• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Facebook
  • You Tube
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Backstage Axxess

Where The Real Show Begins

  • Home
  • Concert Reviews
  • CD/DVD/Book Reviews
  • Interviews
  • About
  • Staff
  • News
Zappa Plays Zappa @ UB Center for the Arts, Amherst, New York 3-31-15

Zappa Plays Zappa @ UB Center for the Arts, Amherst, New York 3-31-15

March 31, 2015 by Joseph Saccomanno

     Frank Zappa is known for crazy album cover artwork, bizarre song titles, creatively naming his children, and some of the greatest music ever recorded. Frank passed away in 1993 and left a 60+ album catalog spanning more than 30 years of recording. His oldest son, Dweezil, has been keeping dad’s music alive with “Zappa plays Zappa” since 2006.

     Opening his latest tour last Tuesday at the Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo, Dweezil brought his band of expert musicians to perform “One Size Fits All,” Frank’s last album release (1975) with the Mothers of Invention, plus 75 more minutes of original Frank Zappa music.

     Dweezil took the stage and explained this would be “a night for music we have never played before.” The near capacity crowd was buzzing with anticipation. Playing without a break, the next two hours were full of the amazing music of Frank Zappa. “One Size Fits All,” with great songs like “Andy,” “Florentine Pogen,” “Po-jama People,” “Sofa,” and “San Bern’dino” were performed.

     Many Frank Zappa songs are classical and/or jazz based with instrumental parts surrounded by interjections of lyrics, chord and time changes, hoots, screams, and hollers, solo guitar runs, piano fills and other musical interludes often sounding like multiple songs in one. All of it making perfect sense as a whole. “Zappa Plays Zappa” tackled Frank’s music and it was an amazing display of musicianship. Dweezil on lead guitar sounds like Frank never left. Ben Thomas (horns, guitar) handled the low end vocal parts and Scheila Gonzalez (keyboards, sax) sang the higher end vocals and both were right on. Both are talented musicians, playing multiple instruments. Fellow band members, Ryan Brown – (drums, percussion, vocals), Ben Thomas – (lead vocals, trumpet, trombone, rhythm guitar), Chris Norton – (keyboards, violin, vocals), and Kurt Morgan – (bass, vocals) are the perfect combination of players, sounding like much more like a twelve- piece orchestra than a six-piece band. After a three song encore, the band stayed on for more than an hour, signing autographs and talking to fans.

     “Zappa Plays Zappa” is celebrating 10 years together with this tour. Hopefully they have at least 20 more years together. They will need at least that much time to play the rest of Frank’s music.

Set 1:

Inca Roads (Frank Zappa cover)
Can’t Afford No Shoes (Frank Zappa cover)
Sofa (Frank Zappa cover)
Po-Jama People (Frank Zappa cover)
Florentine Pogen (Frank Zappa cover)
Evelyn, a Modified Dog (Frank Zappa cover)
San Ber’dino (Frank Zappa cover)
Andy (Frank Zappa cover)
Sofa #2 (Frank Zappa cover)

Set 2:

Status Back Baby (The Mothers of Invention cover)
Big Leg Emma (The Mothers of Invention cover)
The Grand Wazoo (Frank Zappa cover)
Baby Snakes (Frank Zappa cover)
I’m So Cute (Frank Zappa cover)
Society Pages (Frank Zappa cover)
Magic Fingers (Frank Zappa cover)
Son of Suzy Creamcheese (The Mothers of Invention cover)
Who Needs the Peace Corps? (The Mothers of Invention cover)
What’s the Ugliest Part of Your Body? (The Mothers of Invention cover)
My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama (The Mothers of Invention cover)
Sinister Footwear (Frank Zappa cover)

Encore:

Cosmik Debris (Frank Zappa cover)
Dancin’ Fool (Frank Zappa cover)
Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy (Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart cover)

