Zappa plays Zappa at Bearsville

Dweezil and Frank Zappa

Dweezil Zappa really does not have to dedicate his life to the preservation and curation of his famous father’s notoriously difficult music. Dweezil has had a respectable career in his own right as guitarist, composer and actor. As an A-grade guitar-shredder, he could always find plenty of challenging, high-profile work as a celebrity sideman. It really does seem to be a genuine sense of devotion and service that motivates the younger Zappa’s tribute to the old man. And it requires nothing less.

Hank, Jr. can toss off a tribute to his progenitor while half-cocked (or even fully cocked); anyone can play a Hank Williams, Sr., tune – that’s kind of the point. The hard part is writing them. Not so with Zappa’s songs: Pretty much no one else can play them or write them.

Zappa Plays Zappa will be performing at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock on Thursday, July 5. The doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8. Tickets cost $40 and are general admission. For more information, visit www.bearsvilletheater.com or call (845) 679-4406. The Bearsville Theater is located at 291 Tinker Street (Route 212) in Woodstock.