IM: WHUSDJ
CURRENT SHOW
The Covers Project
I arrived back at the Vibes on Saturday morning a bit after noontime. I needed, or should I say wanted to be there by 1:00 to see Zappa Plays Zappa. I’d never before seen this band and wanted to badly. I‘ve been a big Frank Zappa fan probably my entire adult life, but really, ss much as I wanted to see Zappa Plays Zappa, I actually had second thoughts about coming back so early since I’d been up really(!) late the night before. I had a 2:15 interview scheduled with Mickey Hart, so I HAD to be back by then and figured, what’s an hour lost sleep at this point? After the weather disaster of yesterday, it certainly shaped up to be a beautiful day for the Vibes.
Well, I’m glad I came back. Zappa Plays Zappa was just unbelievable! I love that band. Of course, Zappa Plays Zappa is headed up by Frank Zappa’s son Dweezil. You surely can tell that. It seems to me that Dweezil was genetically inclined to play the music he does, but he claims Eddy Van Halen as his influence. Yea, this is a Frank Zappa cover band, but they are incredibly amazing! According to his website, Dweezil says: In order for me to play my father's music correctly I needed to understand the fundamentals of his music more thoroughly, which meant a lot of studying." Here’s a good example, kids, that a lot of studying pays off, because, man, he nails it!
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I was actually surprised that they had scheduled this band for an afternoon performance; personally, I would have swapped Phil and Friends schedule with Dweezil. Anyway, man, can Dweezil play! He has such a sweet, friendly, on-stage presence. He just seems to enjoy and perfect what he’s doing, and it shows. Though I’m not that familiar with his band, a very animated Ben Thomas does vocals on many of the tunes, quite nicely I might add. The band in its entirety is such a fine compliment to Dweezil. I would go see this act again in a heart-beat. They, to me, were the biggest surprise at the Vibes.
Gumbo Variations (off Frank Zappa’s Hot Rats)
Hungry Freaks Daddy (off Mothers of Invention’s Freak Out!)
Oh No! (off Frank Zappa’s Weasels Ripped My Flesh)
Montana~ (off Frank Zappa’s Over-Nite Sensation)
Let’s Make The Water Turn Black (off Mothers of Invention’ We're Only in It for the Money)
Dirty Love (off Frank Zappa’s Over-Nite Sensation)
Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance (off Mothers of Invention’ We're Only in It for the Money)
Apostrophe (off Frank Zappa’s Apostrophe)
Debra Kadabra (off Live album by The Mothers of Invention Bongo Fury)
City of Tiny Lites (off Frank Zappa’s Sheik Yerbouti)
Drum Solo -->Eruption (a guitar solo written by Eddie Van Halen)
Somebody Get Me A Doctor (off Van Halen’s Van Halen II)
Orange County Lumber Truck (off Frank Zappa’s Weasels Ripped My Flesh)
More Trouble Everyday (off Mothers of Invention’s Freak Out!)
Camarillo Brillo (off Frank Zappa’s Over-Nite Sensation)
Muffin Man (Live album by The Mothers of Invention Bongo Fury)