ZZ's official website came online yesterday evening, check it out:
http://www.zztop.com/
---
The band has a show later this month in Mescalero, NM - this town is just outside an Indian reserveration and is home to the tribe that inspired in part the fantastic 2003 release from our favorite group. Would be really cool if a live recording shows up, you never know.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Just for fun, the final show - at the Rodeo
So, just for fun, whenever ZZ plays their final show, and if they make it a special affair, I would make an educated guess the performance would be at the Houston Rodeo sometime around 2013 - 2015. And when thinking about what they would play here is my take on an excellent two hour concert that would really send things off right.
Gimme All Your Lovin'
Thank You
Waitin' For the Bus
Jesus Just Left Chicago
Precious and Grace
I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide
Ten Foot Pole
Manic Mechanic
Rough Boy
Mexican Blackbird
Brown Sugar
Heard It On the X
Fool For Your Stockings
Just Got Back From Baby's
Blue Jean Blues
Teddy Bear
Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings
Pearl Necklace
Cheap Sunglasses
Buck Nekkid
Bang Bang
Arrested For Driving While Blind
Just Got Paid
Sharp Dressed Man
Legs
Encore:
Viva Las Vegas
Tube Snake Boogie
Jailhouse Rock
La Grange
Tush
---
So, who else wants to say what they feel would be an appropriate final performance?
Gimme All Your Lovin'
Thank You
Waitin' For the Bus
Jesus Just Left Chicago
Precious and Grace
I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide
Ten Foot Pole
Manic Mechanic
Rough Boy
Mexican Blackbird
Brown Sugar
Heard It On the X
Fool For Your Stockings
Just Got Back From Baby's
Blue Jean Blues
Teddy Bear
Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings
Pearl Necklace
Cheap Sunglasses
Buck Nekkid
Bang Bang
Arrested For Driving While Blind
Just Got Paid
Sharp Dressed Man
Legs
Encore:
Viva Las Vegas
Tube Snake Boogie
Jailhouse Rock
La Grange
Tush
---
So, who else wants to say what they feel would be an appropriate final performance?
Saturday, September 17, 2011
1994-12-19 Essen, Germany show review (guest commentator)
Today I bring you a new perspective on ZZ Top in the mid-nineties, at the closing days of the massive Antenna album tour, what would ultimately prove to be the last arena and coliseum road trek of their career. Courtesy of my friend Dirk, I give you:
1994-12-19 Essen, Germany
"This show is a marker in many ways, at least as far as I am concerned. And a bit of a long story in the making. To sum up the impact it had on me I have to go back, way back. It was in the early 1970's - not even a teenager yet I was browsing record stores and remember seeing the first ZZ Top LPs there, liking the cool covers but not being in a position to either afford the record or have a device that I could play them on. It wasn´t till the early '80's that ZZ hit me again. MTV played the Eliminator videos and I liked the super cool videos. Just the right blend of cars, girls and Americana. And the music struck me as something I had been looking for a long time but hadn´t found till just then and there. When canned ZZ was played real loud during a major bike event in the area months later my mind went back to the videos and I thought man that music kicks even better when played loud - I must see a ZZ show when they make it to Germany.
It wasn´t until the early 1990's that I saw ZZ Top live in Dortmund, Germany, of which they were the last act to close an evening of fine live entertainment. The other bands slipped my mind, but ZZ stuck. I thought: this is getting better and better. They are way better live than expected, but now I want a full blown ZZ show. Not just them being a part of an evening. I had to wait a few more years. Then came the December night in Essen. Then a 70 mile drive, now my hometown. So Idrove the 70 miles from Aachen with a friend and co-worker of mine. We got to the venue that I was very familiar with.
I had grown up in the area and had seen many shows there, including the first ever concert of my life. So I knew of the location and its accoustic challenges and I did not expect too much. Plus I had learned that usually an opener is just that, nothing special. So we waited for the curtain to open.
When it did we saw banged up amps and an old Leslie rigged to a keyboard. And out came the opening act. Guess when the band appeared on stage many thought what I thought: oh no, not one of these long haired goups again that can´t really play. When the guitarist plugged in his beat up guitar and started into a slide solo effortlessly he proved us all wrong within the first two minutes. The Ian Moore Band rocked! So the mood was set up for a great blues rock night. Just I had no idea yet how great a night this should turn out to be.
After Ian Moore had finished the lights came on again while the stage was cleared of his equipment. He´d been using the front portion of the stage, so the actual full stage was still behind a curtain. Then the venue lights went off. Showtime! Some sound was heared that reminded me of the static and noise you hear when scrolling down the dail of your radio tuner looking for a station you want to hear. When the right channel was found lights came on and the band members stepped thru back lit circular blinds located on the upper back of the stage. With the crowd cheering they assumed their start positions and fell into “World Of Swirl”. And I was swirled into the musical world I had always been looking for and have not left since.
All I saw and heard was so good that my head was spinning, not knowing what to focus on. The pure craftmanship of the three guys. The stage to me being an art deco blend of a radio receiver and a Chevrolet dashboard. The coolness that oozed from every little bit that was done on stage. The finest drum kit I had ever seen. The parade of amazing guitars played thru the night. The showgirls who were any schoolboy´s dream come true. The finest music. Was it the amazing sound? Or the tone that was generated?
As the boyzz moved thru the set-list there was never a dull moment. So exciting to dive into this world. Up to that day I had not made myself familiar with their music catalogue. I only knew what MTV had broadcast and the little bit I had heard in Dortmund a while ago. So essentially all was new. And I loved every second of it. It was my pace, my tone, my beat, and as Marty McFly in Back To The Future once said you could dance to it. And party we did.
