"CHOICE CUTS: DWEEZIL PLAYS FRANK-WORLD TOUR 2018"
LIVE
BARRYMORE THEATER
MADISON, WI
NOVEMBER 17, 2018
MUSICIANS:
Dweezil Zappa: Lead Guitars, Vocals
with
Ryan Brown: Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Cian Coey: Lead Vocals, Percussion
Scheila Gonzalez: Lead Vocals, Saxophone, Flute, Keyboards, Percussion
Kurt Morgan: Bass Guitar, Vocals
Adam Minkoff: Lead Vocals, Lead and Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion
Chris Norton: Keyboards, Vocals
I stood at the table next to the tour merchandise staring into the impossibly sky blue eyes of Mr. Dweezil Zappa as I shook his hand strongly while also attempting to gather some words together to express the fullness of what I had just experienced perhaps 30 minutes prior, at the conclusion of the three hour performance.
It was a position that I had found myself in once before, on the evening of September 25, 2015, to be exact, as I shook the man's hand after witnessing what I firmly believe is one of the top two concert performances I have ever seen. Yet, the difference this time is that Dweezil Zappa, while last time was gracious, gently quiet and really said not a word, was more verbally open this time around...and in some bizarre, impossible way, it almost felt as if he may have remembered me from before as his greeting felt to be familiar. Even one of some sort of recognition. At any rate, there I was shaking his hand and finally, I was able to find some words to speak.
"This is the third time I have been able to see you and the band," I began.
"Thank you," he said kindly, accompanied by a warm smile.
"Look...I just have to say that it is simply a privilege to watch you and this band play. It is a privilege!" I continued. Holding up the CD I had earlier purchased from the merchandise table, I continued. "I was reading the liner notes while in line and I really liked what you wrote about you trying to find 'The Zone' when you are performing. It is just a privilege to watch you find your way to 'The Zone' and then...to see you in it...I mean...'Drowning Witch'?! How????"
Dweezil Zappa continued to smile at me and very plainly said, "Yes. 'Drowning Witch." That song is extremely hard to play."
"I can tell!!!" I responded, laughing in astonishment as I remained in awe from the recent memory of this performance.
Yes indeed...it was a privilege.
First, it is a continued testament that Frank Zappa was unquestionably one of the most dynamic, idiosyncratic and fearlessly original composers of the 20th century, making an evening of this sort akin to a night at the symphony and hearing the works of Beethoven, Mahler, or Mozart. Secondly, and on supremely equal footing as the first qualification, to be able to witness Dweezil Zappa and his peerless musical associates actually playing music this seemingly impossible and with such determination, agility, tremendous athleticism and unabashed glee. And yes, when this band finds itself within "THE ZONE," it is something to behold as it feels as if you are travelling through hyperspace for the sheer alacrity of the brilliance flowing through the theater as we all try to hang onto it for as long as possible.
On this frigid evening, the weekend before Thanksgiving, I arrived at the Barrymore Theater about 30 minutes before the doors opened to find a small collective of men, also waiting yet unlike myself, were chain-smoking profusely, as if the clouds of nicotine would miraculously conjure the musical presence of the infamously chain-smoking Frank Zappa as some sort of blessing for the show we were all about to see.
Once blessedly indoors and away from the smoke, complete with Charlie Brown handstamp to gain re-entry should I depart the theater (I most certainly would not) and my General Admission aisle seat within the first third to middway on the main floor firmly claimed, I sat back, relaxed and enjoyed a quick snack as I waited for the show to begin, my excitement gradually mounting.
This year's event, entitled "Choice Cuts," finds Dweezil Zappa and his associates undertaking the full breadth, and some of the most demanding, of his Father's compositions from the late 1960's to late 1980's, celebrating Frank Zappa's peerless, untouchable, wholly original catalog which spanned all music genres from doo-wop, rock, heavy metal, pop, funk, jazz, soul, orchestral and all the way to the furthest reaches of avant-garde, all the while creating material that can only be described as "Zappa-esque."
By 8:00 p.m., as the house lights faded with the roar of the audience rising powerfully, Dweezil Zappa and all six members of his band entered the stage and proceeded to open the show with the kaleidoscopic track "Andy," from "One Size Fits All," yet performed at, what felt to be a possible half-step slower than the song's normal pace...perhaps as to not expend all of their collective energy immediately as there were just under three hours to go in this latest tour stop.
From here, the show unfolded as a series of mini-suites or movements blending elements of Frank Zappa's oeuvre from the hits ("Valley Girl," "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow," "Uncle Remus") to the obscurities and Zappa fan favorites ("Suzy Creamcheese," "The Torture Never Stops") to songs that have never been performed live before, including "Absolutely Free" and the original version of "Florentine Pogen."
My first surprise of the evening arrived immediately after the cheerfully vulgar and vocally hallucinogenic one-night stand gone extremely wrong song, "Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me?"
Petite, even while wearing nearly thigh high go-go boots, Coey showcased a veritable one-woman vocal orchestra that was awesome to behold and by the looks of Dweezil Zappa's all-too-knowing grins directed towards her and then in turn, to the audience, his pride at having snagged a talent of this level to add to his already superlative troop was evident.
In this age of these television singing competitions where we are witnessing a generation of talented vocalists who can seemingly hit every single note within the octave range yet sadly do not convey any real emotion, Cian Coey is the rarest of exceptions. She unquestionably possesses power an range. But she contains a strict adherence to the complex dynamics of Frank Zappa's compositions which allows her to "stick to the script" while showcasing her gifts superbly, whether harmonizing brilliantly or delivering an explosion that can rival the full volume of the entire band.
