Dweezil Zappa paid tribute to his legendary father, musician, composer and all-around wackjob Frank Zappa at the Fox Theatre last week. Photo by Michael McGrath.
and his band do not mess around. Their Zappa Plays Zappa show on Wednesday night at Boulder’s sold-out was an early Thanksgiving present to lots of happy old guys — and about 10 women. As a guitarist and front man, Dweezil is physically self-contained and technically perfect, but his playing is expansive and soulful. Backed by a band of top-notch musicians, Dweezil seemed far more relaxed and comfortable with his role than when he appeared at the Paramount Theatre, when Zappa plays Zappa debuted in 2006.
Vocalist Ben Thomas, who nails it as Frank and a host of other characters, takes care of the majority of lyrical duties so Dweezil can focus on guitar magic. Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Scheila Gonzalez brings powerful chops and needed feminine energy to the scene. The set included Zappa standards like “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow” and “Catholic Girls,” along with more challenging instrumental jams. Zappa fans loved the show so much they weren’t ready to leave — so Dweezil and his band hung out to greet and sign for the audience. — Michael McGrath
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Michael McGrath is a Denver area photographer. His work is available at . Visit .
