OK here's my obligatory mini-review of said BFU show
last night (Nov. 9, 1996) in San Francisco
setlist:
Andy-Inca rds-Got no heart-pound for a brown-beautiful
guy-bamboozled-eric dolphy mem bbq-lucille-be-bop
tango-easy meat
break - snore - I can't stay awake this late anymore.
Actually many folks in the balcony appeared to have
gone to sleep.
Filthy habits-Idiot bastard Son-Yo
cats-village/echidna/don't you ever wash that
thing?-Peaches-Sofa-Outside Now-Zomby Woof
Highlights of the show
#1: Easy parking on street in San Francisco 1/2 block
from show. This is not to be underestimated.
#2: Totally sock-adelick light/video show with
Fillmore-style colored oil blobs and computer
generated wildness combined with footage from 200
Motels and Baby Snakes and DHBIM (with Japanese
subtitles) and G-d Knows what else videos.
#3: No $3.50 BASS service charge at Maritime Hall.
Hooray!
#4: Met 4 or 5 fellow affz citizens. Supposedly
Konrad was there but did not see him.
#5: Spoke with Tommy Mars for a couple minutes. He
said they'd played in Lake Tahoe the night before and
that their tour consisted of those two shows. He and
Ike and Bruce Fowler were loungin round like regular
guys b4 show. They pretended like they didn't
recognize me (again).
Musically, I thought Idiot Bastard Son was pretty
interesting. Everyone left the stage except Tommy and
Ike. Tommy played piano sound and went wild jazzing
up the harmonies which IMHO was very successful.
Jay Dittamo on drums was fine and did some bg singing
as well. I think the drummer has the most fun playing
Zappa music. It's berserk to watch what they're
doing.
Beyond that I'd say they were a little less tight than
last year's show but still very good. Also their set
list was nearly identical to last year (though
they said they hadn't done Filthy Habits since 1988
and it showed in spots). So I guess their repootwah
is not incredibly large, and perhaps they don't devote
full-time energy to this project (which has to be the case).
Also it should be said that Ike's a pretty good rock
guitarist. His voice is not quite as flexible as 2000 years ago.
Lineup:
Kurt McGettrick-Walt Fowler-Bruce Fowler-Mike
Miller-Jay Dittamo-Ike Willis-Tom Fowler-Tommy Mars
Final analysis: see them if they miraculously
materialize at a hall near you.