Heartbreaker

In light of Joe Cocker canceling some planned openings for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers the Top has agreed to step in and fill the void. A series of six shows in September will feature the two veteran groups, surely pleasing the attending fans.

I gotta tell you, the old saying "don't over think it" is good advice. Being a dedicated fan and pursuer of all things ZZ, I of course tend to over think when it comes to news concerning the group. Here are some random thoughts that have struck me about the news concerning the tour w/ Petty:

- Have you seen the tickets for these shows? On 09/18/10 the bands will be playing in Raleigh, NC - an easy drive for me. But I'm not willing (or able) to pay $200 after fees and charges are added on. That's a lot of dough. Don't get me wrong, Tom Petty is great, I'm a big fan. But I'm not going to pay this amount of money to see any band outside of Led Zeppelin w/ Jason Bonham on drums.

- I can tell you right now - the set list will suck. Okay, that's harsh. The set list will suck for the dedicated and longtime fan. Open with "Under Pressure", straight into "Bus / Chicago", then "Cheap Sunglasses", next up "I Need You Tonight", the Eliminator trio, then "La Grange" and "Tush" to close things out. Maybe if your "lucky" they will play Pincushion. I'm not paying $200 to hear these songs, I've heard them a million times. But you know who will love them, or at least possibly recognize them - people who came to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

- Why would the band agree to be an opener for another act anyway? ZZ is certainly not as big as their prime in the '80's, but they still have a very strong following. Why constrict your playing time to one hour and take out some classic tunes? Why play in front of people that may not be able to name any song you've written in the past 25 years. Here's a hint - there is a song on Mescalero called "Stackin' Paper". The reason ZZ agreed to do this is to make the stack higher.

- The Top were scheduled to appear at the Kansas State Fair. They were leading in ticket sales for all acts associated with the Fair. I imagine many fans, many hard working blue collar fans with children were excited to see the group. The tickets were affordable and the majority of individuals in the audience would have actually been knowledgeable and appreciative of the group's songs and performance. A great fair for the family.

    ZZ Top canceled the show advising that it conflicted with a date with Tom Petty. All at once the
    band priced themselves out of the market for many fans , including me, and disappointed a lot of
    followers. They agreed to play for people who like another band rather than play for people that like ZZ
    Top. And for what? More paper.

- The last point did not actually originate in my mind. A fellow fan pointed out that ZZ and Petty will be playing in Houston. A band that sold 10 million copies of an album is willing to subject themselves to being an opener in their hometown. "Sell-out" is an ugly term, but I'm having trouble thinking of a better one.

Sadly ZZ Top has become increasingly complacent as it ages. The motivation and drive to record new music is gone. Quick and easy re-releases and live DVD's are put out one after the other, at little cost and subsequently high profit margins.

Gone is the genius, gusto and fire of the Bill Ham / Billy Gibbons team. And that is a Heartbreaker.