Ike Willis To Join Dweezil Zappa’s ‘Cease And Desist Tour’ For Two Dates In October

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve undoubtedly noticed the plethora* of unhappy Zappa news this summer. Between Ahmet forcing Dweezil to change the name of his band to satisfy the insane regulations of the Zappa Family Trust to recent news about the upcoming auction of Frank and Gail Zappa’s personal belongings, there have been more rumors than joy in the headlines of late.

This writer is delighted to share some good Zappa news for a change! As announced on Dweezil’s Facebook page earlier this week, Frank Zappa band alumnus Ike Willis will be stepping onstage with the Dweezil Zappa Plays Whatever the F@%k He Wants band this autumn. Willis is currently slated to perform at two stops on the “Cease and Desist Tour,” October 12 at the Concord Music Hall in Chicago and at New York City’s Beacon Theater on October 30.

JUST ANNOUNCED!
Dweezil Zappa Adds Frank Zappa Alumnus, Ike Willis
at Concord on 10.12.https://t.co/t5TSfKsV4b pic.twitter.com/ijT8uw7tEY

— Concord Music Hall (@ConcordHall) September 14, 2016

The announcement that Ike Willis will be singing with Dweezil’s first-class touring band for at least two nights comes as excellent news to Zappa fans. It’s a thrill for Dweezil, too.

“For me, Ike’s voice has a special place in my father’s music – Joe’s Garage, Thing-Fish – It’s part of the fabric of the music and the folklore. I especially look forward to playing ‘Outside Now.’ I anticipate that the dialogue between the guitar and vocal will stir some emotions for me. Hearing the authenticity of Ike’s voice in the mix will be exciting for all of us.”

Who is Ike Willis?

Willis was a child prodigy who grew up to become one of the longest-playing members of any Zappa band. As Ike explains, he met Frank when he volunteered to assist his campus concert committee in exchange for a free pass to see the show. That fortuitous meeting at Washington University in St. Louis launched a friendship that endured for the rest of Frank’s life. The term “musical genius” is bandied about in meaningless ways these days, but that is precisely the word to describe Frank Zappa. Willis knows this as well as anyone. Prior to Zappa’s death in 1993, Ike, like Dweezil, promised his old friend that he’d keep the music alive as long as he could.

Willis, who narrated Frank Zappa’s oddball operetta, Joe’s Garage, has kept himself busy since last performing with Frank on his 1988 tour. According to Ike’s website, the Zappa-flavored bands he’s performed with over the years include Pojama People, Ugly Radio Rebellion, Chunga’s Revenge, The Muffin Men, and Project Object. Willis also makes frequent appearances at the annual Zappanale festival in Europe.

Zappa Plays Zappa

Originally called Zappa Plays Zappa, Dweezil’s touring band comprises first-class virtuosos who understand that the compositions of Frank Zappa are anything (and everything) but the “novelty music” lame-brained critics accuse it of being. Auditions for Zappa Plays Zappa were arduous events that compelled band hopefuls to perform solo renditions of herculean Zappa numbers such as “The Black Page” and “Inca Roads” accompanied by a single drummer. Only the most formidable players managed to transcribe the songs and learn to play them perfectly in two days as required by Dweezil, and thus Zappa Plays Zappa was born.

According to Dweezil Zappa World, the first incarnation of ZPZ was put together in 2004 without the inclusion of any of Frank’s former band members. Dweezil rightly reasoned that a new audience might be better reached with a band comprised of younger players. Some promoters thought differently, preferring that Dweezil amass a touring band made up of Frank Zappa band veterans. Dweezil’s decision to feature occasional guest appearances by such Zappa vets as singer Napoleon Murphy Brock, drummer Terry Bozzio and guitar monster Steve Vai, went over well with audiences, promoters, and critics alike.

The second leg of the “Cease and Desist Tour” starts in late September and will take Dweezil and company from California to Maine to New Orleans with numerous stops in between. Find the full tour itinerary and links to ticket vendors here.

Diehard Frank fans will be pleased to know that Project Object featuring Ike Willis and Mothers of Invention alumnus Don Preston will be appearing at the Rex Theater in Pittsburgh on October 20.

And now a word about that asterisk

*That, dear readers, is the way to use the word “plethora” properly. Although commonly used to describe a whole lot of anything these days, a plethora is actually too much of something. Just so you know.

[Photo via Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images]