July 2025

The origin for this tour began at the Zappanale festival in 2023, where Paul Green was making his return after a 6 year break (his 7th appearance overall) with the students of PGRA, headlining Friday (playing Zappa) and Saturday night(with Jon Anderson). The Sunday (and overall) headliners were Banned from Utopia and Paul and his students stood in stunned silence watching a band that was like watching one of the best Zappa bands from the 80s. A friendship was struck up between the groups and plans were soon in motion to tour the US in the summer of 2024.That tour was so successful, and such a good time, that we decided to go out again in 2025, this time with just the alumni so that the students can have their turn playing these amazing songs with them.

We are calling the tour the "We Love Zappa II Tour" because it is all about our shared love of this amazing music, teaching it to a new generation, and bringing it to his fans, who are the best.

The Paul Green Rock Academy(PGRA) is the latest music school from School of Rock founder, and noted Zappa fanatic, Paul Green. An audition only music school for ambitious students aged 12-18, PGRA has spent the last 5 years touring, alternately, as the backing band for Jon Anderson of Yes and Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers. They have also shared the stage with such amazing musicians as Bill Bruford, Steve Hackett, and Phil Manzanera. Paul's former students have gone on to play in/with: The Who, Phony Ppl, The Bobby Lees, Dr Dog, Adrian Belew, Lauren Hill, and Willow Smith, to name a few.

Robert "Bobby" Martinis a highly accomplished American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, known for his work with Frank Zappa and his career as a session musician, composer, and musical director, as well as directing his own music production company.He is a sought-after keyboardist, horn player, and vocalist, having worked with numerous artists, including Bette Midler, Paul McCartney, and Etta James, and has composed music for film, television, and advertising.

Scott Thunes is best known for his long tenure inFrank Zappa's band during the 1980s, playing bass, singing background vocals, and serving as the official "Clonemeister," running rehearsals for the Zappa band. He also recorded and toured with Zappa's sons Dweezil and Ahmet, and his music career has included work with the Waterboys, The Mother Hips, and Fear, among others.

Ray Shirley White Sr.,a soul and rock guitarist best known for his vocals and rhythm guitar in Frank Zappa's touring bands from 1976 to 1984, also formed a vocal harmony partnership with Ike Willison later tours. He is featured on numerous Zappa albums and videos, including "Zappa In New York," "You Are What You Is," "Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch," and "The Torture Never Stops".

When a stage four lymphoma diagnosis forced him off the road and into the hospital, Chuck Prophet didn't know if he'd live long enough to see the end of the year, let alone get back on tour.

"I was going through a tunnel," he recalls. "It was dark. But I had music: music to play, music to listen to, music to get me out of my head. Music was my savior."

That much is plain to hear on Wake The Dead, Prophet's extraordinary new album. Recorded with band of brothers ¿Qiensave?, the collection explores the world of Cumbia music, which consumed and comforted Prophet during his illness and subsequent recovery. The songs are intoxicatingly rhythmic, all but demanding you move your body, with arrangements that blur the lines between tradition and innovation. There are flashes of rock and roll, punk, surf, and soul, all filtered through the streets of San Francisco and wrapped up in the rich legacy of a genre that traces its roots back to the jungles of South America.

Captured live in the studio, Wake The Dead resumes Prophet's streak of more than a dozen critically acclaimed solo albums stretching all the way back to 1990, when the California native first shifted focus from pioneering neo-psych band Green on Red to working under his own name. Since then, Prophet--who's now in full remission--has earned raves everywhere from Rolling Stone to NPR, landed songs in a slew of films and television shows, and seen his work covered by Bruce Springsteen, Solomon Burke, and Heart, among others.

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Griffin House is an American singer-songwriter and storyteller. Touring and making records for over 20 years, House has a discography that includes over 13 albums. His debut record "Lost and Found" (2004) was featured on CBS Sunday Morning by music critic and then VP MTV/VH1, Bill Flanagan, who named House one of the best emerging singer-songwriters of our time.

After forging a loyal fan base through years of grassroots touring as an opener for acts such as John Mellencamp and the Cranberries, House broke through as a national headliner in 2009 with an appearance on Late Night with Craig Ferguson and the release of his underground hit "The Guy That Says Goodbye to You is Out of His Mind."

The music documentary "Rising Star," released on Amazon Prime in 2019, chronicles House's journey through the music business, as he attempts to balance the challenges of life as a traveling modern-day troubadour with marriage, fatherhood and sobriety.

