Frank Zappa hologram to go on tour next year
Eyellusion, which is going "to send" Ronnie James Dio’s hologram on tour in late November, announced a partnership with the Zappa Family Trust to produce hologram performances of Frank Zappa, the American multi-instrumentalist who died in 1993. Production for the Zappa shows will kick off in late 2017, with performances announced later in 2018. It's reported on Frank Zappa's official website.
"I'm thrilled that Frank Zappa will finally be going back out on tour playing his most well-known music as well as some rare and unheard material," said Ahmet Zappa, co-trustee of the Zappa Family Trust. "We can't wait to bring his creative work back to the stage with the musicians he loved to play with, such as Steve Vai, Ian Underwood, Adrian Belew, Arthur Barrow, Vinnie Colaiuta, Scott Thunes, Mike Keneally, Denny Walley, Warren Cuccurullo and Napoleon Murphy Brock, among others, who are committed to being part of this epic endeavor. When I spoke with them, they were excited at the prospect of performing alongside Frank once again and can't wait to give fans an unforgettable experience."
He continued: "Also, how radical would it be to have Moon singing 'Valley Girl' onstage with Frank? Or to see Dweezil side by side with our father playing dueling guitar solos? That would be my greatest wish and I look forward to bringing this special celebration of Frank's legacy to a town near you. But if that wasn't enough Zappa coolness, we're also planning on staging 'Joe's Garage The Musical' with none other than Frank Zappa himself starring as the Central Scrutinizer."
"Frank was an innovator and his art transcended so many different mediums," said Diva Zappa, co-trustee of the Zappa Family Trust. "He left behind such an extensive body of work and we want to celebrate his music with really creative and unique live hologram productions that will introduce his music to a new generation of fans and let so many that enjoyed his music when he was alive experience it again. We have had this idea for many years and after meeting with the team at Eyellusion, we knew that they were the right partner to make it a reality."
"We work closely with the Zappa family on their various projects, and look forward to sharing new Frank Zappa performances with his longtime fans, as well as expanding his audience to give new fans the opportunity to share in that experience" adds Bruce Resnikoff, president and CEO, Universal Music Enterprises.
"We are thrilled to welcome such a monumental and important artist to our lineup of planned live music hologram productions," said Jeff Pezzuti, CEO, Eyellusion, which is also responsible for creating the hologram of late heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio. "Frank Zappa was an incredible musician, unmatched in his output, tackled so many different genres and influenced a generation of artists that would go on to help further shape rock and pop for decades to come. We are music lovers first and can't wait to get to work on yet another show that lets fans experience such timeless and important music in a live concert setting."
Stay tuned for tour dates and further lineup announcements.