Zappa Plays Zappa returning to the Pageant on Monday, June 9

The 2008 edition of the "Zappa Plays Zappa" tour is coming to St. Louis to perform at the Pageant on Monday, June 9. Led by Frank Zappa's eldest son, guitarist Dweezil Zappa, the ZPZ ensemble brings together former FZ band members and younger, lesser-known musicians to play faithful arrangements of Zappa compositions from various periods of his career.

The band came to St. Louis on their first tour back in 2006 to play the Pageant and delivered an excellent show, reviewed here. This year's version of ZPZ includes the same core band, with singer/guitarist Ray White (pictured) as the featured guest star. (The 2006 tour featured three former Zappa band members as guests: saxophonist and singer Napoleon Murphy Brock, drummer Terry Bozzio and guitarist Steve Vai.)

Tickets go on sale at 5:00 p.m. this Friday via the Pageant box office and Ticketmaster. However, there's also an online presale on the Web site of radio station KSHE (94.7 FM) from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. this Thursday, March 20. (As an aside, it's surprising that KSHE is "welcoming" this concert, given that the last time the station played Zappa music with any regularity was probably at some point during the Carter administration. However, I'm not complaining, just noting the incongruity.)

(Edited 4/25/08 to correct the show date.)