House's music has been featured on prime time television shows such One Tree Hill, Rescue Me, Party of Five, and Everwood, and reviewed in magazines such as Paste, No Depression and Rolling Stone. American Songwriter writes "if you want to be blown away by raw talent, look no further than Griffin House."

Dale Watson is an award-winning hardest working real country musician and producer who has been creating music and performing live for over 40 years. He has shared the stage with such icons as Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson, just to name a few. He has been seen on David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel, and Austin City Limits, but most of the time, he is touring the world, killing it for his fans, keeping the country music roots sound alive. With over 30 albums and singles, Dale knows his way around the recording studio, which is why he built Wat-sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, complete with the 1937 board from Sun Studio.

Abe Partridge is a heralded musician, singer/songwriter, visual artist, storyteller and documentarian based in Mobile, Alabama. Since the release of his debut album Cotton Fields and Blood for Days in 2018, Partridge has toured relentlessly, including several tours throughout Europe. He is a regular at several great music festivals such as the 30a Songwriters Fest, and the Laurel Cove Music Fest as well as listening rooms across the country including the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Eddies Attic in Atlanta, and Duke's in Indianapolis. Recently, he toured extensively with Matthew Sweet, Drivin' N Cryin', and Dar Williams in support of his latest release Love in the Dark. He has performed on several syndicated NPR radio programs including, Mountain Stage and Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour.

Partridge along with co-producer Ferrill Gibbs created the Alabama Astronaut podcast, where Abe attempts to properly record songs previously undocumented at holiness, serpent-handling churches in Appalachia. It was in the Top Ten documentary podcasts on Apple Podcasts within days of its release and now has over 100k downloads and a 4.9-star rating.

When Partridge is not writing or touring, he is also a highly acclaimed visual artist. His paintings, primarily acrylic on tarred board and watercolors, now hang in art galleries around the southeast and in the private collections of Tyler Childers, Mike Wolfe (American Pickers), Rick Hirsch (Wet Willie), Tommy Stinson (The Replacements) and Tommy Prine. Abe's art is featured yearly at Howard Finster's Paradise Gardens. His artwork was featured in Stephen King's 2019 sequel to The Shining - Dr. Sleep. He painted the cover art for Charlie Parr's, Last Of The Better Days Ahead (Smithsonian Folkways). He also created art for Tyler Childers' 2022 release, Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven? (RCA), as well as promotional posters for the Red Clay Strays' 2024 release Made by These Moments (RCA). Partridge's first major art exhibition With Signs Following was on display at the Alabama Contemporary Art Center in Mobile, AL in 2023. His book "With Signs Following - Portraits + Stories from the Serpent-Handling Faith" released following the exhibit to wide acclaim.

Three members of the Red Clay Strays occasionally join Abe for a punk side-project they share together, The Psych Peas. They have one album, Lackluster, that has only been released on physical formats. The band has created a reputation for giving high-energy, chaotic live performances, and has garnered a cult-like following. John P. Strohm of The Lemonheads compared them to "Scratch Acid and Butthole Surfers in their prime".

Abe also works with the legendary North Carolina songwriter, David Childers and his band The Serpents. Together, they are The Satan, You're a Liars, with an album, Let's Build This House Together, due to release in early 2025.

American Songwriter Magazine said, "Abe Partridge has established himself as one of the most respected songwriters and visual folk artists in the southeast."

In November of 2022, Partridge released the EP Alabama Skies on Baldwin Co. Public Records label which includes "Abe Partridge's 403d Freakout". Partridge told Songfacts the story behind the song: " 'Abe Partridge's 403d Freakout' was a song I wrote in about 20 minutes. It took me two weeks to make it rhyme, and then it took me about six months to learn it. I just sat and wrote a couple of pages of thoughts as they came to me. It was my attempt at describing my thoughts chronologically as they sometimes occur in my head before I filter them. It is those thoughts that I often have if I allow myself to mentally wander."

Partridge's exhibit With Signs Following was on exhibition at the Alabama Contemporary Art Center in Mobile, AL from January 13 - May 20 of 2023 and is expected to travel to other city contemporary art centers in the next few years. His full-length studio album, Love In The Dark, on BCPR label, was released on May 12, 2023.

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American Songwriter wrote "Jack Barksdale has insights and awareness far beyond people twice his age, and he's able to put them into songs that touch listeners." NPR.org said "Jack Barksdale is special." and Twangville added, "It's hard to escape the impressive maturity of his musicianship and songwriting."

