WORLD WIDE PRESS
"This isn't just another comeback, this is the reincarnation of the Mothers of Invention!....."From Zappa's 1960's to late 70's Mothers bands, the Mothers are touring the world and keeping Zappa's music alive."....."All that was missing was his hologram, which some fans shouted for. The entire band was tight, delivering a complex cacophony of musical scales"…"It’s a real sign of notoriety and genius when a band’s music can outlive its composer."….." 'These guys do ZAPPA music right"….."They defy age and the complexity of Zappa"..."The fact is, from the moment these guys started, to the point they ended, the music production emitting from the stage, was nothing short of awesome."..."What can I say, the band, simply kicked ass, bringing back Zappa songs enveloped in today’s technology, making it feel that Zappa, himself, was standing right in front of us."..."still brilliant musicians and great showmen, and lots of tomfoolery between the numbers. It turns out that you can summon the spirit of Zappa even without a guitar. But it was more than necromancy."....."The easy option for such a trio might have been to stick to Zappa’s simpler tunes, or even just stay within the bounds of the more jazz-based numbers, but they jumped into and pulled off more complex pieces like “T’Mershi Duween” with aplomb. Highlights included a beautiful “Sofa”, a slightly bonkers layered vocal “Brain Police” and a theatrical “Flower Punk / Hey Joe” medley."......."but these rough edges gave the band a character that is missing from some bands playing Zappa music and are forgivable as a lead-in to the glorious moments when it all fits into place"......
"It’s clear to see that these men may be a little more grey these days, but their wit, musicianship and performing capabilities are that of a twenty year old. Age just don’t mean a thang."......."Tuesday's concert was thus not only a tribute to Zappa music, but also a tribute to his approach and ideas in which nothing was considered holy and in which there are no restrictions conventions and rules. ".... "The evening contained a lot of the contradictory eclectic, serious and circusy flavors of a Zappa show...they were able to go deeper into the material, rather than merely parroting Zappa's notoriously tricky composed lines." ..."Who’s more original than Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention? Probably nobody, but this band sure come close."... "The number of riffs, licks and mini-solos per song was off the Richter scale; latching on to one thread of ugly genius and grooving along was the only way to move."......"you don’t have to be a manic Frank Zappa fan to see that his one-time sidemen have had extremely interesting lives, and know their way around their instruments. It’s this last point they seem most interested in exploring: synth solos, sax solos, drum solos, flute, gong solos – it’s all here"...." "Since, they’ve been living, breathing and truly reincarnating Zappa’s eclectic and tricky musical scores, and doing more than just playing the same notes all over again.".... "The music was, as expected, wild and unrestricted, the musicians were absolutely incredible and the actual stage show was completely engaging."..."Seeing them LIVE was an eye-opener for long-time Zappa fans and newbies alike. Zappa’s music lives in these men – not just through their impeccable musical abilities, but in their chemistry, stage presence and genuine love for the music."..."They are indeed 'not from this planet.' They are better than that. They reminded us that this, the music of the ages, manifests in a performance without tapes, without lip synching, without pretense. And when it comes down to it, fun is the name of the game. You could see how much fun these guys were having on stage, how much they loved this. "....""Christopher Garcia, was buried behind his massive drum kit the entire night, providing a fantastic rhythm background, and foreground. Garcia, also had a voice that owned such a versatility that Frank would have snagged him up if they had met."...."GrandMothers are significant in that they're performing difficult compositions.." "Gardner performed a saxophone solo consisting of random off kilter notes while he writhed around on the floor. Antics like this gave the feeling of watching a real Zappa show and not just a nostalgic rehashing."..... "Don Preston continues to play amazing solo's on his MOOG or IPHONE blowing the crowds away"…. "Drummer Chris Garcia studied tuned percussion and auditioned for the band by playing the parts that it took two drummers to play on Roxy. He handles Zappa's tricky meters with aplomb, and took Captain Beefheart's vocal turn on "Debra Kadabra."….When the band struck up I’m The Slime, things noticeably got upped a notch, by one solo from Bunk on sax and Don on iPhone."……"Grand themes and nimble, time signature switching passages were dispatched with an assurance bordering on nonchalance as drummer Chris Garcia aided the music’s flow and precision with marvelous musical presence and superbly channelled energy."......" With different Zappa eras represented, the Grand Mothers have a wide palette of material to choose from. They serve up vintage psychedelia, rock songs with surreal lyrics, jazz-like harmonies and melodic complexity, with flashes of wacky satire. They are virtuoso musicians, both fun and funny." |