Music Press -Tour Announcements 3/21/2001
Mi2n.com-Tour Announcement 3/21/2001
Punchline- Richmond 3/01/2001
Flagpole.com- Athens 2/21/2001
Digital City- Washington 2/16/2001
Jambands.com 2/12/2001
Music Press 2/09/2001
Live Daily 2/08/2001
Mi2n.com 2/04/2001
Guitar.com 2/02/2001
Absolutely Live CD Review - Jambands.com 1/15 - 2/15/2001 issue
Rochester Goes Out 1/04/2001
Times Union Albany 1/04/2001
Article from: The Music Press
Project/Object, the Frank Zappa tribute ensemble, will perform the following dates with guest vocalist Ike Willis, who was the voice behind many of Zappa's recordings from 1979 through 1993: April 18 at Rosebud in Pittsburgh, April 19 at Barrelhouse in Cincinnati, April 20 at Robin Hood Inn in Kent OH, April 21 at Martyr's in Chicago, April 22 at Cicero's in St. Louis, April 25 at Fox Theatre in Boulder, April 26 at Aggie Theatre in Ft. Collins, April 27-30 at Quixote's in Aurora CO, May 1 at San Juan Room in Durango, May 2 at Dead Goat Saloon in Salt Lake City UT, May 4 at Rainbow Room in Seattle, May 6 at Taylor's in Eugene OR, May 11 at Catamaran Resort/Hotel in San Diego, May 12 at Legends Lounge in Las Vegas, May 17 at Bluebird Theatre in Bloomington IN, May 18 at Lynagh's in Lexington KY, May 20 at Magic Bag in Detroit, and May 22 at Docksider in Erie PA.
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Article from:
Project/Object Makes Extensive Cross-Country Run On 'Conquest Of The West' Tour With Frank Zappa Vocalist-Guitarist Ike Willis As Special Guest
"A handful of Zappa tribute bands perpetuate his music, but the group that comes closest to capturing the spirit of his live performances is Project/Object." (John Swenson, UPI)
NEW YORK -- PROJECT/OBJECT, the "Mother" of live Frank Zappa reinvention, is going coast-to-coast for its biggest U.S. trek yet on the extensive "CONQUEST OF THE WEST" tour with Zappa vocalist-guitarist Ike Willis.
The 35-plus concert tour will cross the country and pull into many new towns along the way, primarily in response to popular demand. This portion will mark PROJECT/OBJECT's Western debut, and focus on introducing a whole new audience of Zappa fans to the band's diverse repertoire, highlighted by an exclusive performance of the 1975 album, "One Size Fits All," during an exclusive 4-night engagement at Quixote's, near Denver, and a special 4-week residency at the Wetlands in New York, with many surprises, to close the tour in June. Songs from previous tours will be combined with newly learned numbers to provide a wide-reaching mix for new audiences, while keeping a step ahead for hardcore fans and tapers who attend multiple PROJECT/OBJECT shows. Ringleader Andre Cholmondeley and his mates have designed several unique sets to take listeners through the Zappa experience from the '60s to the '80s, then back to the '70s and '60s again -- all with "a touch of the garlic," as Frank liked to say.
The exclusive "One Size Fits All" event in Aurora, CO, is the latest example of PROJECT/OBJECT's tradition of occasionally performing an entire Zappa album. On the last leg of the tour, PROJECT/OBJECT thanked Charlotte and Asheville, NC fans with an exclusive "One Size Fits All" performance. On New Year's Eve in New York City, a capacity crowd at the Lion's Den watched PROJECT/OBJECT make history as the only band in the world -- Zappa's included -- to play the maestro's greatest longform piece, "Joe's Garage," in its entirety. PROJECT/OBJECT has also performed the entire "Sheik Yerbouti" and "Zoot Allures" LPs -- both prominently sampled on this tour.
"One Size Fits All" marked Zappa's return to touring in 1975 after a brief hiatus and was thereby considered the start of a new, heavier era featuring strange time changes, lengthy instrumental jams and an increased emphasis on guitar. PROJECT/OBJECT will be playing many classic tracks from "One Size Fits All" at every stop on this leg of the "In One Year and Out the Other" Tour, which also celebrates the recent release of the acclaimed ABSOLUTELY LIVE: PROJECT/OBJECT WITH SPECIAL GUEST IKE WILLIS (Phoenix Presents), the band's very first recording.
Willis is the beloved Zappa band original who was the voice of Joe on "Joe's Garage." His soulful vocal hysterics helped make PROJECT/OBJECT's extensive summer 2000 tour an across-the-board smash. He continues to be embraced by Zappa fans worldwide for his lead roles on "Joe's Garage," "Thingfish," "You Are What You Is" and other seminal Zappa projects.
