Seen a Frank Zappa Show? When? Who was in the band?

[Thor]

After reading the FZ Jeff Berlin thread, it occured to me that
I had seen Zappa, but couldn't remember the date.

Chuck Berry opened for him at the Music Hall in Boston,
and after a little googling found
http://members.shaw.ca/fz-pomd/giglist/1971.html
where I determined that the date was 10/06/1971.

I think the band line up was Flo and Eddie, i.e.
Frank Zappa: lead guitar/vocal
Mark Volman: vocal
Howard Kaylan: vocal
Jim Pons: bass/vocal
Don Preston: keyboards/electronics
Ian Underwood: keyboards/alto sax
Aynsley Dunbar: drums

Correct me if that is wrong.

Did you see FZ? What was the date and what was the lineup?

[Lesfunk]

Flo & Eddie! Awesome!

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by Thor

After reading the FZ Jeff Berlin thread, it occured to me that
I had seen Zappa, but couldn't remember the date.

Chuck Berry opened for him at the Music Hall in Boston,
and after a little googling found
http://members.shaw.ca/fz-pomd/giglist/1971.html
where I determined that the date was 10/06/1971.

Did you see FZ? What was the date and what was the lineup?

I was at that show Thor! I also saw FZ a year earlier in Buffalo, and a few more times throughout the 70s on the east coast. Mostly the bands with the Underwoods, Flo and Eddie, Preston, Dunbar, then George Duke, Chester Thompson, etc. The last time he had Adrian Belew and Ike Willis with him, I'll have to look up the rest.

[Lesfunk]

80/11/08 Providence RI

Ocean State Performing Arts Center
I was there!

Frank Zappa guitar, vocals
Vinnie Colaiuta drums
Arthur Barrow bass
Bob Harris #2 keyboards, trumpet, vocals
Tommy Mars keyboards
Steve Vai guitar
Ray White guitar, vocals
Ike Willis guitar, vocals

[bongomania]

I saw the "Them Or Us" tour in New Haven CT in 1984. I don't remember who played, and the sound through the PA was terrible, just a bunch of blaring and roaring, and I was 14 anyway and didn't know any of his songs well enough to recognize them in the wall of boomy noise.

I bought a tyvek painter's cap, a T-shirt, and the record, and enjoyed them all very much in my dorky teenagerhood.

[fishtx]

I saw Zappa three times...

1. Nov 1975 in Williamsburg VA.
- Zappa
- Nepolean Murphy Brock (Sax)
- Terry Bozzio (Drums)
- Roy Estrada (Bass)
- Andre Lewis (Keys)
- Norma Jean Bell (Sax)

2. Nov 1977 in Kansas City, MO.
- Zappa
- Bozzio (Drums)
- Adrian Belew (Guitar)
- Patrick O'Hearn (Bass)
- Tommy Mars (Keys)
- Ed Mann (Percussion)
- Peter Wolf (Keys)

3. Oct 1981 in Norman, OK
- Zappa
- Steve Vai (Guitar)
- Ray White (Guitar/Vocals)
- Chad Wackerman (Drums)
- Scott Thunes (Bass)
- Tommy Mars (Keys)
- Ed Mann (Percussion)
- Robert Martin (Keys)

[Lesfunk]

I also saw The Dweezil Zappa plays Zappa show last year with Napoleon Murphy Brock, Steve Vai, And Terry Bozzio
...correction, it was 2006.

[smidgley]

03/18/1974 - Salt Lake City, UT - Terrace Ballroom

Frank Zappa: guitar, vocals
Ralph Humphrey: drums
Chester Thompson: drums
Napoleon Murphy Brock: tenor saxophone, vocals
George Duke: keyboards, vocals
Bruce Fowler: trombone
Tom Fowler: bass
Ruth Underwood: percussion
Jeff Simmons: guitar, harmonica, vocals

[fishtx]

I have mentioned this to friends over the years, and still believe it today...seeing Zappa in 1975 (at the ripe old age of 16) changed my musical life... I watched that show in complete and total awe of him and the band. I had heard of him, and heard a couple of his songs, but never realyy "listened" to his stuff. Up to that point, I was pretty much a traditional acid rock kind of guy. Seeing that show, completely opened my eyes to music that was "outside of the box"...I started listening to other substantial music, like Jazz, fusion, etc...

