| Zappa's son leads fitting tribute to musical legacy [message #291787] |
Di, 27 Juni 2006 04:17 |
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http://www.metronews.ca/reuters_entertainment.asp?id=158279
Monday, June 26, 2006 9:32:11 PM ET
By Paul Gargano
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Describing the music of Frank Zappa
as "progressive" is much the same as calling Frank Zappa, the man,
"eccentric": It might be a good place to start, but it doesn't come
close to telling the story. The same can be said of the Zappa Does
Zappa show that celebrated the cultural icon's life Friday night at the
Wiltern LG in Los Angeles. As Zappa proved in life, sounds don't
necessarily need to make sense, they just need to make music.
For more than 2 1/2 hours, a capacity crowd revered their hero as son
Dweezil Zappa led a 10-piece band that included several members of his
father's band, the Mothers of Invention, through more than two dozen
jazz-driven, prog-infused epics.
Zappa's progeny proved more than capable as a bandleader, unselfishly
sharing the spotlight with his hotshot assemblage of music school grads
and under-the-radar professionals. Bassist Pete Griffin was the most
animated of the ensemble, banging his head and whipping up a frenzy as
he laid into every thick and hearty groove the evening had to offer.
Guitarist Jamie Kime played the consummate accompanist to Zappa's
eldest son, lending considerable muscle to the rock-leaning "Florentine
Pogen" and contributing musical texture and balance to "Pygmy Twylyte"
and "Inca Roads."
It was former Mother of Invention Napoleon Murphy Brock who stole the
show visually; his off-color and quirky lyrics were complemented
perfectly by his cheeky antics and impious persona. When he barked,
"Watch out where the huskies go, don't you eat that yellow snow,"
during "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow," prancing around the stage as if
part of a mock-Asian marching ritual, even the band couldn't contain
their laughter.
The night's offerings may have genuflected at the altar of musical
proficiency, but they never strayed far from out-and-out absurdity.
Like "Yellow Snow," "The Idiot Bastard Son" was delivered like an
adult-friendly, perverse ode to shticky children's songs. Mothers
drummer Terry Bozzio (who injured his right arm during the Vegas show,
limiting him to one-armed drumming) offered lead vocals for the
hard-rock-driven "I'm So Cute," "Trying to Grow a Chin" and "Punky's
Whips."
The musical standout was Steve Vai, who performed with the band for the
latter third of the set and delivered a raise-the-dead guitar solo on
"Zomby Woof" that probably had father Frank smiling from his grave.
Appropriately enough, the only comparable ovation followed Frank
Zappa's guitar solo on "Chunga's Revenge," rendered on a video screen
that engulfed the stage as the band offered accompaniment.
Frank Zappa never pretended to care much about the mainstream, and the
performance at the Wiltern LG was much the same. While the bulk of the
songs may have been far too long and quirky for the tastes of anyone
but a student of music, players and fans alike reveled in the
opportunity to deify the man, myth and legend. It was a fitting
tribute.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
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| Re: Zappa's son leads fitting tribute to musical legacy [message #291788 ] |
Di, 27 Juni 2006 05:59 |
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In article <1151374641.984258.204830 [at] y41g2000cwy.googlegroups.com>,
"Zut boF" <zutbof [at] hotmail.com> wrote:
> http://www.metronews.ca/reuters_entertainment.asp?id=158279
>
> Monday, June 26, 2006 9:32:11 PM ET
>
> By Paul Gargano
>
> The musical standout was Steve Vai, who performed with the band for the
> latter third of the set
They only performed two-thirds of the set?
--Charles
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