ABSOLUTELY LIVE: PROJECT/OBJECT WITH SPECIAL GUEST IKE WILLIS, which recreated a night of Zappa music, was recorded during the summer tour at the Wetlands in New York City, and features guest appearances by two other noted New York City jazz-rock musicians, guitarist Gary Lucas and violinist Joe Deninzon.
PROJECT/OBJECT is rapidly gaining notoriety for its onstage dedication to its singular mission -- to perpetuate the music of one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th Century. The band continualy introduces successive generations of improv-oriented music fans to Zappa's legacy. Though PROJECT/OBJECT has been a popular live attraction since Zappa's untimely passing in the early '90s, it's only been in the past two years that the band has been expanding its touring base to meet fan demand well beyond its home turf in New Jersey and New York, leading to this first coast-to-coast jaunt. More and more new fans too young to have savored the legend first-hand continue to join older Zappa fans in witnessing PROJECT/OBJECT acutely recreate the unique fun and excitement of the Frank Zappa concert experience. PROJECT/OBJECT performs music from every era of Zappa's prolific career.
PROJECT/OBJECT has played in the past with other Zappa alumni, including Mike Keneally, Jimmy Carl Black and Denny Walley. Zappa-related musicians such as Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart) and Jerry Cucurullo (sessions for Shankar and Dweezil Zappa) have also joined PROJECT/OBJECT on stage. PROJECT/OBJECT will continue to collaborate with more and more Zappa alumni as they continue to be drawn to the band's mounting respect within the Zappa community. This tour will again have PROJECT/OBJECT welcoming Keneally and his incredible band on a number of double bills. Other alumni are slated to make select appearances.
PROJECT/OBJECT now stands poised to face several new challenges. The band is also considering opportunities to tour the United Kingdom, South America and Japan.
IKE WILLIS toured the world six times with Frank Zappa and on countless recordings, many still unreleased, was the voice of his music for 14 years (1979-93), making him one of the most durable Zappa sidemen. Although best known for his incredible vocal ability, Willis is also an astonishing guitarist whose style blends Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix and Steve Vai.
PROJECT/OBJECT, WITH SPECIAL GUEST IKE WILLIS, TOUR DATES:
April 18 Wednesday Rosebud Pittsburgh, PA
April 19 Thursday Barrel House Cincinatti, OH
April 20 Friday Robin Hood Inn Kent, OH
April 21 Saturday Martyr's Chicago, IL
April 22 Sunday Cicero's St. Louis, MO
April 25 Wednesday Fox Theatre Boulder, CO
April 26 Thursday Aggie Theatre Ft. Collins, CO
April 27, 28, 29, 30
Fri., Sat., Sun., Mon. Quixote's Aurora, CO
May 1 Tuesday San Juan Room Durango, CO
May 2 Wednesday Dead Goat Saloon Salt Lake City, UT
May 4 Friday Rainbow Room Seattle, WA
May 6 Sunday Taylor's Eugene, OR
May 11 Friday Catamaran Resort/Hotel San Diego, CA
May 12 Saturday Legends Lounge Las Vegas, NV
May 17 Thursday Bluebird Theater Bloomington, IN
May 18 Friday Lynagh's Lexington, KY
May 20 Sunday Magic Bag Detroit, MI
May 22 Tuesday Docksider Erie, PA
More dates to come ...
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Article from:
BEYOND ZAPPA
Ike Willis Carries On with Tribute Band Project/Object
by Lesley Howson
More than Frank Zappa's pointman for over a decade, more than Joe in Joe's Garage, more than Thing Fish, Ike Willis is his own man, with his own band. Nevertheless, he's still keeping the music of his late friend and mentor alive by lending his vocals and guitar to New Jersey tribute band Project/Object. They return to town on the "In One Ear and Out the Other Tour," promising the closest thing to Zappa since the man himself.
LH: You have your own band, the Ike Willis Band. Do you play Zappa-esque music or something entirely different?
IW: It's different, all original stuff. It's very original, but it's not Zappa. Even though Frank himself really liked my music. He was one of my biggest fans. I really got a kick out of that.
LH: How long has the Ike Willis Band been around?
IW: Oh God, let's see, a good fifteen years.
LH: Project/Object is a tribute band, not a cover band. What's the difference?
IW: A cover band tries to play the music and that's it. They just sort of play the tunes, and most cover bands are not into the actual people behind the music. A tribute band is a different story, especially if we're talking about the music of Frank, which takes a lot more time, effort, concentration and dedication. Also, a cover band plays billions of other tunes all belonging to someone else, while we concentrate on one guy, one particular person's material. That pretty much makes all the difference in the world.
LH: You guest starred on Project/Object's recent live album. What happens after this tour? How long will this relationship last?
IW: As long as we can keep on smacking it in the face. After this leg of the tour I go back home to Portland, Oregon, and then pick up with the tour again in April.
