'The Bizarre World of Frank Zappa' Hologram Tour Set for U.S. in April

Live music hologram production company Eyellusion has announced "The Bizarre World of Frank Zappa" hologram tour, which will kick off April 19 at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York.

The story behind the upcoming shows is as follows: In 1974, Zappa transformed his Los Angeles rehearsal space into a sound stage and cranked out some unbelievable performances seen and heard only by the camera operators in the room. The audio from these performances—locked away in the Zappa vaults for 44 years—will serve as the basis for what will be the world's most ambitious hologram tour to date. The "can't miss" concert spectacle is being produced in close cooperation with the Zappa Family Trust. 

The "Bizarre World of Frank Zappa" hologram tour band is comprised of former Zappa bandmates. The touring unit boasts guitarists Ray White and Mike Keneally, bassist Scott Thunes, multi-instrumentalist Robert Martin, percussionist Ed Mann, and drummer and Zappa archivist Joe "Vaultmeister" Travers.

Said Ahmet Zappa, EVP of business development for Eyellusion and co-trustee of the Zappa Family Trust: "As a futurist, and hologram enthusiast, Frank fearlessly broke through boundary after boundary as an artist and in honouring his indomitable spirit, we're about to do it again, 25 years after his passing.

"We're excited to world premiere a handful of Frank Zappa compositions; these mind-melting concerts we're putting together celebrate the music, often surreal imagery and humour synonymous with Frank. We will be pushing the limits of what anyone has seen holographically on stage before in a live venue. Circumstances, objects, places and subject matter from Frank's songs and imagination will be brought to life for the first time on stage. We are anthropomorphizing Frank's music utilizing various visual techniques, art styles, classic imagery from his album artwork and characters from his songs, culminating in one extremely bizarre, live music experience.”

Ahmet continued: "My father and I actively discussed 3D and 'holography' and it was a concept he actively engaged in. He actually devoted half a chapter of his The Real Frank Zappa Book to this subject. This is a love letter and a journey celebrating the genius artistry of Frank Zappa. On a personal note, I feel like I am finishing something my father started years ago. And let's not forget, Frank himself will be rocking his fans, alongside his bandmates like nobody's business."

Tickets for the U.S. shows go on sale Friday, February 15 at 10:00 AM (ET) at all major ticketing outlets, with a special VIP pre-sale launching on Wednesday, February 13.

For more information, head over to Zappa.com.

The Bizarre World of Frank Zappa U.S. dates:

4/19   Port Chester, NY    Capitol Theater

4/20   Rochester, NY       Kodak Center Theater

4/22   Red Bank, NJ         Count Basie

4/24   Long Island, NY     Paramount Theatre

4/26   Boston, MA  Shubert

4/28   Albany, NY   The Palace Theatre

05/1   Wilkes Barre, PA    Kirby Center

05/2   Collingswood, NJ    Scottish Rite Auditorium

05/3   Baltimore, MD       The Modell Lyric

The Bizarre World of Frank Zappa European dates: 

5/9    Edinburgh, UK       Playhouse

5/11   Gateshead, UK      Sage

5/12   Manchester, UK     Bridgewater Hall

5/13   Birmingham, UK    Symphony Hall

5/14   London, UK  The Palladium

5/16   Ostend, BEL Kurssal

5/17   Amsterdam, NLD   Rai Theater