[Hoover]

Don't remember the exact dates, but:

November 1974, Capitol Theater in Passaic NJ:
- George Duke, keys+vox
- Napoleon Murphy Brock, sax+vox
- Ruth Underwood, percussion
- Tom Fowler, bass
- Chester Thompson, drums

October 1977, Paladium in NYC:
- Adrian Belew, guitar+vox
- Patrick O'Hearn, bass
- Tommy Mars, keys+vox
- Peter Woolf, keys
- Ed Mann, percussion
- Terry Bozzio, drums+vox

[werbo1]

I saw Zappa plays Zappa last year. It was sweet, but I'm sure it was nothign compared to a Frank show.

Thor, you're my new favorite. R. Crumb and Zappa fan?

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by werbo1

I saw Zappa plays Zappa last year. It was sweet, but I'm sure it was nothing compared to a Frank show.

I saw the ZPZ tour in 2006, with Vai and Bozzio. It was the Portland show that's on the DVD. I thought it was missing some of the element of surprise that FZ served up (Whipping Post? Happy Together?) And I'm still waiting for Dweezil to really develop his own voice. Other than that it was truly stellar though.

[kesslari]

I saw Zappa at the Spectrum in Philly on Halloween of '77 (I thought it was '78, but I had my years wrong). So the same band as others saw - Bozzio and O'Hearn and Belew et al.
Blew my mind.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by Passinwind

I was at that show Thor! I also saw FZ a year earlier in Buffalo, and a few more times throughout the 70s on the east coast. Mostly the bands with the Underwoods, Flo and Eddie, Preston, Dunbar, then George Duke, Chester Thompson, etc. The last time he had Adrian Belew and Ike Willis with him, I'll have to look up the rest.

That was a great show. The combo of Chuck Berry and FZ,
while initially seeming incongrous, was a great lineup. We
were the guys in the back row on the left. There were about
11 of us, some from Providence and the rest from BU. We
created a mild disturbance as one of the guys started passing
some 'roll-ups' he made before the lights went out for the
beginning of the show. Before we knew it there was 8 cigars
going between the 11 of us. One of the Mass Staties came
over with the multicoloredmirrorsonhishobnailedboots and
yelled at us that if he 'saw one more frikkin J in this row,
you're all going to jail'. That was a memorable adrenaline rush,
for sure.

Originally Posted by Lesfunk

80/11/08 Providence RI

Ocean State Performing Arts Center
I was there!

Frank Zappa guitar, vocals
Vinnie Colaiuta drums
Arthur Barrow bass
Bob Harris #2 keyboards, trumpet, vocals
Tommy Mars keyboards
Steve Vai guitar
Ray White guitar, vocals
Ike Willis guitar, vocals

You a homegrown RI boy? Where are you now?

Originally Posted by Lesfunk

I also saw The Dweezil Zappa plays Zappa show last year with Napoleon Murphy Brock, Steve Vai, And Terry Bozzio
...correction, it was 2006.

I missed that show daaammmit! My son, who was my date for
the night flunked out on me.

Originally Posted by fishtx

I have mentioned this to friends over the years, and still believe it today...seeing Zappa in 1975 (at the ripe old age of 16) changed my musical life... I watched that show in complete and total awe of him and the band. I had heard of him, and heard a couple of his songs, but never realyy "listened" to his stuff. Up to that point, I was pretty much a traditional acid rock kind of guy. Seeing that show, completely opened my eyes to music that was "outside of the box"...I started listening to other substantial music, like Jazz, fusion, etc...

FZ's stuff was a real musical eye opener for me as well.

Originally Posted by Hoover

Don't remember the exact dates, but:

November 1974, Capitol Theater in Passaic NJ:
- George Duke, keys+vox
- Napoleon Murphy Brock, sax+vox
- Ruth Underwood, percussion
- Tom Fowler, bass
- Chester Thompson, drums

October 1977, Paladium in NYC:
- Adrian Belew, guitar+vox
- Patrick O'Hearn, bass
- Tommy Mars, keys+vox
- Peter Woolf, keys
- Ed Mann, percussion
- Terry Bozzio, drums+vox

1. 11/08/74 Elvin Bishop opened.
2.10/28 and 10/29 1977 2 shows.

Originally Posted by werbo1

I saw Zappa plays Zappa last year. It was sweet, but I'm sure it was nothign compared to a Frank show.

Thor, you're my new favorite. R. Crumb and Zappa fan?

I confess to a horribly misspent childhood.

