Any Frank Zappa fans here?

In memory of "The Captain"
[video=youtube_share;HE32tcojArI] - Captain Beefheart - Electricity[/video]
 
I get excited about going to see the Zappa plays Zappa show. It is such a great concert. I'll be heading to Philadelphia in about 30 minutes to see this show again. :righton:
 
tuscarora dave said:
I get excited about going to see the Zappa plays Zappa show. It is such a great concert. I'll be heading to Philadelphia in about 30 minutes to see this show again. :righton:
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Have fun Dave! I wish it would come to charlotte!
 
Back in the day saw Frank several times in big venues and in small clubs in Hollywood where he would just stop by and play an improvisational set. True genius as was the Captain. Little known tidbit is Frank and John Mayall used to play together and trade/borrow band mates. So many great musicians played with both. Frank was also known as to many as the father of Laurel canyon, much as Mama Cass was the mother as he would take in wayward musicians and provide shelter and support for them. Many careers were started recording in his home in the canyon. The world truly misses them both. I'm amazed I can even remember those times for what they did to my brain most likely.
 
tuscarora dave said:
I get excited about going to see the Zappa plays Zappa show. It is such a great concert. I'll be heading to Philadelphia in about 30 minutes to see this show again. :righton:
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Enjoy the concert.........maybe they'll come close to where I live someday.
Remember: "Watch out where the Huskies go..........:)

Bob
 
dad07 said:
Have fun Dave! I wish it would come to charlotte!
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They opened up for Return to Forever (Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Frank Gamble) who I had never seen before though I have had some Jean-Luc Ponty vinyl and some Al DiMeola vinyl albums. I love the ZPZ shows and have over 100 FZ albums but I have to say I now know why they opened up for Return To Forever. These guys put on the most incredible performance that I have ever seen. If they come to or even near your city, I suggest that you make the show.
bobble said:
Back in the day saw Frank several times in big venues and in small clubs in Hollywood where he would just stop by and play an improvisational set. True genius as was the Captain. Little known tidbit is Frank and John Mayall used to play together and trade/borrow band mates. So many great musicians played with both. Frank was also known as to many as the father of Laurel canyon, much as Mama Cass was the mother as he would take in wayward musicians and provide shelter and support for them. Many careers were started recording in his home in the canyon. The world truly misses them both. I'm amazed I can even remember those times for what they did to my brain most likely.
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Thanks for that bit of very interesting FZ history. I had read FZ's biography and "the Real Frank Zappa Book" and read a lot about the "Blues Breakers". It's fun to think about them trading off musicians. FZ mentions having Mama Cass at his Laurel Canyon home in his book but I didn't know about his dealings with John Mayall.

FUNX725 said:
Enjoy the concert.........maybe they'll come close to where I live someday.
Remember: "Watch out where the Huskies go..........:)

Bob
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"The Dweez" and friends did a most terrific rendition of don't you eat that yellow snow followed by St. Alfonso's pancake breakfast. Truly amazing musicians.
 
I went to the coolest music venue last night to see "Project Object", a Frank Zappa tribute band that often features newer up and comers in the music industry. This is one of the tightest bands I've ever seen. There are various musicians having played in Frank Zappa's lineups over the years playing in the band. Last night there were the likes of Ike Willis, Ray White, Tom Fowler and Ed Mann performing with the other great musicians in the band.

What was most interesting about last night's show was the venue. These guys are world renowned musicians that tour all over the world, so I was surprised when my GPS took me here to this little horse farm in south central PA.



As we turned on to the road that the GPS was telling us to turn on to, I was somewhat confused and almost sure that we were in the wrong place. I drove on back the narrow dirt road despite my apprehension where I saw a few hippy looking dudes standing by the barn. As I drove up to the barn, we asked "Is this the right place for the Project Object show?" They told us it was indeed the right place but we were way early.

When we told him that we were personally invited by Ike Willis to come out and help unload and setup we were welcomed to stay. Of course the band wasn't there yet, so we went and found a choice parking spot in the upper field where we were greeted by this thing...



