Progressive Nation 2009

Hey Guys, 🙂

I’m a big fan of Frank Zappa’s music and his son (Dweezil Zappa) is doing an OUTSTANDING job at re-creating his Dad’s wonderfully complex, “cheeky,” sarcastic, sometimes vulgar, and always unique music with this ongoing, full-time tribute to the music of his genius Dad, Frank Zappa!!! Frank Zappa’s music is NOT for everyone. It can be an acquired taste. Heck, even I didn’t always like FZ’s music, but one of my best friends is a HUGE fan and gradually over time, I became a big fan! A testament to the genius of Frank’s music can be found simply by checking out his alumni! Having ex-Frank Zappa Band… on one’s resume carries no higher honor in the world of progressive-rock/rock, especially as an instrumentalist. Here’s a partial list of ex-members:

Terry Bozzio – Great drummer! Formed Missing Persons; Played with Jeff Beck
Warren Cucharello – Excellent guitarist; Joined Bozzio in Missing Persons
Steve Vai – Uhmmm…does this guy need any introduction? – (LOL!)
Adrian Belew – Unique in his own right, it’s easy to see why Frank loved AB’s style!
Chad Wackerman – Awesome drummer, went on to play with Allan Holldsworth
Mike Keneally – Way underrated! Played with Vai for a while; Plays killer Keyboards too!

Again, that’s just a partial list of recognizable names! Anyways, I wanted to see Zappa-plays-Zappa in Boston, MA on August 2, but I already had a “primo-ticket” to see my beloved prog-metal band Tool in Manchester, NH! 😉

If anyone goes to this show, try to keep an open mind and enjoy the humor & complexity of Frank Zappa’s music, as well as some KILLER musicianship! 😎

~Bill Meehan~ 😀

@aacajo 8564 wrote:

Frustrates me that people can be that good at that many things when I still suck ass on one instrument that i’ve played for a lot of years 🙂

Enrico, 🙂

Actually, I’ve heard you play, and I think you’re quite good and selling yourself short! However, if that’s how you really feel, at least you now know how I feel every time I hear the likes of our IG brothers Jack Gardiner or Lyle Watt kicking my ass sideways at the “ripe-old-ages” of 15 and 16 respectively! (LOL!) Put it this way, I’ve been in my cover-band for longer than either one of them has been alive! and I can’t touch half of what they can do! (LOL!) These young guys do inspire me though…You’d think I’d give up by now, but I have no choice (if you know what I mean?!?) 😮 🙁 :rolleyes: 😮 😀 Maybe someday I’ll wake up and be happy with my abilities….NAH!!! :rolleyes:

As far as multi-instrumentalists go, I’ve always been impressed by that (especially when they’re of the cute/female persuasion – LOL!) although I do think that once you understand music on a general/theoretical level, it’s a lot easier to learn subsequent instruments, as it becomes a mechanical/technical pursuit only (NOT that it’s easy or anything, but at least it’s fathomable to me!) 😎

~Bill Meehan~ 😀