Zappa Plays Zappa plays Tampa

Monday, 11 January 2010 15:08

Zappa Plays Zappa played a show at The Ritz Theatre in Tampa Friday (1/8) night.

By John Davisson

It was a joyous celebration of the music of Frank Zappa, one of rock music’s most versatile (and prolific) composers. The band featured Frank’s son Dweezil leading six other musicians through a small sample of Frank’s prodigious output for a packed audience of fans.

Over the course of his career, Frank released dozens of albums that touched on every genre from avante noise to classical, with some commercial success but mostly a niche audience. Frank performed shows that could easily swing into performance art territory, satisfying his quirky taste. Frank was an expert composer, who was adept at reading and writing music and expected the best from his musicians. One story has it that, when Steve Vai auditioned for Frank’s band, Frank had him play a piece from sheet music, then had him change it to triple-time, with a reggae feel. You couldn’t fake your way into Frank’s band.

I would have loved to see Frank again, but he sadly passed away in December 1993. I was writing concert reviews at the time, and my only article about Frank was an obituary. There will never be another Frank Zappa, but at least we can relive some of the music through Zappa Plays Zappa.

Zappa Plays Zappa’s set was over two hours long, with many familiar songs, and often shifting gears from one idea to another.

Dweezil was outgoing onstage, often giving fans several choices for the song they would play next and judging the audience's response. The production was fairly sparse. Just typical club lighting, with the exception of the bass drum head featuring Frank’s mustache, and the two toms above it were sometimes illuminated, as if Frank’s spirit were smiling on the festivities. It was a nice touch.

Songs included such classics as “Apostrophe,” “Peaches En Regalia,” “San Ber’dino,” “Keep it Greasey,” “Broken Hearts are for Assholes” and “Bamboozled by Love,” as well as more obscure material such as “Purple Lagoon,” “Muffin Man,” and “Wino Man.” During “Cozmic Debris” Dweezil threw in a couple of classic Led Zeppelin riffs. Throughout the show Dweezil’s guitar playing was stellar, and that alone made the show worth seeing, and the band was top-knotch as well. After more than two hours of Zappa Plays Zappa, many satisfied, smiling faces left the venue.