Zappa Plays Zappa

May 2008

20 January 2008

Hello Friends,

We are all in Osaka getting ready for the 1st show of our brief Japanese tour. I thought it was of some interest that a few of the most brilliant and memorable guitar playing moments of Frank's career were realized and recorded on his one and only tour of Japan. "Zoot Allures", "Black Napkins" and "Ship Ahoy" are all stand out performances and are culled from that tour. We're all lucky that Frank had the tape rolling.

I'm excited for the fans to have this opportunity to hear his music performed live in Japan once again. I hope it won't be another 30 years until their next opportunity.

Regards, DZ

POSTED BY DWEEZIL ZAPPA AT 2008-01-20 22:25:05

16 December 2007

Hello Everyone,

We have recently returned from Australia. We were very happy to share the stage with our returning special guest Steve Vai. The audiences were very kind to us and we all fell in love with the country. My wife and daughter joined me down under and we stayed a few extra days for a holiday. My daughter particularly enjoyed all of the beautiful parks and zoos. She might be the only American 1 year old that can recognize and say the names of unique animals like the Echidna, Platypus, Bilby, Wombat and Cassowary.

We are all taking a break for -mas but will soon be preparing to go to Japan. Steve Vai will be joining us there as well. We are in the process of organizing the 08 tour. I expect to be returning to a lot of our favorite places with even more new material.

Speaking of new material, I plan to release a live ZPZ album from the 07 tour early next year. I am also in the process of reviewing footage that was shot by my good friend Charlie Boswell in Austin Texas for another ZPZ DVD. We filmed 30 new songs - different from the last ZPZ DVD. I will begin the process of selecting and assembling the songs for the album next week. With any luck I will be able to get that ready for release by April or May. I am definitely planning for it to be available on iTunes as well as other digital and physical retail outlets. Be on the lookout for that.

The DVD will take some more time but I also plan to have something available before we hit the road again in the summer.

I hope you all have a good -mas and a Happy New Year. We'll see you in 08!

Regards, DZ

POSTED BY DWEEZIL ZAPPA AT 2007-12-16 18:46:16

21 November 2007

Hello Friends,

We are nearing the end of our North American tour for 2007. In fact as I sit here and write this we only have 2 shows left before we go to Australia. We just played in Vancouver last night. There was a tremendous response from the crowd. Every city we've toured in Canada has openly displayed their huge love affair with Frank's music. As the year comes to a close I can't thank you enough - all the fans, Canadians and Americans alike - for doing your part to support this endeavor. It has been a lot of fun sharing this with you and I am already looking forward to next year.

I'm happy to report that I have noticed an increase in younger fans at the shows. This is very gratifying indeed. Last night was unique in that there seemed to be a large infusion of young female fans. I met a group of 5 girls in their early 20's who stood out in stark relief.

I asked the ring leader of the group how it came to be that she and her friends found Frank's music. She said she read Pamela Des Barres book and "Got heavy into Zappa" as a result. She attended last years show and returned this year with more friends. This is a small example of the big picture at work. I think it's very important to recognize that she has done what I hope many more folks will do... spread the word and be active in ZPZ events. She requested "Catholic Girls" for next year. I wonder why? Perhaps she could gather her friends and develop a female street team to help indoctrinate even more unsuspecting music fans. Interesting eh...

As I have always said, Frank's music deserves to be discovered by future generations. The best way for that to come to fruition is through exposure to younger audiences. It won't happen overnight but at least we've got the ball rolling.

In closing I would like to point out that there has been quite an overwhelming demand for the Zappa Plays Zappa DVD. As you may or may not know, it has just recently come out. It has initially only been available on tour. It is now currently available online as well. I have been informed however that we are already low on available stock and awaiting new units. This could take up to 3 weeks which is highly annoying. I know many of you would like to have a copy of it right this very minute. Unfortunately, pressing plants around the country are busy making "Exciting Super Group X-Mas products" instead of our fine optional entertainment. Please have patience, we are at the mercy of holiday business schedules. We will get a new shipment as soon as possible and get them on their way to you shortly thereafter.

Happy Thanksgiving, DZ

POSTED BY DWEEZIL ZAPPA AT 2007-11-21 22:41:22

16 November 2007

Ahhhhhhhhhh... Denver.

Here I sit in my hotel room on our day off in Denver. We just got back from a great dinner at Dweezil's friend's restaurant The Oven Pizza e Vino. Great appetizers, great food and for dessert? They have elevated the doughnut to another level--yum!