LH: The New Year's Eve Joe's Garage Show in New York was a sell-out. Why was Joe's Garage never played live in its entirety during Zappa's lifetime?
IW: We never had the time. Basically, the way Frank wrote, he was such a prolific guy, after we'd finish one album, Frank was already busy writing the next one. Plus, we were always on tour, and by the time the next tour came up, Frank already had another album's worth of material written. By the time I looked up, I'd done five or six albums without batting an eye.
LH: Frank was an amazingly intelligent man.
IW: Oh God yeah. He was basically twenty-four hours a day, always nonstop, always writing, always creating.
LH: So I guess he's the exception to the rule that most art wouldn't exist if weren't for some sort of substance.
IW: It depends on one's outlook and one's output. Some people do create when they're stoned, they can smoke a joint and write a song. Frank was never into it.
LH: For the kids coming up now who have obviously heard of Zappa but are not sure where to start, which record should they buy first?
IW: Joe's Garage.
LH: Do you ever get tired of Zappa?
IW: No, not tired of him. Maybe just tired from playing so much. It's so much material and so much information. I don't get tired of playing it, but I will say it takes a lot of energy out of me. It takes a lot to play this stuff.
LH: Will Project/Object be around for awhile?
IW: Yes. In fact, we're booked into next year, which is a great thing. This is a great band and it's just getting better and better. h
Ike Willis and Project/Object recreate the Frank Zappa experience. Local band Gray-V opens. Mon. Mar. 5th @ 8:30pm ($8 adv/ $10 door) at Alley Katz, 10 Walnut Alley, 643-2816.
FROM THE MOUTH OF FRANK...
Prolific and outspoken seem to go hand in hand. Even when he wasn't recording it, Frank Zappa always had something to say.
>> "My best advice to anyone who wants to raise a happy, mentally healthy child is: Keep him or her as far away from a church as you can."
>> "There is no such thing as a dirty word. Nor is there a word so powerful, that it's going to send the listener to the lake of fire upon hearing it."
>> "It's better to have something to remember than nothing to regret."
>> "Nuclear explosions under the Nevada desert? What the fuck are we testing for? We already know the shit blows up."
>> "In the fight between you and the world, back the world."
>> "The computer can't tell you the emotional story. It can give you the exact mathematical design, but what's missing is the eyebrows."
>> "There is no hell. There is only France."
>> "Why do you necessarily have to be wrong just because a few million people think you are?"
>> "Life is like high school with money."
>> "If you wind up with a boring, miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest or some guy on TV telling you how to do your shit, then YOU DESERVE IT."
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Article From:
Sunday, February 25
Project/Object (featuring Ike Willis)
Athens Music Factory
Frank Zappa was one of the true originals in the world of modern rock music, and his death in 1993 left quite a gap in the world of pop. His music, never easy to play, required musicians to be incredibly fluid and versatile, able to go from three-chord rockers to faux classical pieces with odd time signatures. One of his most nearly perfect efforts was the tale of rock and roll-versus-censorship on 1979's Joe's Garage, an album with a tale still frighteningly valid today. While Zappa rarely performed it in concert, the tribute band Project/Object resurrected the three-record masterpiece with "Joe" himself, vocalist-guitarist Ike Willis.
Masterminded by guitarist-frontman Andre Cholmodeley, Project/Object formed a few years of Zappa's death when Liverpool-based tribute band The Muffin Men contacted Cholmodeley. The band has also played with such Zappa alumni as Jimmy Carl Black, Denny Walley and Mike Keneally.
P/O recreates the live Zappa experience with pieces from all of the rock gadfly's career and recently released Absolutely Live: Project/Object With Special Guest Ike Willis.
Willis, who toured the world six times with Zappa, fronts his own self-named band and plays guitar very very much like the master, with touches of Hendrix and Steve Vai thrown in. He was Zappa's vocal foil from 1979 to 1993 and appeared on such seminal works as You Are What You Is, Thingfish and the voice of "Joe" on Joe's Garage.
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Article From:
Project/Object With Ike Willis
Ex-Zappa guitarist plays Zappa covers.
Covering the work of guitar god/avantcomposer/satirist Frank Zappa is a task as monumental as blanketing the state of Delaware with a snug-fitting sheet. And frankly, why bother? For the last four years the members of New York City's Project Object—Rick Bartow (bass/vocals), Jeff Breedlove (keys), André Cholmondeley (guitar), Mumbo (drums/keys) and Wes Paich (percussion/keys)—have been aptly aping Frank Zappa's ouevre, faithfully replicating the master's twisted tunings and oblique voicings to a tee. And with the recent addition of long-time Zappa vocalist Ike Willis, Project Object's become a living, breathing Zappa fest.
