Ugly Radio Rebellion with Ike Willis, Friday, Dec. 21, 2007, Cleveland
Hoodude
Published December 19th, 2007
Zest For Zappa
Ike Willis Finds A New Home With Ugly Radio Rebellion
By Brian Baker
The Cleveland Free Times
http://www.freetimes.com/stories/15/33/zest-for-zappa
Ike Willis had been Frank Zappa's guitarist and right-hand man for over
a decade and a half when he made a promise to Zappa just prior to his
passing in 1993: Willis vowed to keep Zappa's music alive for subsequent
generations, an oath he's kept through his work with Zappa cover bands
like New Jersey's Project/Object and Italy's Ossi Duri as well as his
own Zappa-inflected music.
The next phase of Willis' career will find him moving in both directions
at once through his new affiliation with Detroit's Ugly Radio Rebellion.
On URR's upcoming string of dates - the Winchester lands on what would
have been Zappa's 67th birthday - Willis will accompany the Zappa cover
band on a deep and diverse set list devised by URR frontman/guitarist
Scott Schroen. Going forward, URR will also serve as Willis' backing
band on his original music in a configuration known for the time being
as the Ike Willis Project.
"Scott and I have been planning this thing for two years because I've
been wanting and needing back-up personnel," says Willis. "I've finally
found some kids who want to learn my material as well."
Recently relocated to Atlanta, Schroen is excited by the prospect of
continuing to work with and beginning to work for Willis in their new
arrangement.
"We did our first show with him in 2005 and this will be our third tour
with Ike," says Schroen. "We've done some of his stuff but it's going to
be more a part of the whole project, and some of the shows will be just
his material. We're committed to this. His stuff is great, and he's the
best singer in the world."
Although Willis has four or five albums of original music stockpiled,
he's only released two solo albums to date, 1986's Should've Gone Before
I Left and 2001's Dirty Pictures. His new association with URR will
hopefully lead to more touring and an opportunity to get into the studio
for some long-overdue recording.
"Money, that pesky eating thing, trying to stay alive in the George Bush
economy," says Willis, explaining his long studio absence. "I've had to
be so busy keeping hearth and home and making other people rich and
famous, just to keep a roof over me and Ma's head, that I haven't had
time to devote to the IWP and scare up the funds to go back in the
studio. And the personnel, thank you very much. Scott's a bloody genius,
and he's dedicated to this thing. These guys are accomplished musicians.
Scott plays all of Ruth Underwood's parts on guitar. He is wildly talented."
The upcoming URR show on Zappa's birthday - which will feature an array
of interesting components, including "mature" balloon creations by
Flower the Clown, special edition T-shirts by caricaturist E.J. Farb, a
supply of Kill Ugly Radio beer provided by Lagunitas Brewery and a
specially designed cake at the Winchester, and a meet-and-greet at the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (check uglyradiorebellion.com for
details) - will mark a first for Willis, who has rarely played on
Zappa's birthday, before or after his death.
Ugly Radio Rebellion, on the other hand, is closely associated with
Zappa's birthday. Schroen's previous Zappa incarnation, Uncle Meat,
played its final show on December 21, 2003, and then reformed as URR in
2004. Beginning as a quartet, URR is now Schroen on guitar and vocals,
John Garland on bass, keyboards and vocals, and Layla Hall on drums,
vocals, bells and percussion, amazingly recreating an impressive version
of Zappa's complex compositions with just a trio. In an interesting
twist, this Detroit line-up has remained intact after Schroen's
relocation to Atlanta, but he's now in the process of putting together a
second URR line-up consisting of regional players.
Eventually, the plan is to offer both URR and the Ike Willis Project in
tandem, playing a combination of Zappa covers and Willis originals
("More bang for the buck," says Willis with a laugh). Like most of his
Zappa shows, Willis is leaving the finalization of this birthday set
list to Schroen, given that the event is an Ugly Radio Rebellion show
with Willis as a guest.
"After all these years, the songs are all there," says Willis. "It keeps
it fun for me and keeps me on my toes, and it lends an element of
surprise to the proceedings. I fully expect them to surprise me and I'm
sure they will."
Ugly Radio Rebellion with Ike Willis
9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, 2007, The Winchester, 12112 Madison Ave.,
216.226.5681
Tickets: $15
Willis: Ready for some overdue recording.
--
Lincoln money shot
Milhouse G
> Volume 15, Issue 33
> Published December 19th, 2007
>
> Zest For Zappa
>
> Ike Willis Finds A New Home With Ugly Radio Rebellion
[ snip ]
> "I've had to
> be so busy keeping hearth and home and making other people rich and
> famous, just to keep a roof over me and Ma's head
Wait, what now? Really, what is Ike's problem?
--
Milhouse
computeruser
news:5stg4aF...@mid.individual.net...
The rock he smoked?
His worrying about his Ma? Can't she keep a roof over her own head? Or is he
talking about a wife?
The whining he did in the quote above?
> --
> Milhouse
Hoodude
Beacon Journalist columnist
Published on Thursday, Dec 20, 2007
http://www.ohio.com/entertainment/12648216.html
Ghost of Xmas Zappa
Here's something special for all my fellow Zappa fans.
Friday night at the Winchester Tavern and Music Hall in Lakewood, Zappa
tribute band Ugly Radio Rebellion will perform for the late maestro's
57th birthday. Special guest will be long-tenured Zappa singer/guitarist
Ike Willis.
The Detroit-based band consists of well-trained and -schooled musicians,
including drummer Laylah Hall, who placed second in the 2006 East Coast
Best Drummer Competition held in Akron.
The deep-voiced Willis, who played in almost every Zappa band from 1978
until the final tour in 1988, has managed to continue his Zappa career
by hooking up with various Zappa cover/tribute bands since Zappa's death
in 1993. However, he did not play in Dweezil Zappa's recent Zappa Plays
Zappa band.
Several years ago, I saw Willis play a couple of times with the
Jersey-based Project/Object in Atlanta. He's still got a sick sense of
humor, a big, booming voice, and better guitar skills than I had
previously thought. (He plays a beautiful Outside Now solo.)
The band promises three solid hours of Zappa material, plus a balloon
artist, Flowers the Clown, who will be making ''adult balloons'' (no, he
can't make you a girlfriend for the holidays), a caricaturist and, of
course, a dance contest.
Members probably wouldn't mind if you brought some old panties for a
quilt, but that's not on the official list of activities.
On Saturday morning, chef/musician Dante Boccuzzi will host the St.
Alfonso's Pancake Breakfast (I swear if you're a Zappa fan, these
references all make perfect sense) at his restaurant, Dante's, at 8001
Rockside Road in Valley View. For $15 you'll get pancakes and/or waffles
and can hear the band perform in the intimate upstairs banquet room.
If you're a longtime fan, Willis is very friendly and an easy guy to
talk to. It's impossible to ask him too many questions about the 18
years he spent with Zappa, so feel free to have at him.
--
Lincoln money shot