Days off are a welcome treat. Even though some of them are travel days/days off we still have a chance to retreat to our own hotel rooms and get in some treasured "alone time". Thank God we all love each other and get along because we live in very close quarters on the bus. I love living on the bus with my road family, but every few days it feels good to check into a nice spacious hotel room and S--P--R--E--A--D------O--U--T...perhaps take a nice hot bath (which I did tonight before dinner), watch TV, stretch out on a big, comfy, king-sized, bulk-purchase, kapok-infested, do-not-remove-tag-under-penalty-of-law-type-bed and take of ALL my little clothes until I am nearly stark, raving, nuuuuude!!!! Oh. Uhhhhh, sorry. I digress. Let me try this again...suffice it to say, I like hotel rooms and I LIKE THIS BUS!

And ALTHOUGH we all need our "alone time", most of us still end up hanging out in one way or another on our days off. Some go running together, some go shopping or sightseeing, some venture out in search of lunch, a small group will usually get together for dinner and a few die-hards will head out for a few fine adult beverages later in the evening. Yup, even on days off we like to spend time together. Wow. I guess we really do like each other!

I just looked back over the tour dates and we've been hitting it hard this leg! The days, the venues, the cities and the audiences fly by and although sometimes it can become a blur, we have had some wonderful moments on stage and some wonderful, appreciative crowds to play for. Thank you for supporting this endeavor and for allowing it to continue to be.

The thing that has been so fun and amazing for me has been catching up with some old, dear friends--some of which I haven't seen in nearly two decades! I'm so grateful that this tour has given me the opportunity to personally reconnect and visit with so many dear people.

I treasure every new experience I have and these moments are fleeting. We've deemed so many things in our lives to be of such great importance. In the end the most important thing we have is our relationships with people. I love my friends both old and new, I love my ZPZ band family and I love my mom and grandma back home. What a blessing to have so many fulfilling relationships in my life. Now, go call someone you've been meaning to catch up with!

Love,
Scheila
xoxoxox

POSTED BY SCHEILA GONZALEZ AT 2007-11-16 12:48:24

8 November 2007

Home Again, Home Again

Hello saddle pals,
Ray White here. Given the places I could be instead I'm well ahead of the game. It's a real pleasure to be on the stage again playing the music that's changed the musical landscape forever.

Ok enough who's got the biggest dog, down to brass tacks... This tour found a new place to live in Buffalo. Meaning, Joe, and Dweezil hit a very sweet spot that transported me back to the halcyon days with Frank. It was unbelievable! They say lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice, well somebody should have told Dweezil and Joe, because it happened again tonight here in Washington DC. I'm glad I had my Willie The Pimp shades on, because they lit it up.

I almost asked for a cigarette because it was as close to sex as I've ever come on stage... I can't wait until tomorrow night.

Join me then my Montana saddle pals for part three of Bright Lights Big City.

Your Friend On the Dental Floss Ranch - Ray White

POSTED BY RAY WHITE AT 2007-11-08 07:13:08

7 November 2007

Lengthy Blog #2

Hello Friends,

We just finished playing to a very enthusiastic crowd in Buffalo. We all had a really good time on stage. Illinois Enema Bandit seemed to have a special spark to it tonight. Maybe it was because Joe Travers' dad was in the audience. Who knows, you might be hearing that version on a record one of these days.

People have asked me, what happens after the show? What do we do? I'm not exactly sure what the rest of the band does since I usually don't see them until I get on the bus. I'm sure their rituals include eating and relaxing as well as using that Internet thing. I'm almost positive they don't get together for a prayer circle. I'm also pretty sure I've never seen them playing Twister and drinking hot toddies.

I sometimes end up onstage signing things and talking with the fans immediately following our performance. It's nice to hear directly from people how much this endeavor means to them. So many folks have a deep connection to Frank's music and they are thrilled to have the opportunity to see/hear it played live. I've certainly met a lot more young fans on this tour. It is common for them to tell me about how inspirational the show has been for them and how much more they've learned about Frank's music through watching the show and hearing the variety of music that we perform.

I remember watching Frank play on stage when I was 12 and first starting to become serious about playing guitar. It was awe inspiring to see him play and hear his band. It made me want to practice and practice and practice then practice some more. I had the thought in the back of my mind - way back then - that I would one day love to be able to play Frank's "stunt" guitar parts. Now it is reality. All of the practice has paid off.

