Thu, May 16 - 8pm - $15

The Furious Bongos play the music of Frank Zappa, featuring musicians who have played alongside heavyweights like Yo Yo Ma, Mick Fleetwood, Robert Fripp, and Les Paul.  This isn't strictly a tribute project - doing a note-for-note rendition of Song X from Album Y while staring at their shoes didn't seem like the proper way to go about it, since Zappa's music was constantly evolving and adapted to the musicians he was playing with at a given time.  To that end, they tracked down hundreds of pages of transcriptions and quickly scribbled notes from former band members and other sources, painstakingly compared different versions of the songs, and even dug up copies of rare scores in Frank's own hand (coffee stains included). Arthur Barrow, Zappa's bassist and Clonemeister from 1978 to the early 80s, was instrumental in this effort, and continues to be a sounding board throughout the process.  Between all the homework and the nature of the musicians in the project, The Furious Bongos sound less like a cover band, and more like a band that Frank might have assembled himself, playing unique arrangements you won't hear anywhere else, with a sense of humor and plenty of eyebrows.

 Kick the Cat is Chicago's most highly acclaimed fusion ensemble. Since forming in 1996, the band has been wowing audiences with their high energy shows. Their compositions are grounded in the traditions of jazz, rock and funk and feature complex harmony, odd time signatures, and extended improvisations. The group's spontaneity and uncanny communication make each of their live performances a unique adventure in interactive music-making.