Following in the quirky, soulful footsteps of Flo & Eddie and funky Ray White, Willis was hand-picked by Frank in 1978 and was almost immediately thrown into Zappa's live show because of: (a) his overtly masculine gospel-operatic tonsils (b) his willing sense of humor, and (c) the fact that he could sing songs like "Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?" and "Dong Work For Yuda" without sounding stupid. From '78 on, Willis contributed to Zappa LPs Tinsel Town Rebellion, You Are What You Is and the mock-rock-opera Thing-Fish as wailing master of ceremonies. His most famous Zappa moment, though, is his often uncomfortably funny but moving vocal pyrotechnics on Zappa's three-volume Joe's Garage. (All Zappa discs available on Rykodisc.)
--a.d. Amorosi
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Article from: Edited by Jeff Waful
Project Object to Cover Zappa’s One Size Fits All Album
Project Object has announced that it will cover Frank Zappa’s album, One Size Fits All during a two-night stand at the Visulite Theater in Charlotte, NC February 22 and 23. The band will be performing with Zappa guiatist and vocalist Ike Willis. The group plans to cover One Size All in North Carolina, in appreciation for the support of the local fans. The “In One Year and Out the Other Tour” begins February 21 at the State Theater in Falls Church, VA and will conclude March 8 at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ. For the complete itinerary, visit www.projectobject.com.
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Article from: The Music Press
The Frank Zappa tribute band Project/Object will perform the following concerts with vocalist Ike Willis: February 21 at State Theatre in Falls Church VA, February 22-23 at Visulite Theatre in Charlotte NC, February 24 at Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, February 25 at Athens Music Factory in Athens GA, February 26 at Music Farm in Charleston SC, February 27 at Lillian's in Jacksonville FL, February 28 at State Theatre in St. Petersburg FL, March 1 at Culture Room in Ft. Lauderdale, March 2 at JJ Cagney's in Savannah GA, March 3 at Stella Blue in Ashville NC, March 4 at Peasant's in Greenville NC, March 4 at Alley Katz in Richmond VA, March 7 at Met Cafe in Providence RI, and March 8 at Maxwell's in Hoboken NJ.
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Article from:
Project/Object plays Zappa's music in the East and South
by James Woster
LiveDaily Staff Writer
Project/Object, a band that claims that its mission is to keep Frank Zappa's music alive and onstage, has announced new dates for its Absolutely Live tour. Former Zappa vocalist Ike Willis will be guest frontman.
The New Jersey-based band's website promises fans "two long sets of Frank Zappa's music," which suggests a lot of extended guitarwork, the kind for which Zappa's live shows were known. The seven-member lineup includes two guitarists and two percussionists.Last New Year's Eve, Project/Object and Willis performed Zappa's rock opera "Joe's Garage" in its entirety at the Lion's Den in New York.
Frank Zappa, whose irreverent lyrics and ambitious musicianship earned him a devoted following, died of cancer in 1993.
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Article from:
Project/Object Extends Zappa Salute On Tour With Ike Willis
Feb 4 2001
In One Year And Out The Other' Tour With Frank Zappa Vocalist-Guitarist Ike Willis As Special Guest For Expanded East Coast Run
Complete Performance Of Classic 'ONE Size Fits All' Album To Highlight Tour In Exclusive Charlotte, N.C., Zappa Tribute
"A handful of Zappa tribute bands perpetuate his music, but the group that comes closest to capturing the spirit of his live performances is Project/Object." (John Swenson, UPI)
NEW YORK -- PROJECT/OBJECT, the "Mother" of live Frank Zappa reinvention, is extending its sold-out "ABSOLUTELY LIVE: IN ONE YEAR AND OUT THE OTHER" TOUR with Zappa vocalist-guitarist Ike Willis for an expanded East Coast run.
The 15-concert tour will stretch from Rhode Island to Florida and pull into many new towns along the way, primarily in response to popular demand. This leg will focus on introducing a whole new audience of Zappa fans to PROJECT/OBJECT's diverse repertoire, highlighted by an exclusive performance of the 1975 album, "One Size Fits All," at the Visulite Theatre in Charlotte, N.C. Songs from previous tours will be combined with newly learned numbers to provide a wide-reaching mix for new audiences, while keeping a step ahead for hardcore fans and tapers who attend multiple PROJECT/OBJECT shows. Bandleader Andre Cholmondeley and his mates have designed a set which will take listeners through the Zappa experience from the '60s to the '80s, then back to the '70s and '60s again -- all with "a touch of the garlic," as Frank liked to say.
The exclusive "One Size Fits All" event in Charlotte is a special thank-you to the fans of Charlotte and their incredible support. It's the latest example of PROJECT/OBJECT's tradition of occasionally rewarding select towns by performing an entire Zappa album. On New Year's Eve in New York City, a capacity crowd at the Lion's Den watched PROJECT/OBJECT make history as the only band in the world -- Zappa's included -- to play the maestro's greatest longform piece, "Joe's Garage," in its entirety.
