Zappa Legacy: Dweezil Returns to Stage with New Tour
The guitarist will perform at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on October 30, blending his father's catalog with original compositions.
By Luca Harrison ·
Dweezil Zappa is bringing his Zappa Plays Zappa project back to the road with a new tour titled DZ20: Like Father, Like Son. The 57-year-old guitarist plans to perform at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Michigan on Friday, Oct. 30. This latest iteration of the tour marks a continued effort to interpret the musical catalog of his late father, Frank Zappa, a practice Dweezil began roughly two decades ago.
The initial concept for these tours was to honor specific eras of Frank Zappa's career, sometimes featuring members of his original bands. The series faced a pause due to legal disputes with Dweezil's siblings, who assumed control of the Zappa estate following their mother's death in 2015. Despite those interruptions, Dweezil has maintained his commitment to performing the material, citing the personal growth he has experienced through the process.
Speaking via Zoom prior to the tour's launch, Dweezil compared studying his father's work to attending a music university. He stated that he has earned several degrees he never planned on by learning how Frank Zappa composed and what he aimed to achieve with his music. This knowledge, he said, influences his own guitar playing and songwriting.
He described the challenge of emulating his father's style as akin to learning a new language. After many years of practice, Dweezil noted he is currently operating at a fourth-grade level in terms of fluency. He explained that Frank Zappa's musical vocabulary was so extensive that making new performances sound authentic and fitting remains a difficult task.
The current tour includes a mix of Frank Zappa's work and Dweezil's original compositions. The setlist features tracks such as Electric Hoedown, which appeared on the 1986 album Havin' a Bad Day, and Purple Guitar from the 2000 release Automatic. Dweezil said he attempts to change his approach with every tour, a habit he attributes to his father's example.
Dweezil, who has also participated in Experience Hendrix tours, is working on an all-star guitar project called What Was I Thinking?. He said he wanted to explore new territory and focus on improvisation for this tour. He described his goal as stretching his abilities to create something noticeably different from his previous performances, a standard he has maintained annually.
Doors for the Royal Oak Music Theatre show open at 6:30 p.m. The venue is located at 318 W. Fourth St. Tickets and information are available through the theater's website or by calling 248-399-2980.