Jack Barksdale is a 17 year old folk/Americana singer/songwriter from Texas. Inspired by folk, rock, and blues legends, Jack started performing original music at the age of nine and has already shared the stage with Wynonna Judd, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Junior Brown, John Fullbright, and Hayes Carll.

Recently Jack signed a record deal with Truly Handmade Records, formed by the estate of Guy Clark. Jack will release a full length album under Truly Handmade Records in June of 2025 featuring many notable guest artists. In September 2024 Jack released his 2nd EP "Out of Order and in October 2023 Jack launched a 7 song instrumental EP entitled Phantom Trails."

His previous single "Gone" has garnered well over 2.8 million streams on Spotify and was featured on Apple Music's 'Southern Craft' playlist.

In 2020 Jack launched a podcast focused on songwriters and songwriting called Jack Barksdale's Roots Revival Podcast.

Jack tours nationally and wows audiences with lyrics wise beyond his years. Jack plays guitar, slide guitar, harmonica, mandolin, piano, and ukulele, but identifies first and foremost as a songwriter.

His musical influences include Lead Belly, Howlin' Wolf, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, The Carter Family, and Willie Nelson.

New Orleans' Sweet Magnolia plays original songs that blend the genres of a powerhouse New Orleans brass with the earworms of pop music. Their songs are a rare combination of female storytelling in the brass medium -- unapologetically sassy, infectiously fun, and bold. Last year they were one of 10 bands to win a national award from the South Arts Jazz Roads Tours Foundation.

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"The Taxmen", a Milwaukee-based band, featuring Anthony (Bass), Jeff (Guitar), Will (Guitar), and Will (Drums), are not only known for their Beatles covers but also for their original compositions. Their performances encompass classics from the 1950s to the present day. Blending the familiar with the new, "The Taxmen" are carving out their unique space in the local music scene, captivating audiences with their diverse repertoire of covers and original songs.

Just a Mess is a three-piece band hailing from the windy city of Chicago. Formed in 2019, this band is a force to be reckoned with, as they combine the intense, emotionally charged sound of Deftones with the introspective lyricism of Brand New.

The band's founding members, Tony Sarlo and Kyle Blais, first met in a drunk tank after a night out on the town. They quickly realized their mutual love for music and decided to form a band. After the departure of their original drummer, Cory Gray, Kevin Kovacevich joined the band on drums and quickly established himself as an essential part of Just a Mess.

Despite their name, Just a Mess is anything but chaotic when it comes to their music. Their sound is a precise and calculated blend of heavy, guitar-driven riffs and poignant, introspective lyrics. Their lyrics explore themes of loss, heartbreak, and nostalgia for a time that has passed.

While Just a Mess may be picky about who they interview with, they are more than willing to connect with their fans through their music. Tony Sarlo's haunting vocals and intricate guitar work blend seamlessly with Kyle Blais's pulsing basslines and Kevin Kovacevich's thunderous drumming.

Just a Mess's music is not for the faint of heart. It is an emotional journey that is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who listens. But for those who are brave enough to take the ride, they will find a band that is authentic, passionate, and unapologetically real.

Since forming in 1988 in Southern California, Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys have become one of the world's most beloved Americana/Roots acts, drawing from the deep musical waters that flow just beneath the surface of Rock & Roll's fertile soil. A childhood passion for Country, Doo-Wop, and Rhythm & Blues 45s led Sandy (born Robert Williams) to pursue a singing career as a teenager, beginning a life in music that continues decades later. And as his personal record collection continues to grow (75,000 and counting), so does the depth of the musical influences that stream through his songwriting and singing style. A critically acclaimed tribute to Tex-Mex hero Freddy Fender, released at the beginning of the 2020 lockdown, points the way forward for Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys as they continue on a path of musical growth. After nearly 35 years on the road, and more than two dozen releases to their credit, they remain key figures on the ever-changing Americana circuit, both on record and in live appearances.

Matt Lorenz's vision, manifest in The Suitcase Junket, developed in the tension between the grand and the solitary. Grand in its imagery, sound, and staging. Solitary in its thrift and self-reliance. What instruments he requires, Lorenz builds from scratch and salvage. What parts five players would perform, he performs alone. The spectacle of his one-man set bears constant comparison to legends of showmanship, brilliance, madness, and invention.