The "One Size Fits All" album marked Zappa's return to touring in 1975 after a brief hiatus and was thereby considered the start of a new, heavier era featuring strange time changes, lengthy instrumental jams and an increased emphasis on guitar. PROJECT/OBJECT will be playing many classic tracks from "One Size Fits All" at every stop on this leg of the "In One Year and Out the Other" Tour, which also celebrates the recent release of the acclaimed ABSOLUTELY LIVE: PROJECT/OBJECT WITH SPECIAL GUEST IKE WILLIS, the band's very first recording, on Phoenix Presents.
Willis is the beloved Zappa band original who was the voice of Joe on "Joe's Garage." His soulful vocal hysterics helped make PROJECT/OBJECT's extensive summer 2000 tour an across-the-board smash. He continues to be embraced by Zappa fans worldwide for his lead roles on "Joe's Garage," "Thingfish," "You Are What You Is" and other seminal Zappa projects.
ABSOLUTELY LIVE: PROJECT/OBJECT WITH SPECIAL GUEST IKE WILLIS, which recreated a night of Zappa music, was recorded during the summer tour at the Wetlands Preserve in New York City, and features guest appearances by two other noted New York City jazz-rock musicians, guitarist Gary Lucas and violinist Joe Deninzon.
PROJECT/OBJECT is rapidly gaining notoriety for its onstage dedication to its singular mission -- to perpetuate the music of one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th Century. Though the band has been a popular live attraction since Zappa's untimely passing in the early '90s, it's only been in the past two years that PROJECT/OBJECT has been expanding its touring base to meet fan demand well beyond its home turf in New Jersey and New York. More and more new fans too young to have savored the legend first-hand continue to join older Zappa fans in witnessing PROJECT/OBJECT acutely recreate the unique fun and excitement of the Frank Zappa concert experience. PROJECT/OBJECT performs music from every era of Zappa's prolific career.
PROJECT/OBJECT has played in the past with other Zappa alumni, including Mike Keneally, Jimmy Carl Black and Denny Walley. Zappa-related musicians such as Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart) and Jerry Cucurullo (sessions for Shankar and Dweezil Zappa) have also joined PROJECT/OBJECT on stage. PROJECT/OBJECT will continue to collaborate with more and more Zappa alumni as they continue to be drawn to the band's mounting respect within the Zappa community.
PROJECT/OBJECT now stands poised to face several new challenges. The band is planning its first West Coast tour in the spring and summer, and is also considering opportunities to tour the United Kingdom, South America and Japan.
IKE WILLIS toured the world six times with Frank Zappa and was the voice of his music for 14 years (1979-93), making him one of the most durable Zappa sidemen. Although best known for his incredible vocal ability, Willis is also an astonishing guitarist whose style blends Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix and Steve Vai.
PROJECT/OBJECT, WITH SPECIAL GUEST IKE WILLIS, TOUR DATES:
February 21 Wednesday Falls Church, VA State Theater
22-23 Thurs.-Fri. Charlotte, NC Visulite Theater
24 Saturday Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
25 Sunday Athens, GA Athens Music
Factory
26 Monday Charleston, SC Music Farm
27 Tuesday Jacksonville, FL Lillian's
28 Wednesday St. Petersburg, FL State Theater
March 1 Thursday Fort Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
2 Friday Savannah, GA J.J. Cagney's
3 Saturday Asheville, NC Stella
Blue
4 Sunday Greenville, NC Peasants
5 Monday Richmond, VA Alley Katz
7 Wednesday Providence, RI Met Cafe
8 Thursday Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's
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Article from: guitar.com
Project/Object Extends `ABSOLUTELY LIVE: IN ONE YEAR AND OUT THE OTHER' Tour with Frank Zappa Vocalist-Guitarist Ike Willis as Special Guest for Expanded East Coast Run
2/2/2001
New York - PROJECT/OBJECT, the "Mother" of live Frank Zappa reinvention, is extending its sold-out "ABSOLUTELY LIVE: IN ONE YEAR AND OUT THE OTHER" TOUR with Zappa vocalist-guitarist Ike Willis for an expanded East Coast run.
The 15-concert tour will stretch from Rhode Island to Florida and pull into many new towns along the way, primarily in response to popular demand. This leg will focus on introducing a whole new audience of Zappa fans to PROJECT/OBJECT's diverse repertoire, highlighted by an exclusive performance of the 1975 album, "One Size Fits All," at the Visulite Theatre in Charlotte, N.C. Songs from previous tours will be combined with newly learned numbers to provide a wide-reaching mix for new audiences, while keeping a step ahead for hardcore fans and tapers who attend multiple PROJECT/OBJECT shows. Bandleader Andre Cholmondeley and his mates have designed a set which will take listeners through the Zappa experience from the '60s to the '80s, then back to the '70s and '60s again -- all with "a touch of the garlic," as Frank liked to say.
