Zappa Plays Zappa
Dec. 8, 2012, at Madison's Barrymore Theatre
by Sal Serio
Posted: Dec 2012
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Dweezil Zappa at the Barrymore in Madison 12-8-12 - photo by Sarah Warmke
I have no way of really adding up all the bands that I’ve seen over the years at the Barrymore, but I would guess it would have to be well over one thousand at this point. There’s been some incredible events to be sure, many of my favorite bands… the Meat Puppets, Butthole Surfers, Todd Rundgren, Cheap Trick, Emmylou Harris, Hawkwind… way too many to list. However, there was something really special about the Zappa Plays Zappa concert that took place December 8th. For one thing, I don’t think any concert has ever sounded this crystal clear and pristine in the Barrymore, which generally has pretty good acoustics, but this was just exemplary. There was also a genuine buzz in the air, like all the attendees knew they were in for something truly special and unique.
And that it was. From the V.I.P. only sound check party, to the last three encore songs, it was like Uncle Frank was back with us again. Of course, when the young woman named Danielle took the stage for her wild improv dancing, it was a Zappening that Frank would have approved of whole heartedly.
I was told the usual Zappa Plays Zappa set for this tour was just one long two hour set. Well, for whatever reason, the Barrymore show was a 26 song bonanza! The first set lasted almost 90 minutes, and after a very short intermission the second set just went on forever! Dweezil was lighting up the sky with his snaky guitar licks, and the whole band (family archivist Joe Travers on drums/vox, Scheila Gonzalez vox/keys/sax/percussion, Ben Thomas vox/horns, Kurt Morgan bass, & Chris Norton keys/vox) brought their A-game to the hungry freaks in Madison. In fact, they even did “Hungry Freaks Daddy” off the debut Mothers ‘Freak Out’ album!
It’s almost trite to try to pinpoint the individual highlights, but I’ll try. First set – “Penguin In Bondage > Pygmy Twilight”… mostly because I love ‘Live At The Roxy’ SO much! “Baby Snakes” had outstanding vocalizations by the band… and they did “Wind Up Workin’ At A Gas Station” from the first Zappa album I ever owned, ‘Zoot Allures’! Set one concluded with a jam-happy version of “Ride My Face To Chicago”.
Second set – “Let’s Make The Water Turn Black” from ‘We’re Only In It For The Money’, Danielle’s sexy dancing (‘nuf said!), “Outside Now” from ‘Joe’s Garage’, and the apex of ‘Apostrophe’… “Cosmik Debris”! Tour manager Pete did his best Captain Beefheart impression on “Debra Kadabra”. And then the encores! A stunningly long jam on “Whipping Post” (minus the whipping floss), and then a “Zomby Woof” guitar duel between Dweezil and special guest Joe Guzzo that was outrageously mind boggling, before winding it all up with “Strictly Genteel”! I mean, fuggetaboutit !!!
One would think after a Herculean night like this, the band would want to retreat to the confines of the bus post haste, right? Not so! Dweezil, Chris, and Scheila spent almost another hour doing a meet-and-greet out in the lobby after the show! Everyone who wanted something signed, or just to say “hi”, had the opportunity, and the band really seemed into it. All in all, this was one of those nights that all who were there will be talking about for the rest of their lives. It was an epic night. Beyond epic. It was “Awreetus Awrightus”!