joe Travers! This guy is the shit. He is in that upper eschelon of players IMHO.

Big treat hearing Ray White on vocals (and guitar). Ray toured with Frank in the mid-late 70s and has an incredible voice. He is the same Ray White who was the "W" in KVHW in 98/99 (and later kicked out of that band )

Different setlist from last year's performance. If this is the beginning of an onrunnuing establishment of touring Frank, I'm a happy man. Got to hear (in no particular order) Black Napkins right off the start, Illinois Enema Bandit, Joe's Garage, Muffin Man, Pygmy Twilight, City Of Tiny Lights, My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama, Dirty Love, Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy, Dumb All Over, What's New in Baltimore?, Dupree's Paradise, Uncle Remus, Willie the Pimp, San Ber'dino, and more.

Too bad I couldn't post here in time, but at 630pm my buddy let me know he had 3 pairs of FREE TIX for the show. I was able to get one pair to a friend and leave 'em at the box office. Don't know what he was able to do with the others ... prob just comped in a few people for fun :)

Don't miss this show ... i mean it!

For anyone else who was there last night .....

BOK CHOI :D:D:D

Bok_choy_in_Chinatown_New_York_-_440_by_265.JPG

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nibbler Newbie

nibbler

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Show me your thumb if your really dumb

I was just trying to remember what tunes we heard last night...

Your list:

Black Napkins

Illinois Enema Bandit

Joe's Garage

Muffin Man

Pygmy Twilight, City Of Tiny Lites

My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama

Dirty Love

Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy

Dumb All Over

What's New in Baltimore

Dupree's Paradise

Uncle Remus

Willie the Pimp

San Ber'dino

A few you missed:

Andy

Brown Shoes Don't Make it

Advance Romance

Wind up Workin in a Gas Station

G-Spot Tornado

+ "Don't Be A Human"

Anyone notice? Did we hear A Pound for a Brown? - What else?!

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