The exclusive "One Size Fits All" event in Charlotte is a special thank-you to the fans of Charlotte and their incredible support. It's the latest example of PROJECT/OBJECT's tradition of occasionally rewarding select towns by performing an entire Zappa album. On New Year's Eve in New York City, a capacity crowd at the Lion's Den watched PROJECT/OBJECT make history as the only band in the world -- Zappa's included -- to play the maestro's greatest longform piece, "Joe's Garage," in its entirety.
The "One Size Fits All" album marked Zappa's return to touring in 1975 after a brief hiatus and was thereby considered the start of a new, heavier era featuring strange time changes, lengthy instrumental jams and an increased emphasis on guitar. PROJECT/OBJECT will be playing many classic tracks from "One Size Fits All" at every stop on this leg of the "In One Year and Out the Other" Tour, which also celebrates the recent release of the acclaimed ABSOLUTELY LIVE: PROJECT/OBJECT WITH SPECIAL GUEST IKE WILLIS, the band's very first recording, on Phoenix Presents.
Willis is the beloved Zappa band original who was the voice of Joe on "Joe's Garage." His soulful vocal hysterics helped make PROJECT/OBJECT's extensive summer 2000 tour an across-the-board smash. He continues to be embraced by Zappa fans worldwide for his lead roles on "Joe's Garage," "Thingfish," "You Are What You Is" and other seminal Zappa projects.
ABSOLUTELY LIVE: PROJECT/OBJECT WITH SPECIAL GUEST IKE WILLIS, which recreated a night of Zappa music, was recorded during the summer tour at the Wetlands Preserve in New York City, and features guest appearances by two other noted New York City jazz-rock musicians, guitarist Gary Lucas and violinist Joe Deninzon.
PROJECT/OBJECT is rapidly gaining notoriety for its onstage dedication to its singular mission -- to perpetuate the music of one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th Century. Though the band has been a popular live attraction since Zappa's untimely passing in the early '90s, it's only been in the past two years that PROJECT/OBJECT has been expanding its touring base to meet fan demand well beyond its home turf in New Jersey and New York. More and more new fans too young to have savored the legend first-hand continue to join older Zappa fans in witnessing PROJECT/OBJECT acutely recreate the unique fun and excitement of the Frank Zappa concert experience. PROJECT/OBJECT performs music from every era of Zappa's prolific career.
PROJECT/OBJECT has played in the past with other Zappa alumni, including Mike Keneally, Jimmy Carl Black and Denny Walley. Zappa-related musicians such as Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart) and Jerry Cucurullo (sessions for Shankar and Dweezil Zappa) have also joined PROJECT/OBJECT on stage. PROJECT/OBJECT will continue to collaborate with more and more Zappa alumni as they continue to be drawn to the band's mounting respect within the Zappa community.
PROJECT/OBJECT now stands poised to face several new challenges. The band is planning its first West Coast tour in the spring and summer, and is also considering opportunities to tour the United Kingdom, South America and Japan.
IKE WILLIS toured the world six times with Frank Zappa and was the voice of his music for 14 years (1979-93), making him one of the most durable Zappa sidemen. Although best known for his incredible vocal ability, Willis is also an astonishing guitarist whose style blends Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix and Steve Vai.
PROJECT/OBJECT, WITH SPECIAL GUEST IKE WILLIS, TOUR DATES:
February
21 - Wednesday - Falls Church, VA - State Theater
22-23 - Thurs.-Fri. - Charlotte, NC - Visulite Theater
24 - Saturday - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
25 - Sunday - Athens, GA - Athens Music
Factory
26 - Monday - Charleston, SC - Music Farm
27 - Tuesday - Jacksonville, FL - Lillian's
28 - Wednesday - St. Petersburg, FL - State Theater
March
1 - Thursday - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
2 - Friday - Savannah, GA - J.J. Cagney's
3 - Saturday - Asheville, NC - Stella Blue
4 - Sunday - Greenville, NC - Peasants
5 - Monday - Richmond, VA - Alley Katz
7 - Wednesday - Providence, RI - Met Cafe
8 Thursday Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's
http://www.ikewillis.com
http://www.radiophoenix.com
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Review from: JamBands.com Online Music Magazine
1/15 - 2/15/2000 issue
A.J. Abrams
Project/Object have simultaneously created one of the more scorching guitar albums and the scathing political albums of the past year. It is this powerful one-two punch of mesmerizing musicianship and political/sociological satire that makes "Absolutely Live" one of the strongest albums released in 2000.
Frank Zappa composed some of the most musically and lyrically complex songs ever written. Project/Object (P/O) is a Zappa cover band that faithfully recreates the sounds and words of the master musician. Ike Willis, longtime guitarist and vocalist with Zappa, joins P/O on this album and adds authenticity and validity to the music. But P/O certainly leaves their own mark on the Zappa song cannon with their incredible improvisational skills shown on this CD.