Originally Posted by Passinwind

I saw the ZPZ tour in 2006, with Vai and Bozzio. It was the Portland show that's on the DVD. I thought it was missing some of the element of surprise that FZ served up (Whipping Post? Happy Together?) And I'm still waiting for Dweezil to really develop his own voice. Other than that it was truly stellar though.

The reggae version of Ring of Fire comes to mind.

I also saw Project Object (N. M. Brock) twice in the last
8 years at the exhortation of my son. Both times he was
supported by Ike Willis and the second show, at the new Met
Cafe in Providence (now closed), featured Don Preston on
keys. Good show, though I was far and away the oldest guy
there. PO's bassist, Dave Johnsen, gave impressive and
seeming effortless renditions of a wide variety of FZ tunes
and was tremendously impressive as a skilled and competent
bassist. Nice red Jazz bass as well.

I turned my son onto FZ at a early age. I am thus completely
responsible for the resulting musical carnage that boy has
inflicted on the world at large. 'Conceptual continuity.' He
now owns about 85% of FZ's complete CD catalog, which
I think totals 90 CD releases or more. And the book, and just
about every piece of FZ trivia there is. And there sure is a
lot to talk about.

I always laugh when I hear the kazoos. FZ said the parts were
written for horns but the money to pay the sideman for the
sessions was unavailable, so they were done on the kazoo
instead.

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by Thor

That was a great show. The combo of Chuck Berry and FZ,
while initially seeming incongruous, was a great lineup. We
were the guys in the back row on the left. There were about
11 of us, some from Providence and the rest from BU. We
created a mild disturbance as one of the guys started passing
some 'roll-ups' he made before the lights went out for the
beginning of the show. Before we knew it there was 8 cigars
going between the 11 of us. One of the Mass Staties came
over with the multicoloredmirrorsonhishobnailedboots and
yelled at us that if he 'saw one more frikkin J in this row,
you're all going to jail'. That was a memorable adrenaline rush,
for sure.

Hmmm...I was at BU at the time, living in the infamous Myles Standish Hall in Kenmore Square. No idea what you're talking about there, nossir. Or to frame it more succinctly: "Not me, orificer..."

[fishtx]

Here is a great link that lists out when and where Zappa played over the years:

http://members.shaw.ca/fz-pomd/giglist/

[Deluge Of Sound]

Unfortunately, I'm too young to have seen FZ live. But I did see Terry Bozzio and Chad Wackerman preform The Black Page in unison, and it was mind-blowing.

[brianrost]

Originally Posted by Thor

I had seen Zappa, but couldn't remember the date. Chuck Berry opened for him at the Music Hall in Boston, I determined that the date was 10/06/1971.

I saw that same lineup (Berry opening for Zappa) in New Haven CTat the now long-gone New Haven Arena, probably within a day of that Boston show. No Don Preston, only Ian on keys. My first concert ever, $3 to get in.

I smashed up my dad's car on the way home

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by Thor

1. 11/08/74 Elvin Bishop opened.

Yep, that was it. Elvin practically got booed off the stage; really not the right opening act for a crowd hellbent on hearing something abnormal.

Originally Posted by Thor

2.10/28 and 10/29 1977 2 shows.

Whichever night was not the one featured in the movie Baby Snakes, that's the night I was there.

[KPAX]

Originally Posted by Thor

After reading the FZ Jeff Berlin thread, it occured to me that
I had seen Zappa, but couldn't remember the date.

Chuck Berry opened for him at the Music Hall in Boston,
and after a little googling found
http://members.shaw.ca/fz-pomd/giglist/1971.html
where I determined that the date was 10/06/1971.

I think the band line up was Flo and Eddie, i.e.
Frank Zappa: lead guitar/vocal
Mark Volman: vocal
Howard Kaylan: vocal
Jim Pons: bass/vocal
Don Preston: keyboards/electronics
Ian Underwood: keyboards/alto sax
Aynsley Dunbar: drums

Correct me if that is wrong.

Did you see FZ? What was the date and what was the lineup?

Cool question!
I saw Zappa at the UCLA Pauley Pavillion in the late 70's. I'm thinking it was New Years Eve ... not sure. It was around '78 or'79. I remember Terry Bozzio played drums and a young Adrian Belew played guitar and maybe sang. I don't remember the rest of the lineup. I think it was around Zoot Allures or a little after.
I just googled Zappa's show dates - it was New Years Eve '77 (12/31/77).