Another thing I occasionally do after shows is read fan reviews online on zappa.com. It's a good way to get some extra feedback from the fans. The band has been known to do this as well from time to time. There was a gentleman from Providence RI who recently posted something that is actually worth correcting.

He says that I erroneously introduced one of Frank's compositions, calling it Dog/Meat when in fact it was called Dog Breath. Well as much as I appreciate his efforts to try to correct a mistake, he himself is mistaken.

The composition we played, and continue to play on tour is indeed called Dog/Meat. It is comprised of 2 compositions, Dog Breath and the theme from Uncle Meat, hence the title Dog/Meat.

There was also a debate on the RI reviews about my guitar playing vs Frank's guitar playing. One thing that I found interesting was that another gentleman mentioned that Frank had a great atonal style of playing. He did utilize atonality in his music. He used it more frequently in his compositions - especially orchestral works and exercises - and less in his actual guitar playing.

While Frank did play atonally on occasion he mostly played melodically in key and seemed inclined to use Lydian and Mixolydian tonalities quite often.

One of the things that I've always loved about Frank's playing is how he just completely went for it. Even if it was not something he was technically prepared to execute. He was fearless as a guitarist. I try to imbue my own playing with as many of Frank's characteristics as I can. I do this in order to play more in context to his music.

I have not had as much time to devote to learning as many of Frank's idiosyncrasies as I would like but eventually I will. Those tend to be the hardest things to duplicate and to practice. His phrasing is what made his playing so remarkable. He did not think like a traditional guitarist. He was coming from another place rhythmically and melodically. You have to try train your mind to think and react differently in a musical situation in order to really get close to his playing. That is an extremely challenging thing to do. It requires a lot of concentration and practice.

I do my best to incorporate all of these things but as I have said many times, I'm not Frank. I'm not trying to be Frank. I am just trying to respectfully present his music as accurately as I can to all of his fans as well as introduce it to new fans.

The ultimate goal is for more new people to hear him play his music.

Regards, DZ

POSTED BY DWEEZIL ZAPPA AT 2007-11-07 16:39:45

2 November 2007

Hello Friends,

Just a quick word about the DVD. I am as frustrated as all of you are about not having it available for the first several shows of the American tour. We've had the misfortune of multiple technical set backs from the manufacturing plant. The issues needed to be corrected and new discs had to be made. I have been told that the DVD will be available starting in Buffalo. First it will only be available on tour, then online and in stores hopefully by X-mas.

I have also been told that there are a few copies of European stock (PAL FORMAT) available for a discounted price at the next few concerts. These DVDs will play in all region players as well as computers.

Regardless of when it's actually available in your area it did turn out well. If you get the urge to purchase it anytime in the next few months I suspect you'll be quite pleased. Almost 4 hours of Frank's music. We all know music is the best.

See you at the next concert.

Regards, DZ

POSTED BY DWEEZIL ZAPPA AT 2007-11-02 16:35:04

1 November 2007

Hello Friends,
We are back on the road in the US. We recently had the good fortune to do some "large scale" promotional gigs. Rockline radio and Late Night With Conan O'Brien.

It was a great opportunity for us to expose Frank's music to a larger audience and I really am grateful to both shows for inviting ZPZ to perform. Those kind of gigs are very different than what we're used to at our own concerts.

At our shows we're able to spend the time to dial in the sounds we need to create our comfort zones on stage. On live radio and live to tape television you're often unable to achieve the same results and the task of performing becomes a bit more difficult. (Frank's music is already extremely challenging - nothing like some extra pressure...) In that kind of situation it's easy to find yourself guarding against making any mistakes. It has the ability to inhibit your performance if you get too involved in that thought process. I think we were all really on edge for those performances. Except for Billy.

I was talking with him about it and he said he wasn't nervous. A friend of his said something to him long ago that helps him in stressful performing situations. "Being nervous and being excited are the same thing physiologically. The only difference is that when you're nervous you're concerned about being prepared. If you're prepared then you should just be excited and have fun performing".

That makes sense to me. Now if I just had an extra 16 hours a day to prepare... Then I would never be nervous.

Speaking of that, I was a bit nervous when we hit the stage tonight in NY. We hadn't played a full show in several weeks and we only had one rehearsal prior to the Beacon show. For me any time away from playing the tour material causes memory issues. In the down time from the European tour I practiced very little because it was the only time I could spend with my wife and daughter before leaving for antoher extended period of time.