And they don't just improvise with music -- they often improvise the lyrics as well. Throughout the CD the band makes wisecracks about George Bush, Republicans, buying and throwing votes and rotten elections. These lyrical improvisations also prove clairvoyant as this CD was recorded live at Wetlands on August 5th, 2000, three months before the election.
But don't worry, if the brief forays into politics happen to turn you off. The political gags just represent a small fraction of this CD. There are three guitarists in P/O and two songs feature special guest guitarist Gary Lucas. Luckily since you will be listening to this CD at home, no ear plugs are needed. The guitars are heavy, loud and blistering but also smooth, flowing and melodic. Certain instrumental passages actually sound like progressive heavy metal. But then again that makes sense since Steve Vai did play guitar with Frank Zappa for several years.
Zappa fans will be interested to know the setlist for this live album. The songs contained on "Absolutely Live" are: More Trouble Every Day, Easy Meat, Filthy Habits, the Evil Prince, I Have Been in You, Flakes, Latex Solar Beef, Willie The Pimp, Inca Roads, Cosmik Debris and King Kong. "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore" was the name of a series of live Zappa albums. But with all due respect to Zappa, P/O has proven that you can indeed do that on stage today. But P/O is probably the only band that can pull it off right. And they have Zappa alumni Ike Willis to help tap into the time machine. P/O can be compared to the 1981 and 1982 Zappa bands that are heard on Volumes Three and Four of the YCDTOSA series. Those were heavy electric rock and roll bands with multiple guitarists and keyboardists. I've already mentioned the guitar army that P/O has and they also have two keyboardists/synth players to help make their big electric machine run. The keys/synths add both lead and rhythmic parts to the music. But they also contribute all kinds of fills and sound effects to help paint the picture of the lyrics.
More Trouble Every Day opens the album and sets the tone with that one/two punch of blistering guitar and politically charged lyrics. This song about political and racial unrest appears on Zappa's first album. Here on "Absolutely Live" it opens with a wall of distorted guitars cranking through the speakers. The guitars grab your attention, slap you on the side of the face and seem to say "listen up because I've got something important to say." P/O added some updated, improvised lyrics: "I was watching the Republican convention and saw the cops out on the street. I was watching them throw votes and stuff and choking in the heat." But there is nothing political at all about the next two songs. Easy Meat is a blazing, roaring, futuristic keyboard/guitar workout. Filthy Habits features Ike Willis on guitar and is an instrumental with a slightly dark and mysterious feel.
P/O shows the diversity of both their band and Zappa himself by performing the Evil Prince, which is similar to a modern Broadway show tune. I Have Been In You is a zany love song featuring great vocals by the entire band. This is followed by another stab at George Bush Sr. and Jr. in the song Flakes. In the middle of the tune there is a short spoken word section that says: "I asked as nice as I could if my dad could somehow help me get elected president. (Wouldn't be prudent.) But the whole damn 80s came and went but we didn't learn nothing and then I charged you double for something...And if you do not vote, I'll get one of them mandates who will make you so crazy so your head goes through the roof."
Gary Lucas adds his extraordinary guitar to Latex Solar Beef and Willie the Pimp while Inca Roads is performed identically to the original version. Close your eyes during this tune and you will swear you are listening to the real Zappa band in concert. It is, as a fellow music journalist likes to say, "an incredible simulation". This song soars into the stratosphere as it describes a UFO that lands in the mountains of an Indian reservation. Then the election fiasco makes a reappearance during Cosmik Debris. Too bad Zappa wasn't around to observe the election fiasco. But P/O would make Zappa proud as they added the lyrics: "The mystery man got nervous and he fidgeted around a bit. He reached into the pocket of his mystery robe and pulled out his Republican kit. Well I thought it was a candidate and a can of foaming goo...Well you might not believe this candidate but he will cure your crabcakes too." And later in the song someone yells out "Is this a real election or a Sears election."
King Kong was one of Zappa's most played and most beloved instrumentals. But this is one song that P/O makes all their own. After briefly playing the main melodic theme, the band launches into an extended improvisational section that is completely original. In fact, it is the only song on the CD where they give themselves a writing credit in the liner notes. The improv section crosses over several different genres of music. There is a honky tonk/western section, a lounge section, a section with kazoos, and a section featuring chaotic, quick, slice and dice, cut and paste wacky improv. Keyboardist/ drummer Wes Paich conducts the band through this insanity. The band is extremely tight throughout this live album. There are no musical or lyrical flubs which is all the more impressive because of how complicated both the music and lyrics are. Usually cover bands are for second rate musicians who have very little original talent. There are very few Zappa cover bands around. And because Zappa's music is so difficult to learn and play, it is a tribute to how great the musicians in P/O really are. They are not embarrassed to be in a Zappa cover band, they are proud of it. They should wear a giant Z on their chest as a scarlet letter of their dedication to Zappa. That they are able to pull everything off without a hitch proves the incredible ability and talent that each and every member of P/O has. They add their own unique touches to Zappa's songs while playing some of the most difficult music ever written.
