Posted on 10/22/2017 4:00:46 PM PDT by Eddie01
It's soundcheck time at the Capitol Theatre, just north of New York, and Dweezil Zappa is leading his band through the songs of his father, Frank. Dweezil, 46, has been regularly performing his dad's music for a decade, but his current tour is stranger – and more tense – than any before it. Unplugging his guitar, Dweezil looks out at the empty hall. "Sometimes people in the crowd yell things out, so I talk about it onstage," he says. "I feel like people are choosing sides."
RELATED
Dweezil Zappa on Fight for Family Name, 'Freak Out!' Tour Frank Zappa's son also discusses why St. Vincent reminds him of dad
This should be a year for honoring the legacy of Frank Zappa, who died in 1993. A new, acclaimed Zappa documentary, Eat That Question, is in theaters, and a series of deluxe reissues and archival releases just hit shelves. Dweezil's tour features songs from Frank's landmark debut, Freak Out!, released 50 years ago this summer. But instead of celebrating, the four Zappa children are locked in a drama that has bitterly divided a once-close family and exposed its quirks. "I was hoping to keep the fact that we were a Grey Gardens family a secret," says oldest daughter Moon, 48, an actress and novelist. "Oops!"
Last year, Gail Zappa – Frank's widow, who had controlled his estate since his death – was dying of lung cancer, and began to say "weird things," according to Moon. "She said, 'Do you forgive me for what I've done?' I said, 'Sure,'
[snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at rollingstone.com ...
Later That Night
You surely must be trying
To break this heart of mine
I thought you knew I loved you
And we’d share a love so fine
But later that night
You threw a padlock on my door
My clothes out on the street
‘Cause you don’t want my love no more
And I cryyyd, I cryyyd
I-I-I-I-I cried my heart out
Cried my heart out
Later that night
(spoken)
Don’t go baby, don’t put me out on the
street. You threw my best sharkskin
suit out on the lawn, right on top of
some dog waste
(I hold in my hand three letters from
the stages of your fine, fine, super-
fine career...) and my best white
shirts with the Mr. B collar all
over the front lawn. Where’s my cuff
links? Lemme back in dere. Dere?
“Huffa puffa, Huffa puffa
There’s no room to breathe in here”
“That’s alright honey. You can come
out of the closet now”
Ha. Cool. Thanks
I was a stone cool hippy, but,,,,,,,I was a right-winger! Caused some interesting conversations!
Cruisin' with Ruben and the Jets!
You have impeccable taste.
Saw Frank and the Mothers of Invention—on Mother’s Day—in 1970 at the Academy of Music, Philadelphia. Good times!
Check her out on YouTube.
Mark
p.s. she's a multi-instrumentalist, who just happens to be blind. She also performed at the Keith Emerson Memorial Concert in London.
I hear you, sister.
Why, thank you.
Dude.. Alex Winter is working on a second documentary.
That is hilarious.. Mr. Zeppelin!
I envy you.... would have loved to have met him. Dweez puts on a great show, took great pains to learn the material.
He hated stoopid!
Classic stuff.
“Jelly Roll /gumdrop” was actually used on the Dick Clack Show in the Rate a Record deal. I asked Frank about that, and he claimed ignorance!
Frank had libertarian leanings. He was an iconoclast so naturally he flipped the bird to whomever was in power. I would have loved to hear what he would have to say about our current snowflake culture.
Yup
There is a podcast that Dweez does with Marc Maron where he describes the history of how it all fell apart and how Gail just went nuts.
The one Zappa song I love to play in the both when we get a run of stupid idiot customers is Po-jama People “...cause Po-jama people bore me with the things they might say....”
edit: both=Booth jeez can’t type anymore....
bump
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.