As this little guy came meandering across the field to meet us at the car, I was like..."What thu...Is it a baby wild boar?...Is it a dog? What is that thing?" It was explained to me later by the property owner that this little guy is a "Farm Scotty" and that he actually is of a champion blood line and has produced many litters of AKC Scotties.

I never got the dog's name but as soon as he got close to me I told my buddy, "Look Dude, the dog looks a lot like Frank Zappa." I followed him around snapping photo after photo until I could actually get a half decent shot of his face. The boy was quite elusive and it took like 30 tries to get the photos I did get of him. Here's another.



There were horses, goats and chickens, and the lay of the land was absolutely gorgeous. As a not for profit organization, this place is very exclusive and by donation only, to cover the cost of the entertainment and other related costs of putting on the show and as such you can only get a seat by being on their mailing list and sending in a suitable donation check. Once they get your check, they tape your name to one of the 90 seats and that seat is yours for the night.

I understand that they put on about a dozen shows per year at this place. Strictly BYOB, there is no bar and therefore not many if any really drunk folks there. Just an adult type of party where one can go to see some really great musical talent and enjoy the evening.

The show actually went on inside the barn pictured below.



The band finally came rolling in. Below is Ike Willis toward the right of the photo, chatting with a friend of the lead guitar player Andre´ Cholmondeley's girlfriend, and Keyboard/Synthesizer player Kendall Scott stretching out in the van doorway after a long ride from New Jersey.



A little while later, Tom Fowler and Ed Mann came rolling in in their rental car. Below is the great Ray White leaning in talking to the awesome duo that is Tom Fowler and Ed Mann. I found out later last night that among his other great achievements, Tom Fowler played Bass for Ray Charles during the last ten years of Ray's life. Didn't know that, but that's quite an accomplishment I'd say.



Shortly after I took this photo, Ray White and I were talking for a while and the dog come rolling on past us. Remember the dog?



Ray looked at the dog as it walked on by and yelled, "Ike!! Ike!! come over here, Ike you got to see this. Who's the dog remind you of Ike?"

Ike Willis took one look at the dog and said, "Oh My God!! The freaking dog looks just like Frank!!" I about fell out laughing cause only an hour earlier I said the exact same thing.

Here's what the inside of the barn was like as we unloaded the trucks and set the stage for the show.



Here's the best I could do as to getting some video with my cell phone during the show.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7m8Db_TiuI]Snail Pie Lounge, Project Object 5/09/2013 - YouTube[/video]

I've been an FZ fan since I first heard the Sheik Yerbouti album back in 1987 and have around 100 FZ titles now. There are a lot of FZ fans in the world but there are more who don't care for the avant garde style of FZ. Hopefully this post reaches a fan or two.

It truly was a great evening having been invited and hanging with these world class musicians who are so down to earth and completely unpretentious.

Thanks for looking, TD
 
Met Frank at the album release party for "ship arriiving too late to save a drowning wtch" release
 
Evelyn, a dog, having undergone
Further modification
Pondered the significance of short-person behavior
In pedal-depressed panchromatic resonance
And other highly ambient domains . . .

Arf she said


Brilliant
 
Ken Brenner said:
Evelyn, a dog, having undergone
Further modification
Pondered the significance of short-person behavior
In pedal-depressed panchromatic resonance
And other highly ambient domains . . .

Arf she said


Brilliant
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Poking around about Evelyn I stumbled upon this, which I find quite interesting. (author unknown)

This song's lyrics are frank's prophetic description of his life after death.
evelyn, lying sedated and numb, sleeps uneasily, and dreams under the lights of the veterinarian's operating chamber. Frank's foreign brain, finding itself within the dog, first reacts to canine unconsciousness by remembering it's final human moments ( with intelligent dog-like attributes),then in an attempt to prove its own supremely human cognition through complex thought processes, Frank reflects on his music,. Then of the power of a dog that owns the ability to understand musicality,even through intense transcendence (travelling from human to dog form)..... Deciding to play this scenario out to find what the possibilities could be, (s)he wakes with an enthusiastic "Arf".
 
Dweezil Zappa will be performing the music of Frank's "Roxy and Elsewhere" album at the Strand Theatre here in York PA next Friday the 21st.

You know I got tickets for that one!! I get more and more excited as each day goes by!! Woo Hoo!!
 
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