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ROCHESTER GOES OUT Democrat and Chronicle Rochester, NY
Project/Object continues Zappa's music
Project/Object Randex Communications
Project/Object
A different creed
What: Project/Object, the Frank Zappa tribute.
When: 10 p.m. Friday.
Where: Milestones, 170 East Ave.
Admission: $10.
Call: 325-6490.
On the Web: www.projectobject.com or www.ikewillis.com.
Jeff Spevak By Jeff Spevak
Democrat and Chronicle
(January 4, 2001) -- Frank Zappa's legacy lives on, thanks in part to a heaping plate of bad lasagna.
That lasagna -- or the memory of it -- dates back to Oct. 2, 1977. Ike Willis was a political science and pre-law senior at Washington University in St. Louis, and had managed to get himself a free ticket to that night's Zappa concert by joining the local crew moving equipment into the arena. During sound check that afternoon, Willis even got the chance to sing a few Zappa songs; he'd been playing guitar in bands since he was 9 years old.
In the midst of one of Willis' sound-check moments, he spotted Zappa sticking his head out from behind a door.
''Backstage, when they were feeding everyone before the show,'' Willis recalls, ''Zappa came in with a big plate of lasagna, made by our horrible university food service. I just kinda said, 'You'll be sorrrrrrry.' I figured that, being Italian like Frank is, he would know his lasagna from a hole in the ground.''
Yeah, Zappa knew his lasagna, all right. He also knew a guy who could fit right in with his eclectic band. Zappa invited Willis over to his table; he was sitting alone. ''Everybody was deathly afraid to speak to him,'' Willis recalls. They talked for an hour. Willis followed Zappa back to the dressing room, where they played guitar and talked more, delaying the start of the show for an hour.
One of the last things Zappa said, before finally going onstage, was that he'd call Willis and offer him an audition.
''After the show, I went back to loading,'' Willis recalls. ''I was thinking, 'Nah, that didn't really happen.' ''
Eight months later, Zappa called. Willis auditioned. He got the job. And he stayed, as one of Zappa's longest-running band members, until the 52-year-old Zappa's death from prostate cancer in 1993. Even then, the association didn't end. ''He asked me to help carry on his music,'' Willis says of the dying Zappa, ''in whatever form possible.''
Friday, that form is as guest vocalist with Project/Object, a New Jersey band bringing its Zappa tribute act to Milestones. The band grazes through the entire range of the stunningly prolific Zappa's career, from the daft 1966 debut Freak Out to the wild jazz experiments of the later years.
There is much material to work with, and Willis was the voice for much of it. He is the Thing Fish. He is the Joe of Joe's Garage. Willis and Project/Object are apparently the only band to have played the entire Joe's Garage, Zappa's nearly three-hour opus.
Zappa's discography reveals more than 50 albums. His early work, which he called ''sonic mutations,'' was commercially unmarketable and cloaked in humor. It often seemed like a gigantic put-on. Frankly, there isn't much interpretation to be gleaned from a lyric like ''Watch out where the huskies go, and don't you eat that yellow snow.''
Zappa's counterculture Zenmaster image certainly offered an opportunity for the shortsighted to make quick judgments. And the smoke from his pothead-wizard visage may have obscured the real Zappa. His choice of stimulant was coffee. He once said he doubted he had smoked more than a dozen marijuana joints in his life, a Zappa fact that Willis confirms: ''He tried it. It didn't work.''
So what was there to fear?
''Intelligence,'' Willis says. ''He was such a straight-up, blunt and honest guy. Which was why he was on the government hit list for 30 years.
''You know what he really was?'' Willis muses. ''A staunch American. He totally flew in the face of what a quote, unquote, rock star was supposed to be. He was outspoken, and they'' -- that's the PMRC, senators, most authority figures -- ''couldn't stand it because he knew more about the issues than they did.
''He believed in free speech and, like Martin Luther King said, in America living up to its creed. If this is a free country, he said, OK then, be free.''
Democrat and Chronicle WEEKEND
Events & Options, Thursday, January 4th, 2001
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Now that the holidays are over and the calendar has finally flipped over to 2001, let's pause to take a look back at the past 12 months on the Capital Region's live music scene...
This week: Looking to this week's calendar, there are a handful of don't-miss shows on tap, even during this post-holiday concert lull.
Project/Object, featuring Mothers of Invention alumnus Ike Willis, returns to Valentine's (17 New Scotland Ave., Albany) at 10 tonight with another twisted musical tribute to the late, great Frank Zappa.
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