In any case the audience was so enthusiastic that I immediately felt comfortable. I really enjoyed playing the show for everyone. I know the band did as well. I hope to be able to continue the tradition of Zappa in NY on Halloween yet again next year.

Thank you NY for keeping up your tradition for being such a great audience for Frank's music.

Happy Halloween, DZ

POSTED BY DWEEZIL ZAPPA AT 2007-11-01 10:59:05

12 October 2007

The Road To Oslo (a.k.a. I Like This Bus!)

Last night was a restless one. The drive from Bergen to Oslo is long - about 11 hours - and travels over some unforgiving mountainous terrain, and through tunnels. They have many tunnels here in Norway. A couple of nights ago we passed through one that went under water. Norse engineers have also constructed tunnels of varying lengths through mountains. Last night, we traversed one that stretched approximately 29 kilometers, the top of the bus mere inches from scraping across it's lapidarious ceiling. Or so it seemed. Probably just an illusion.

Our bus is a brand new European-style double-decker tour coach, with the bunks upstairs on the second level, towards the front - which is why they can be challenging to sleep in during bumpy rides; every little movement is exaggerated the higher up you are. However, it's best feature is the giant picture window at the front of the bunk bay, just above the cab where our driver, Michael, sits.

On rides such as the one last night, I'll often lie in my bunk, attempt to ignore the buffeting of the bus, and try to relax. My thoughts inevitably turn to my son and how much I miss him. Tomorrow will bring me one day closer to seeing him again, I tell myself. Occasionally, when sleep does finally settle on me, even briefly - before the next hairpin turn jars me awake - I'm lucky enough to escape the usual smorgasbord of anxiety-filled night terrors and he will be there waiting for me as I drift into a dream. Sometimes he's on the road with me, seeing the world by my side - beautiful, exotic places that never seem quite the same in real life. These are my favorites, but it always hurts to wake up and realize he's thousands of miles away.

This morning about 8 - after being tossed around my bunk the majority of the night, my ears popping from the altitude - I crawled from bed, opened the curtains and was treated to an extraordinary view: We were driving alongside a giant lake surrounded by tiny villages and houses that looked as though they should be inhabited by gingerbread people. Everything was covered with a fresh layer of snow and looked like an impressionist painting come to life. I had no idea where we were - somewhere far up in the Norwegian mountains - but I couldn't tear myself away. I got a pillow and sat there on the floor, staring out the window in silence for nearly an hour at the staggering beauty of the Scandinavian morning while everyone else slept just behind me, trying not to get emotional over what I was seeing. I started to miss my boy again. I wanted him to see this too. I wanted him to see that places like this do exist on earth, and not just in dreams.

I took a picture from the window. It didn't turn out; captured nothing. I'll show it to him anyway.

POSTED BY JAMIE KIME AT 2007-10-12 16:18:40

9 October 2007

Hello Friends,
Our European tour is almost over. We have really enjoyed playing in all the different countries. We had a hectic schedule this year which required us to make some adjustments and pace ourselves. Our stretch of 8 shows in a row was a real challenge. It was booked that way because a few shows were added late in the schedule. Instead of having our normal routine that was usually no more than 4-5 shows in a row with a day off to rest - we did our best to accommodate the cities that wanted us to add shows. That
created the 8 in a row run. Many of you have seen multiple shows and have commented on the length of some of the recent concerts being shorter or even too short.

For everyone's edification we are contracted to play for 60 + minutes. We generally play over 2 hours. We aren't required to do so... we like to. Not many other acts play much longer than 90 minutes in general. That said, I certainly don't like disappointing anyone and go out of my way to avoid it.

For the fans in Arhus, I hope you can understand that we had a complicated scheduling situation to deal with for that particular concert. We had to catch the last ferry in order to make our way to Norway and continue the tour. That unfortunately meant that our crew had to begin packing at 9pm sharp.

We had prior knowledge of this issue and did our best to try to convince the promoter and the venue to let us start at 7 instead of 7:30 so we could do more of our regular presentation for all of you. They unfortunately would not allow us to do so.

On a personal note for the fans in Arhus, it was certainly not my intention to perform a short show for you. If we are invited back you will receive some special attention from us as a result.

I look forward to returning to Europe next year. We hope to play a few festivals. As always we will endeavor to keep learning even more new material.

Regards, DZ