He undeniably had that musical Ace up his sleeves with Coey and he was he so pleased to unleash it. Trust me, dear readers and listeners, if you have ever wondered what it would sound like if Janis Joplin fronted the Mothers Of Invention, Cian Coey is the powerhouse realization of that musical image. And as I was thrilled to tell her myself after the show, she is a ferociously welcome member to the band and I sincerely hope that they do everything in their power to keep her happy, because ANY band would be wise to snatch her right up!!!
At the outset of this posting, I remarked upon the band agility and athleticism, two qualifications that cannot be remotely understated as their level of commitment and ability to learning and executing Frank Zappa's deliriously impossible music did indeed, to utilize a sports based metaphor, recall something akin to witnessing the 1991-1998 two three-peat basketball winning champions, the Chicago Bulls, then led by the iconic Michael Jordan and Coach Phil Jackson (who always struck me as possessing a certain Zappa-esque appearance).
Or maybe an even better sports based metaphor/example resides in the classic 1970's version of the Harlem Globetrotters, then led by the immortal Meadowlark Lemon and Curly Neal. I mention both of these these awe inspiring sports teams as every time they performed, it was an awe inspiring experience to watch and regard these figures achieving the unthinkable over and again, and with such a gleeful abandon that every moment felt to be utterly effortless all the while knowing the sheer discipline essential to creating the illusion of effortlessness.
The experience of seeing Dweezil Zappa and his band perform the music of Frank Zappa is precisely like being in the presence of those sports teams as all seven members display that illusion of effortlessness as they sing and approach their instruments as if this completely idiosyncratic music was utterly natural to play as they all took to the stage and the three hours of material like a duck to water.
It was a joyous evening undoubtedly, with band members all smiles towards each other as well as to us in the audience throughout the night and even Dweezil Zappa himself, who has tended to be more reticent on the past two times I have seen him, was especially loquacious, spinning stories, wry asides, song explanations and best of all, one swift shut down of a couple of exorbitantly rude and impatient hecklers.
Keyboardist Chris Norton and Bassist Kurt Morgan were the perfect pictures of musical prodigies at work and play while relative newcomer Adam Minkoff, who provided lead vocals, keyboards, percussion and some blistering lead guitar work of his own, cemented his status within this unit so firmly in my mind that I was also excited to express to him after the show the exact same sentiments I delivered to Cian Coey. Honestly, his duet with Drummer Ryan Brown on the percussion only version of the absolutely ridiculous "Black Page #1," allegedly named for the sheer amount of musical notes displayed upon the page, instantly ascends him to the upper echelon of musicians working today.
For that matter, Ryan Brown demands a musical Medal Of Honor as far as I am concerned as he is the one member of the band, for whom you can inarguably witness the mammoth effort undertaken to performing this music. Over those three hours, my jaw was consistently agape with the demands placed upon him musically and how he never missed a beat for even a millisecond. It was as if his arms, wrists, legs, knees and feet were made of elastic yet also braced with the strongest steel. Just breathless in its astonishment and downright irreplaceable.
Incontestably, we now arrive at the essential, indispensable, glorious presence of original band member Scheila Gonzalez, who performs nothing less than saxophone, flute, percussion, keyboards and lead vocals and absolutely brilliantly in every conceivable area.
This evening, Gonzalez's shooting star turn was found within "Valley Girl" as she executed Moon Zappa's now iconic vocals with speedball aplomb, fully displaying the scorching satire in a song Dweezil Zappa explained was actually his Father's dire cultural warning against the rise of societal stupidity. If there was a band member I had hoped to greet afterwards the most, it was arguably Gonzalez as she is a one-of-a-kind artist of the caliber I would imagine Frank Zappa himself would be utterly proud to have represent his artistry.
Again, to just be able to sit and watch him find his way into "THE ZONE" while crafting an improvisational solo is akin to seeing lightning strikes being born and unleashed. Performing a nearly fretless solo during "The Torture Never Stops," the stinging blues fireworks of "More Trouble Every Day," the crystalline beauty of "Zoot Allures," and the the cyclone, sexual fury of "Keep It Greasey" would have been more than enough. But for me, and I am gathering for most of the audience was the wonderment of one of Frank Zappa's most demanding compositions, "Drowning Witch," this time starring an eight minute plus guitar solo, augmented heroically by the full band, that stretched beyond description, split the ceiling of the Barrymore Theater and inspired a standing ovation!!!
It is a performance such as this one where the stories I have seen proposing a concert tour starring hologram of Frank Zappa become powerfully disturbing, disheartening and distressing. Despite the mercenary ghoulishness of such a concept, I feel that if one wished to feel the vibrancy and eternal qualities of Frank Zappa's legacy, then one should go directly towards purchasing a ticket to see Dweezil Zappa and his band perform LIVE and IN PERSON, again showcasing that we are not in the presence of a mere "cover band."
With Dweezil Zappa and his bandmates, we are completely in the presence of WORLD CLASS musicians performing the Herculean duty of presenting this spectacularly singular music to audiences worldwide with determination, diligence and meticulously joyful dedication.
I am simply unable to say it enough to you and to the band themselves. Being at this show, seeing them again for the third time, watching an d listening to them perform this music...
...It was a PRIVILEGE!!
(l-r: Ryan Brown, Adam Minkoff, Scheila Gonzalez,
Dweezil Zappa, Kurt Morgan, Cian Coey and Chris Norton)
all photos except group band photo by Scott Collins
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