Frank Zappa was the mad wizard of rock ‘n’ roll who agitated an already counterculture genre, and then stood it on its head.
His son, Dweezil, has picked up the gauntlet and is shoving those avant-garde sounds deeper into the embryonic millennium.
“Zappa Plays Zappa” — which features Dweezil and his band — is coming to Merrillville’s Star Plaza Theatre for a 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23 show. There also is a performance at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan.
At both concerts, Dweezil and company will unfurl Frank Zappa’s album “One Size Fits All” in its entirety, in addition to approximately 70 minutes of his other works.
“My goal is to have his music be introduced to a younger generation,” Dweezil, 46, said in a phone interview this month. “There’s nobody that took the same path — not only in music, but in the way to get this music made. He was a totally independent artist long before there was a such a thing. He did everything, really, for the sake of music. Any money that was made was invested back into, you know, ways to make more music.
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“It’s important for people to really understand his work beyond what would have been a casual exposure. So for example, if somebody’s only ever heard ‘Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow’ or the song ‘Valley Girl,’ they have no idea about the rest of his music, and he made over 80 albums in his career.”
Known as a producer, guitarist and songwriter in the underground realm, Frank Zappa died in 1993.
A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, his only Top 40 single in the United States was 1982’s “Valley Girl,” which featured the vocals of daughter Moon Unit.
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention’s final album was 1975s “One Size Fits All” — which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
“The album itself is a fan favorite,” said Dweezil, a Los Angeles guitarist and singer.
Even though his father’s music is several decades old, Dweezil believes it retains a progressive, adventuresome feel.
“I feel like it’s all ahead of its time,” said the son, likening the fare to “music of the future.”
Just as he was experimental with his compositions, Frank Zappa did not settle for traditional names for his kids.
Hence, his daughters are Moon Unit and Diva, while his youngest son is Ahmet.
Then, there is Dweezil’s moniker.
“It’s a peculiar name, but I’m used to it by now,” said Dweezil, offering an anecdote from his “early days” that at least partially explains how he came to accept it.
“There was a kid in a shoe store that was a bit of a bully,” the musician recalled. “And he came up to me and he said, ‘What’s your name? And I said, ‘Dweezil.’ And he said, ‘That’s a stupid name.’ I said, ‘What’s your name?’ And he said, ‘Buns.’ So I thought my name was superior to Buns, and I did not have any issues with my name after that experience.”
Promotional material calls Dweezil “the modern face of Zappa music” — and the devoted son gladly promotes his heritage by tackling the tricky “Inca Roads” on tour.
Dweezil has noted the “complexity” of the arrangement and its “extremely difficult interlude passages.”
“Inca Roads” is the leadoff track on “One Size Fits All” — which offers up jazz fusion as one of the diverse sounds that Dweezil serves up on stage.
Helping him pull it off are five supporting musicians who include drummer Ryan Brown, a graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington.
“I’ve been a huge fan of Frank’s music since I was about 13,” Brown, a 39-year-old Denver native said. “It was unlike anything else I’d ever heard.”
Brown, who has been playing in Dweezil’s band for almost three years, deals with the challenging aspects of Frank Zappa’s creations from a percussion standpoint.
“The styles change from song to song; time signatures change from song to song,” the drummer said. “It always keeps you on your toes.”
Brown has a bachelor of music degree in jazz studies and percussion.
Regarding achievements, Dweezil Zappa snared a Grammy Award in 2009 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
Zappa will also be hosting a Guitar Master Class at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Genesee. Tickets are $75. See www.geneseetheatre.com.
Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance writer.
Zappa Plays Zappa
Where: Star Plaza Theatre, U.S. 30 and Interstate 65, Merrillville
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When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23
Tickets: $35, $50 and $70
Information: 219-769-6311, ext. 5463, or www.starplazatheatre.com
Where: Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan
When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24
Tickets: $29.50, $47.50, $132 and $152
Information: 847-263-6300 or www.geneseetheatre.com