Zappa 88- The Last US Show

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I've been waiting for the release of more of the 88 tour. I was hoping for a box set, multi show release, but I'm not complaining. Already perordered it. 

 

 Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, NY ...March 25, 1988

 

DISC 1
1. “We Are Doing Voter Registration Here”
2. The Black Page (New Age Version)
3. I Ain’t Got No Heart
4. Love Of My Life
5. Inca Roads
6. Sharleena
7. Who Needs The Peace Corps?
8. I Left My Heart In San Francisco
9. Dickie’s Such An Asshole
10. When The Lie’s So Big
11. Jesus Thinks You’re A Jerk
12. Sofa #1
13. One Man, One Vote
14. Happy Birthday, Chad! 
15. Packard Goose Pt. 1
16. Royal March From “L’Histoire Du Soldat”
17. Theme From The Bartok Piano Concerto #3
18. Packard Goose Pt. II
19. The Torture Never Stops Pt. I
20. Theme From “Bonanza”

DISC 2

1. Lonesome Cowboy Burt
2. The Torture Never Stops Pt. II
3. City Of Tiny Lites
4. Pound For A Brown
5. The Beatles Medley
6. Peaches En Regalia
7. Stairway To Heaven
8. I Am The Walrus
9. Whipping Post
10. Bolero
11. America The Beautiful

 

 

Yesssssss one hell of a tour,  a bit strange hearing the Page solo in Stairway played by horns, but it works.

I recorded both nights at the Bushnell, sshhhhhhhhhh

 

^there's quite a bit of the 88 tour out there. But still would love a big old multi show release. 

 

I saw three shows on this tour, two at the Warner Theater in D.C., and then the show at Towson State University's fieldhouse.  They busted out "Let's Make The Water Turn Black" at Towson State.  Loved the big horn section.  The best band you never heard in your life.

I also saw 3 shows on this last tour of the Greatest!  2 in Boston, one in Springfield. Remember how funny but yet profound Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk was. 

Craziest thing is look at how extensive the Soundcheck was in Springfield!...... Soundcheck : Loops, Assorted Song Quotes, Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue, Sofa, Stevie's Spanking, My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama, Willie The Pimp, Filthy Habits, Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk Monologue (w/Eric Buxton), Black Page #2, Royal March From L'Histoire Du Soldat, Disco Boy, Teenage Wind, Truck Driver Divorce, Advance Romance, You Are What You Is, Mudd Club, I'm The Slime, Loops, Stolen Moments, The Untouchables, Marqueson's Chicken, Zomby Woof

Hot Tuna opened this show if I remember correctly. Always thought that was an odd pairing.

I recorded the Cleveland and Columbus shows.

3rd row center in Columbus. 60 minutes was filming for a future spot on the show.

Sherrod Brown was Ohio's Secretary of State at the time and he spoke to the audience about signing up to vote.

Frank's employee, Jerry from the merch department, spied my buddy with the recording rig.

They exchanged contact info and ended up trading tapes of shows.

Of course, Frank loathed bootleggers. No money was exchanged.

 

 

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Impressed am I.

God Bless The Tapers.

 

Hell, between Atom and Ras there's enough for a zoner/zappa 88 box set

 

The Nassau 88 Zappa show was my first and only Frank  show.  I remember Paul Kantner was supposed to play with Hot Tuna but couldn't make it.  Hot Tuna rattled the house.  Long Island was a thick nest of Zappa and Tuna fans back then. The place raged that night. 
Frank stopped the show to let everyone know how to register to vote. 

 

I was at the 2/17 Bushnell Theater Hartford show

Here's a few more details on the new release from Rolling Stone:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/frank...

Couple of bonus tracks with the Nassau set, including Stairway To Heaven from the Towson show I saw two nights before, which was my last time seeing Frank.

I was curious as to why this band broke up in Europe before they could come back for the 2nd half of the U.S. tour, and found this inciteful discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Zappa/comments/am797p/ok_what_happened_with_the...

The Scott Thunes mutiny, Frank's health, and a few other lurid allegations all in the mix.   Frank took a $400,000 hit canceling the rest of the tour.

Think I saw all of the 88 shows in the US, just an incredible band that was

 

{{{{{FRANK}}}}}

 

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Springfield was the first show security had the wand metal detectors that I attended.I think Frank was receiving death threats for his voter registration push