Zappa Plays Zappa at the National

Thursday, Feb. 7. 8 p.m. $20 to $50.

Guitarist Dweezil Zappa used to be a big-haired MTV veejay who played screaming guitar in the wanky, virtuoso style of Eddie Van Halen. He seems to have realized that it was unlikely his own music would ever escape the shadows of his famous rock composer father, Frank Zappa — at least not anytime soon. So for years he’s performed his late father’s repertoire with a high level of respect for the original work. It’s the closest thing you can get to experiencing those technically demanding, musically adventurous Zappa concerts of old. Keep an ear out for the exceptional Los Angeles musician Scheila Gonzalez, who plays saxophone, flute, keyboard and sings — sometimes all at once. Tour de Frank should appeal to casual fans as well as the hardcore nuts, with both recognizable and rarely performed material, and maybe a few originals, when it comes to the National on Thursday, Feb. 7. Show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets run $20 to $50. thenationalva.com.

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