While audiences are captivated by his solitary form and the show itself, Lorenz, who homesteads in rural Western Massachusetts, is most serious about the songs. He has been building a catalog, writing a world into existence. Solitary on stage and on the road, his mind is crowded with characters, narratives, voices, imagery, sounds as wide and varied as mountain throat singers and roadhouse juke boxes, plus newsreels of the planet's destruction and salvage. With this 2020 release, The End is New, Lorenz's grand vision for the song overrides the how of it.

"The things I value are under attack," Lorenz writes. "And writing songs and making art are the methods I have for responding. I have tried to use my observations and reflections of the world bent through my fun-house-mirror mind to show what I see; a planet stressed. ... We can do better."

The End is New was produced by trusted friend, producer Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, who produced The Suitcase Junket's acclaimed 2018 release, Mean Dog Trampoline.

"Most of the time making records for a living is both fun and edifying," says Berlin "But every once and a while I get rewarded with a simply superlative experience, and making The End Is New was certainly one of those." He adds, "We had a blast building these ideas into songs, and Matt's endless inventiveness made each workday a genuine pleasure. His talent is a unique gift."

"I told Steve I wanted to make a doom-folk record," says Lorenz. "That's what I'd started calling my music when people asked. He was game. Neither of us knew quite what that meant at the time, but I think we found out with The End is New. There's a heavy mix of hope and desperation in the sound and lyrically I was trying to be a mirror to society using truth, myth, confessions and stories."

In the strangest of ironies, the production of this album, an artist moving from solitude to collaboration, went forward in a time when Lorenz, Berlin, all their studio musicians, and the entire world were in isolation for the lockdown of pandemic.

"We had done some tracking in February and felt that we had a good start," says Lorenz, "but things had gotten a bit strange. Steve Berlin, producer extraordinaire, was stuck at home on the West Coast under a newly imposed lockdown and here in Massachusetts the virus was starting to heat up. The bicoastal, remotely produced recording process was bizarre and frustrating but fruitful. We plugged along, track by track, occasionally commenting on how crazy everything was feeling. Justin, the sound engineer and co-owner of Sonelab, and I had spent time together in the same studio so we figured if one of us had The Virus we probably both did so why not finish the record as safely as we could? So we watched as the world drastically changed around our little musical haven, unsure of what lay ahead. We polished off the record bit by bit in the following months, recording overdubs from home with no more studio time to be had. J Mascis made a ripping appearance on 'Light a Candle' and Steve Berlin slipped off his producer shoes and laid down some horn parts. I'm so very excited to share these new songs. I think the writing on this album is some of the best I've ever done and the production has them sounding huge and cinematic."

The End is New is an artist expanding his possibilities, collaborating, matching his lyrical power over eleven tracks with the epic sounds and narratives of his imagination. "Black Holes and Overdoses" riffs off the unrelenting news cycle, the numbness that wants for oblivion. "And Then There Was Fire" finds Lorenz reflecting on current events, inspired by the destructive wildfire in Australia, which seems like three years ago at this point, but took place right at the end of last year and beginning of this year. "Light a Candle" is the simmering doom of lost love. "Can't Look Away" protests the overuse of a planet. "Jesus! King of the Dinosaurs" is a romp poking fun at extremists and biblical timelines.

Growing up in Cavendish, Vermont, Matt Lorenz began playing piano at age five, and later took up violin, saxophone, and guitar. During his years at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, he studied music and adaptive instrument design, a pursuit that included building a prototype for a drummer who couldn't use their legs, where they'd be able to play the bass drum and hi-hat through a system of pulleys. After college, he headed to Europe on a $150 plane ticket, ran out of money in Barcelona, and spent a year playing music in the streets. "That's where I learned how to sing loud, which got me figuring out what my voice could do," Lorenz notes. Once he'd returned to Amherst, he formed the band Rusty Belle with his sister Kate and, several years later, started The Suitcase Junket with the aid of a guitar he'd found in a dumpster. 'The Suitcase Junket' is a nod to Lorenz's longtime love of collecting old suitcases, including an antique that he's refurbished into a bass drum, and to a secondary definition of junket, i.e. "a pleasure excursion."

The End is New is Lorenz's sixth full-length album as The Suitcase Junket, his first for Renew Records/BMG. The sound has become more refined and deeper with each release. Lorenz tours extensively and plans to be back on the road for a waylaid release tour for The End is New in 2021. Lorenz is also a visual artist. In the early years he designed all The Suitcase Junket album art and merchandise and made the music videos generated with his songs. He continues to create the visuals for merchandise, and to produce some of his videos, now with collaborators. He gets very excited about coffee, gardening, bees, dogs, birds, mushrooms, tinctures, making his own wine and maple sugaring season.

