MANCHESTER, Tenn. – There are some times when live music moves your soul in directions you had never imagined, creating those precious moments when you not only connect with the artist but form an intimate relationship with the notes, melody, harmony and rhythm of the music itself. In those moments, one can only think of the immortal words of the late Frank Zappa: “Music is the best.”
Dweezil Zappa plays at Bonnaroo 2008. Photo Adam Dubbin/TheSequitur.com
This year at Bonnaroo, Frank Zappa's son Dweezil and his band Zappa Plays Zappa carried on his father's legacy with one of the most mind-blowing concerts I've ever seen. Before arriving at Bonnaroo, I expected that the band would put on an incredible live show. I knew I would pass up seeing artists I love like Ben Folds and Levon Helm so I could see Dweezil Zappa recreate his father's music. What I didn't know was that Dweezil Zappa was going to treat me to a performance that changed the way I will look at live music forever.
Before the first chords were struck, the air in Bonnaroo venue "That Tent" was thick with energy and anticipation. Upon taking the stage, Dweezil Zappa smiled warmly and waved, welcoming all of us to the concert by saying, “We've got something very sophisticated for you.”
The band proceeded to play the intro from “Eye of the Tiger.” The crowd exploded. After about 30 seconds, they launched into faithful renditions of some of Frank Zappa's instrumental songs. Through heart-thumping bass, almost-impossible solos and mind-bending harmonies, the band powered through some of Frank Zappa's more complicated compositions.
For the first 15 minutes of the concert, the band moved freely between several of Frank Zappa’s freewheeling instrumental pieces, weaving them into a cohesive set that would have made him beam with pride. At the end of this initial offering, Dweezil Zappa introduced Ray White, a formidable vocalist who began touring with Frank Zappa more than 30 years ago. The band then launched into a faithful version of “City of Tiny Lights” before pausing for the first time in the concert.
Dweezil...welcom[ed] all of us to the concert by saying, “We've got something very sophisticated for you.”When Dweezil Zappa announced that the band would start playing songs from Frank Zappa's controversial 1981 album, “You Are What You Is,” the applause from the crowd reached a thundering level – though not for the last time during the concert. Playing accurate renditions of the tracks from the album, the band floated through songs like “I'm a Beautiful Guy” and “Beauty Knows No Pain.” They then jumped right into songs from the wildly satirical album “Sheik Yerbouti,” playing “Flakes” and “Broken Hearts are for Assholes.” During the soliloquy in “Flakes,” the saxophonist broke out her best Eric Cartman impersonation to replace what is usually a Bob Dylan impersonation, adding a unique twist to one of Frank Zappa's most impressive songs.
After singing with unbelievable energy for almost an hour, White left the stage, wiping his sweat-drenched brow with a towel. Dweezil Zappa didn’t stop, though. He began conducting. Taking a cue from his father, Dweezil Zappa avoids traditional conducting techniques, employing instead unique hand gestures to conduct his band. Two hands moving to the side might indicate to the musicians that there is too much noise coming from one side of the stage; a finger up in the air could signal that the musicians' time for improvisation is almost up. All the while, Dweezil Zappa was tweaking the amplifiers by turning knobs until the sound levels were just right.
Next up were songs from Frank Zappa’s seminal rock opera “Joe's Garage,” including the titular piece (the original version, of course) and “Fembot in a Wet T-Shirt,” in which Dweezil Zappa replicated the original version of the song right down to his father's chuckles and the wet T-shirt contest monologue that leads into the wild instrumental piece “On the Bus.”
Standing in front of me at the concert were a man with a guitar and a woman, both of whom were dancing to the music. As the band continued playing, I watched the man point out that the strings on his guitar were vibrating to the frequencies the band was dishing out. It was tangible evidence that you could feel the music in the air.
Like Frank Zappa wrote in “Packard Goose,” which was played right before the encore, “Music is the best.”When the crowd demanded an encore, the band came out to play an extended rendition of “Cosmik Debris,” a song that skewers the commercialism of New Age ideas and practices. Even though Dweezil Zappa initially announced that he would keep the encore short, this version of his father's song included a whoopee cushion and solos from every performer – including both of the percussionists. The show ended after another 15 minutes of music in the long roar of satisfaction that is only heard at a concert when the musicians and the audience meld into one entity.
In the end, Zappa Plays Zappa delivered what Dweezil Zappa promised at the beginning of the show: sophistication. The performers' energy electrified the entire audience but was also applied to some of the most complex musical compositions of the 20th century.
Like Frank Zappa wrote in “Packard Goose,” which was played right before the encore, “Music is the best.” And if you're interested in hearing a live reproduction of Frank Zappa's genius, Zappa Plays Zappa is not only the best – they're the one and only. [Zappa Plays Zappa, NPR]Branden Hart, a TheSequitur.com assistant managing editor, works as an editor in San Antonio.
Bonnaroo News 
215px.jpg "Dweezil Zappa plays at Bonnaroo 2008.")
