Our
Events

Date
May 21, 2022

Time
Doors at 6:30 PM
Meet and Greet at 7:00 PM
Show at 8:00 PM

Tickets
$40 General Admission
$60 Cabaret Seating
$75 VIP

Location
Bijou Theatre
275 Fairfield Ave
Bridgeport, CT 06605

Other
All Ages

About this Event

Experience The Z3 play funky takes on Frank Zappa through a ¼-scale replica of the Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound - all in support of music education!

100% of your ticket price supports music education for Connecticut’s students. Music Empowers!

SpreadMusicNow is a public charity that helps Connecticut’s young people thrive. As part of our commitment to young people's stories, ideas, and dreams, we've created a concert series benefitting local nonprofits that provide music education and support creative youth development. SpreadMusicNow and TeachRock will be the beneficiaries of this event.

The Z3 are and aren’t a Zappa tribute. They do play the music of Frank Zappa. They don’t try to recreate it exactly as it happened in the ‘60s, 70s, or 80s. Instead, they orchestrate it for their funky organ trio vibe, with an energy and groove that carries it into the present. They embrace the cynicism, sarcasm, and biting social criticism for which FZ was famous, but they point it squarely at 2022. It’s Funky Takes on Frank in the present tense.

The Z3 has tackled everything from Freak Out to Broadway the Hard Way with a playful and adventurous spirit that has thus far tickled the fancies of both diehard FZ fans as well as those that “never knew they liked him.”

The entire performance will be piped through a replica of the Grateful Dead’s legendary Wall of Sound, which, according to Anthony Coscia, “is a part of history that should be preserved and enjoyed by future generations.” While the Grateful Dead and Frank Zappa never shared a stage, they did share the same desire to challenge the confines of traditional rock.

Anthony Coscia is a CT-based luthier, and his passion project, "Le Petit Mur De Son" (The Mini Wall of Sound), is dedicated to rebuilding the Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound from 1974. This event will allow you to experience what so few were able to with up close and personal interaction with the Mini Wall. In the spring of 2021, the Mini Wall of Sound was featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal, and it’s been included in Fretboard Journal, Liveforlivemusic.com, Tales From the Golden Road (SiriusXM), and Dean Delray, among others.

VIP Experience

VIP ticket holders are invited to a reception in WPKN’s new studios, located directly above the Bijou Theatre. Recently described as “the greatest radio station in the world” by The New Yorker magazine, WPKN is streamed by listeners around the world. We invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to explore their state-of-the-art studios. WPKN is a proud Media Partner of the SpreadMusicNow Concert Series. VIP ticket holders will also receive a free Z3 CD so you can bring their latest hits home.

Meet and Greet

Enjoy Grateful Dead music through the Mini Wall of Sound!

All guests are invited to attend a Meet and Greet with Anthony Coscia at 7:00 PM to experience the power of the Mini Wall of Sound prior to the show. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. The Bijou’s concession stand offers popcorn, soda, water, coffee and assorted candy & treats. There is also a full bar serving your favorite adult beverages.

Livestream Tickets

Livestream tickets are now available through the Musae site. If you're not ready to leave your house or can't be in the Bridgeport area, we've got you covered! You can livestream the entire event from your home through this multi-camera, immersive experience. Get your "pay what you can" tickets here.

Who are The Z3?

Tim Palmieri (Lotus, The Breakfast) - Guitar, Vocals
Bill Carbone (Max Creek, Melvin Sparks) - Drums, Vocals
Beau Sasser (Kung Fu) - Organ, Keys, Vocals

About SpreadMusicNow & TeachRock

SpreadMusicNow funds music education and creative youth development that centers equity in outcomes and access for students' educational, career, and life success. Learn More

TeachRock empowers teachers and engages students by using popular music to create interdisciplinary, culturally responsive education materials for all 21st-century classrooms.

Launched by Little Steven Van Zandt and the Founders Board of Bono, Jackson Browne, Martin Scorsese, and Bruce Springsteen, TeachRock.org provides free, standards-aligned resources that use music to help K-12 students succeed in disciplines like science, math, social studies, and language arts. Through a partnership with the Connecticut Department of Education, TeachRock helps 15 CT school districts embrace arts integration each year. Learn more

TeachRock also recently created a Wall of Sound lesson plan. Check it out!