• Jul 13, ’08 - Rotterdam, NETHERLANDS — North Sea Jazz Festival
• Jul 15, ’08 - Milan, ITALY — Villa Arconati
• Jul 16, ’08 - Madrid, SPAIN — Veranos de la Villa
• Jul 18, ’08 - Barcelona, SPAIN — Palua de la Musica
• Jul 19, ’08 - Berne, SWITZERLAND — Gurtenfestival

Not only is it obvious that ZPZ are blissfully steering clear of Frank’s traditional European fanbase (Germany, France, the UK, Scandinavia, Belgium, the Baltics - Holland being the exception to the rule), on top of that ZPZ have chosen the safe route by playing festivals.

What’s the matter Dweez? Us Euro’s scaring you now? I wonder why.

Post Scriptum: you gotta love the way us Euro fans were basically used as guinea pigs when the first ZPZ tour was put on the rails.

- PR Guy: “Let’s see if it sticks with them Ol’ Country folk first. Like it or not: yer dad always had more of a following there, so it’s the sensible thing to do. If it sticks, we take this tour back to the US”
- Dweez: “Ya think?”
- PR Guy: “Trust me. Been there, done that. With a bit of luck, them Euro’s are gonna rave about you guys all over the internet. Then we hit the US. Money in the pocket.”
(cue appreciative GS nodding)
- Dweez: “Mom, whadda you think?”

… and the rest, as they say, is history.

Thrasher’s Wheat has a good recap of the pro’s and con’s of Blu-Ray technology, as well as fan’s reactions:

I can completely understand why some people are very leery and upset, it’s just that I expect Neil to be unfathomably perverse. It’s been a very long time since any decision he’s made has actually fazed me in the slightest. My default mode with Mr. Young is to assume that I have absolutely no idea what he will do next, or what he will choose to release.

Sounds familiar!

Remember those scrapbooks that were passed around when you were a kid? A friend would ask you to write or draw something in his/hers and then you’d give it back. Some of the pages would turn out rather cheesy, while others would consist of really cool doodles or collages.

With positive response from you guys, Sharleena and myself went and bought a (matter-of-fact) rather cheap sketchbook, filled its first pages with some introductory doo-dah, and off it went.

From there on, what can I say, really? Things went good, until they went bad.

The book is lost.

No doubt there’s a Newman in US Postal Services sitting on this book, creaming all over it at the prospect of a quick buck on eBay. Nnnnewman…
Luckily, the last recipient of the book –our good friend SOFA– made pictures of all pages before sending it on. Have a look (flickr link) — be sure to click the “All Sizes button”!

To all of you who received the book, doodled in it, then sent it on, and made it as spectacularly good as it is: you guys rock. Some samples:

Newman? We need to get in touch. I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse.

Until they met last night, some members of the Baltimore Public Art Commission, which voted unanimously to accept the gift of the bronze sculpture - valued at about $50,000 - were also unaware of Zappa’s connection to Charm City.
However, the donors of the bust, who come from much farther afield - in fact, from a nation Zappa never visited - are well aware of his background.

That’d be Vilnius, Lithuania, of course.

Lo and behold: GS “avidly supports placing the sculpture in Baltimore, where her late husband’s quirky views of life fit with the work of such great local artists as John Waters.”…

A documentary which follows the singer of US rock band Eels, Mark Everett, as he travels across America to learn about the father he never knew - quantum physicist Hugh Everett III.

Which Eels? This Eels. Many thanks to the Beeb for broadcasting this at the ungodly hour of 12:20 am. Must… Stay… Awake…

Strange what one finds on YouTube…Is it jazz, or is it big band, or is it porn? Or is it Big Band Jazz Porn? You decide…

What is it about the music and lyrics of Tom Waits that popular culture has clung to so heartily? Has he touched upon something deep within our common unconscious, like some dimestore novel from which we are all characters?

And we’re all behaving like dogs…

(via)

I have been personally insulted at the Zappa Forum simply for commenting on the inference in DZ’s recent email about the ZPZ DVD re-release. It is actually quite clear. What he said was: “ZPZ’s goal is to capture the attention of a new audience” - not “…one of its goals…“, but “ZPZ’s goal…“. More care needs to be taken if that doesn’t mean it’s ZPZ’s sole goal (which I don’t actually believe it is). I will refrain from commenting further at the Forum: it’s a very hostile place, seemingly now populated by a couple of racist bully-boys.

There’s some cool people posting at the Z forums mind you, but the (real) idiots, it seems, are taking over. Erh… AFFZ, anyone?