Mitchell Ferguson is a country-soul artist from Texas whose gritty vocals and genre-blending sound have earned him comparisons to Chris Stapleton and Teddy Swims. Rooted in raw emotion and steeped in southern swagger, his music walks the line between soulful storytelling and rock-driven energy.

A true independent, Ferguson built his fanbase from the ground up--connecting through viral moments, powerful live shows, and a voice that feels both familiar and fresh. He's shared the stage with artists like Parker McCollum, Whiskey Myers, Charley Crockett, and Allen Stone, bringing an undeniable presence wherever he plays.

Whether he's delivering a stripped-down ballad or lighting up a packed venue, Mitchell brings authenticity to every line. His songs speak to heartbreak, resilience, and the messy beauty of chasing something real--and he's only getting started.

Sparrow Blue was formed in St. Albert, AB, Canada with members Des Parks(vocals), Jon Dombroski (guitar), Liam Holm (drums), Russell McCann (percussion), Chad Plamondon (guitar) and Caden Doyle (bass). Inspired by the old school roots of Rock & Roll, Sparrow Blue has developed their own classic sound coining the term Real Thick Rock & Roll. With influences such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin and Mountain, the band's hard-rock music and high-energy performances are sure to bring fire to any stage.

Sparrow Blue has shared the stage with renowned artists such as Finger Eleven, The Sheepdogs, The Trews, Default, The Dirty Nil, The Watchmen, Wide Mouth Mason, Rick Springfield, The Pursuit of Happiness, Tommy Tutone, One Bad Son and much more. The band has played many notable festivals in the Canada area such as Taste of Edmonton, Taste of Calgary, Edmonton RockFest, Funtastic Fest Vernon, Together Again Music Fest, Extreme Mudfest and many more. The band also had an extremely successful touring season in 2023, seeing sold out cities all across Canada. Sparrow Blue recently released their latest album "No Lies, No Tricks" which was recorded in their own home studio called "The Blue Room''. The band supported the album with coast to coast touring including headlining shows, festival gigs and support for The Trews & for The Lazys.

2025 is already proving to be a busy year with the band, as the boys gear up for their first international tour. The band are working with a fantastic team, involving with Andrew Morris and Tamara Martin of Sound Merchants (based out of Los Angeles), Paul Milner of MyMusicBiz, Adam Lewis of Planetary Group (based out of Los Angeles) & Mike Galaxy of Galactic Touring, for this first U.S. Tour to be announced later this spring.

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Milwaukee, Wisconsin alternative rock voyagers 5pm to Nowhere emerged in 2020 under the creative vision of singer-songwriter Jacob Webb. Drawing from the grand emotional balladry of alternative icons like Jeff Buckley and Sufjan Stevens, Webb embarks on a path of unfiltered emotion and introspective exploration. Webb's passion for music catalyzed with the loss of his father at seven years old, as in songwriting he found a unique and singular way to process and communicate his emotions.

Now joined by drummer Ben Dahms, keyboardist Noah Bayer, and guitarist Christian Lese, collectively infusing 5pm to Nowhere with a blend of indie rock nuances and post-punk energy, 5pm to Nowhere is continuing their sonic expedition into uncharted territories. Their debut album is slated for release in early 2024.

benches is a Southern California group consisting of Anson Kelley (vocals/guitar), Ethan Bowers (drums), Evan Ojeda (lead guitar), and Charlie Baird (bass). Reminiscent of both the ceremonious majesty of '90s Britpop and the insouciance of 2000s NY rock, the band's heart is rooted in defining the sound of bittersweet: A blend of joy and sadness, wrapped up into infectious indie rock.

Unabashedly celebrating the naivete of youth, and the excitement and worries that come with getting older, Anson Kelley frequently draws inspiration from the travails of navigating a society where norms are exploded daily, and the chaotic backdrop is full of hurdles to your sanity -- from evolving technology to fragmenting social relationships.

Following the success of earlier singles such as "Angry Lizard Noise" and "Monodrama", benches worked with Grammy-nominated producer Martin Cooke on increasingly complex and nuanced songs, resulting in the release of 3 tracks in 2022, including the standout "Violent". They're currently finishing an EP to be released this Summer to coincide with upcoming tour dates.

The band have played with notable acts such as Foster The People, Dave Keuning (The Killers), and Louis XIV, and previously toured the US with Ultra Q, I Don't Know How But They Found Me, and The Red Pears.