The Rocks Off 100: Frank Zweback, Funkmaster General

By Jef With One F Tue., Jan. 29 2013 at 8:00 AM

Categories: The Rocks Off 100

Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community -- a lot more than just musicians, but of course they're in there, too. See the entire Rocks Off 100 at this link.

Photo by SMBDesign Art+Photography

Who? Frank Zweback has a lot of Houston Press Music Awards, and we do mean a lot. His work as a guitarist, bassist and vocalist spans three of Houston's most highly acclaimed bands. He teams with his sister Jessica and Davis Jumper in skyblue72, a potent mix of pop and jam-band-thank-you-ma'am that always gets an audience going.

He is also a core member of D.R.U.M. (Divine Rhythm United Motion). The Bob Marley Festival regularly features the band and their conglomeration of reggae and Afrobeat on tour, and D.R.U.M. has long been regarded as the best world-music group in town.

Finally, Zweback takes center stage in his award-winning funk band Zwee, which also features Jessica on vocals, percussion and keys. As if that's not enough, you can find him every Wednesday at the Mucky Duck teaming with the über-talented Patrice Pike. His current goal is to team with Jessica on stripped-down versions of songs from their impressive catalog.

Home Base: Zweback practices out of his home in Montrose or in Drumusic Studios. At performance time, he enjoys Warehouse Live for big shows and Last Concert Café for smaller ones, provided someone else is handling the sound.

Good War Story: "skyblue72 plays Laredo for the second time," Zweback opens. "First time was awesome, we were like stars, place packed, agent was like, 'You guys are the next big thing. Laredo loves you.'

"So we go back in the '79 Chevy van," he continues. "No a/c, 105 degrees outside, we talk about getting a block of ice to put in the van, arrive, play to three people. My sister is pissed, [and] I'm pissed that she's pissed. I'm like, 'We're here, let's have fun'; she's like, 'This sucks.'

"I kind of lose it," concludes Zweback. "No talking [the] whole ride back right after [the] show; we bail on the free hotel room. Not a good time, but funny in retrospect."