Dweezil Zappa Performs at Wellmont

Dweezil Zappa comes to Montclair

Dweezil Zappa will be making an appearance at the Wellmont Theater on July 9 as a part of his 2016 world tour, in which he will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention.

Zappa, American rock and roll guitarist, is the eldest son of the late Frank Zappa, legendary experimental rock and jazz fusion musician, composer, and producer. He had an early start to the music industry due to the influence of his father, and has had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the most renowned musicians, such as Eddie Van Halen.

Zappa gained a mastery for both guitar and performance very quickly, and released his first single, “My Mother Is a Space Cadet,” at the age of only 12. This first single was recorded with his sister Moon Unit (14 years old at the time) and Steve Vai, a musician who worked with his father and transcribed some of his most multifarious compositions back in the 80s.

Zappa’s first full length album, Havin’ A Bad Day, was released in 1986. Since then he has released six albums, with his most recent being Via Zammata’, which came out in August of last year. While there are definitely a lot of similarities between the young Zappa and his father’s work, evident in the nuanced guitar tones and unique chord progressions, he has been able to introduce a fresh new take to all the old favorites.

While Zappa has established himself as a solo artist, he has spent the majority of his career homage to his late father. He formed the tribute band Zappa Plays Zappa in 2006. The group has undergone many changes over the last ten years, with the young Zappa on lead guitar. Several individuals who used to or are currently involved with the band played with Frank Zappa at one point during their careers. The group incorporates all of the unique instrumentation, including the flute, saxophone, trumpet, keyboard and others. The group won “Best Rock Instrumental Performance” at the 51st Grammy Awards for their rendition of “Peaches En Regalia,” originally appearing on Frank Zappa’s 1969 release Hot Rats.

“(Frank) Zappa was taken entirely too early from us, and had so much more to share with the world,” said Leslie Reina, long time Frank Zappa fan. “We are so lucky that his son took up the reins in his father’s stead. The memory of Frank Zappa will not only live on in our hearts, but also in the music of his tremendously gifted son.”

Zappa does an outstanding job of remaining true to his roots while also exploring the genre and allowing the natural evolutionary process to take place. Tickets to see Zappa celebrate his father’s legacy are available for as little as $30, and can be purchased through Live Nation or at the Wellmont Theater box office.

  Dweezil Zappa, the wellmont theater