Zappa Plays Zappa @ UB Center for the Arts, Amherst, New York 3-31-15
Zappa Plays Zappa @ UB Center for the Arts, Amherst, New York 3-31-15
Zappa Plays Zappa @ UB Center for the Arts, Amherst, New York 3-31-15
Zappa Plays Zappa @ UB Center for the Arts, Amherst, New York 3-31-15
Zappa Plays Zappa @ UB Center for the Arts, Amherst, New York 3-31-15
Zappa Plays Zappa @ UB Center for the Arts, Amherst, New York 3-31-15
Zappa Plays Zappa @ UB Center for the Arts, Amherst, New York 3-31-15
Zappa Plays Zappa @ UB Center for the Arts, Amherst, New York 3-31-15
Zappa Plays Zappa @ UB Center for the Arts, Amherst, New York 3-31-15
Zappa Plays Zappa @ UB Center for the Arts, Amherst, New York 3-31-15
Zappa Plays Zappa @ UB Center for the Arts, Amherst, New York 3-31-15
Zappa Plays Zappa @ UB Center for the Arts, Amherst, New York 3-31-15
 

We would like to thank David Wedekindt from UB for the credentials to review the show.

Filed Under: Concert, Reviews

Primary Sidebar

TWITTER

  • Bamboozle Festival Announces 2023 Lineup:https://t.co/B3CrxFRTH2 https://t.co/eYQjuvqKC3

    12 hours ago
  • WATERPARKS UNVEIL “REAL SUPER DARK” + CONFIRM "INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY" ALBUM RELEASE DATE: https://t.co/HY5OujuXR9 https://t.co/X8mw5rUWsy

    12 hours ago
  • GHOST: “SPILLWAYS (FT. JOE ELLIOTT of DEF LEPPARD)”: https://t.co/I5GwCcWV7t https://t.co/7QYua9DG10

    12 hours ago
  • RICK WAKEMAN CBE RETURNS TO THE USA WITH A NEW SOLO SHOW: https://t.co/IFoPlwimZZ https://t.co/eRSvzTmi2W

    12 hours ago
  • August Burns Red Drop "Backfire" Video: https://t.co/9RPRo1unR3 https://t.co/nhP4AqSU8t

    2 days ago

RSS Ultimate Classic Rock

  • Dean Daughtry, Co-Founder of Atlanta Rhythm Section, Dead at 76 January 26, 2023
  • Bernie Taupin's 'Nonlinear' Memoir 'Scattershot' Out This Summer January 26, 2023
  • Rick Wakeman Announces Solo US Tour January 26, 2023
  • 15 Rock Bands Named After Real People January 26, 2023
  • Doomsday Clock Closer Than Iron Maiden's '2 Minutes to Midnight' January 26, 2023
  • Pamela Anderson Felt 'Run Over' by 'Pam and Tommy' Miniseries January 26, 2023
  • Hear Joe Elliott Team With Ghost on New Version of 'Spillways' January 26, 2023
  • Ozzy Osbourne and Joan Jett Will Appear in Workday Super Bowl Ad January 26, 2023
  • Anthony 'Top' Topham, Founding Yardbirds Guitarist, Dead at 75 January 26, 2023
  • Bands Using Teleprompters and Backing Tracks: Is It Cheating? January 25, 2023

Footer

ABOUT US

Backstageaxxess.com is independently run and was created in 2009 by CEO David “Gus” Griesinger and his team of talented professionals from around the globe, to bring you closer to the bands you love. Featuring in-depth interviews with today’s hottest Artists, CD & Concert reviews, exclusive photos, and the latest music news, our goal is to bring you the most current, entertaining and complete coverage of any music site on the web today.

Recent Posts

  • Bamboozle Festival Announces 2023 Lineup January 26, 2023
  • WATERPARKS UNVEIL “REAL SUPER DARK” + CONFIRM “INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY” ALBUM RELEASE DATE January 26, 2023
  • GHOST: “SPILLWAYS (FT. JOE ELLIOTT of DEF LEPPARD)” January 26, 2023

Copyright © 2023 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cleantalk Pixel