As far as sound goes I have already stated that the venue isn´t easy at all. Some architectual things that had made rows of sound engineers scratch their heads. And there I was listening to the best live sound I had heared and have not found paralleld anywhere since. It was loud! It was clear! When Frank whacked the first 2x 3 beats leading into Rough Boy you could feel it as if someone hit you over the forehead with a roof batten. The buzz from Dusty´s bass blended and matched exactly with the groan of the lower tones of Bill´s guitar. It was one combo. The higher tunes from Billy´s guitar were loud and clear but never piercing. But so powerfull. When the Dean Z´s came out you could literally feel how their tone caved your head in.
The cool flashy instruments is one thing. To master them another. To do it in style yet another. To do it like the boyzz did is a whole different ballpark. Every one of the band a perceived master of his instrument, but what they achieve together is nothing less than fine art. Perfect timing for tempo changes and stops. And when they stop, they stop. Not a single sound from anywhere. The roar comes to an abrupt and complete silence. And the boyzz freeze in the same instant. And then, synchronic, it all comes to life again. Not a slow ramp up, not missing a beat, no offset in their timing. Just ON.
And they meke it look easy. At times Dusty would lean again the art deco stage props playing on, looking relaxed and perfectly at ease with what he was doing. And yet he was completely focused The band is like a swiss clock work. Only that the swiss clock work is boring. The boyzz are pure cool.
The perfection and craftmanship was so obvious, and it was so entertaining that it was clear this could stand alone. No additional gimmicks needed to keep the audience entertained. And yet it was there. Art deco stage, neon lit guitars and all. And the show girls. When they appaered the crowd went nuts. Be it them behind back lit blinds as the extented rythm section for Breakaway, or as the Lone Wolf Horns during She Loves My Automobile, they were nothing but stunning. Blonde or brunette every one a show stopper for herself. Combined beyond words.
I could go on with the set list. But you can read that up somewhere. This here is supposed to be subjective. And the subjective bit about the set list is that it was about the last time I got to hear a ZZ Top set list that wasn´t a best of compilation but had significant portions of a new album. I miss that.
I miss the tone. Today´s Gretch Billy Bo´s don´t have it
I miss the sound, it hasn´t been that good since.
I miss the girls. Not that they were needed, but man they looked great.
I missed the passion and cool during the Mescalero tour. Glad that is back.
I missed the show so bad that I kept looking for a recording for 17 years. Thanks to Brian I found it.
That night I found my music. It felt like coming home. I guess you know what I mean. And I haven´t left home since. For that and for finest, unmatched, straight A entertainment my thanks go to Frank, Dusty and Billy.
Dirk"
1994-12-19 Essen, Germany
"This show is a marker in many ways, at least as far as I am concerned. And a bit of a long story in the making. To sum up the impact it had on me I have to go back, way back. It was in the early 1970's - not even a teenager yet I was browsing record stores and remember seeing the first ZZ Top LPs there, liking the cool covers but not being in a position to either afford the record or have a device that I could play them on. It wasn´t till the early '80's that ZZ hit me again. MTV played the Eliminator videos and I liked the super cool videos. Just the right blend of cars, girls and Americana. And the music struck me as something I had been looking for a long time but hadn´t found till just then and there. When canned ZZ was played real loud during a major bike event in the area months later my mind went back to the videos and I thought man that music kicks even better when played loud - I must see a ZZ show when they make it to Germany.
It wasn´t until the early 1990's that I saw ZZ Top live in Dortmund, Germany, of which they were the last act to close an evening of fine live entertainment. The other bands slipped my mind, but ZZ stuck. I thought: this is getting better and better. They are way better live than expected, but now I want a full blown ZZ show. Not just them being a part of an evening. I had to wait a few more years. Then came the December night in Essen. Then a 70 mile drive, now my hometown. So Idrove the 70 miles from Aachen with a friend and co-worker of mine. We got to the venue that I was very familiar with.
I had grown up in the area and had seen many shows there, including the first ever concert of my life. So I knew of the location and its accoustic challenges and I did not expect too much. Plus I had learned that usually an opener is just that, nothing special. So we waited for the curtain to open.
When it did we saw banged up amps and an old Leslie rigged to a keyboard. And out came the opening act. Guess when the band appeared on stage many thought what I thought: oh no, not one of these long haired goups again that can´t really play. When the guitarist plugged in his beat up guitar and started into a slide solo effortlessly he proved us all wrong within the first two minutes. The Ian Moore Band rocked! So the mood was set up for a great blues rock night. Just I had no idea yet how great a night this should turn out to be.
After Ian Moore had finished the lights came on again while the stage was cleared of his equipment. He´d been using the front portion of the stage, so the actual full stage was still behind a curtain. Then the venue lights went off. Showtime! Some sound was heared that reminded me of the static and noise you hear when scrolling down the dail of your radio tuner looking for a station you want to hear. When the right channel was found lights came on and the band members stepped thru back lit circular blinds located on the upper back of the stage. With the crowd cheering they assumed their start positions and fell into “World Of Swirl”. And I was swirled into the musical world I had always been looking for and have not left since.
All I saw and heard was so good that my head was spinning, not knowing what to focus on. The pure craftmanship of the three guys. The stage to me being an art deco blend of a radio receiver and a Chevrolet dashboard. The coolness that oozed from every little bit that was done on stage. The finest drum kit I had ever seen. The parade of amazing guitars played thru the night. The showgirls who were any schoolboy´s dream come true. The finest music. Was it the amazing sound? Or the tone that was generated?
As the boyzz moved thru the set-list there was never a dull moment. So exciting to dive into this world. Up to that day I had not made myself familiar with their music catalogue. I only knew what MTV had broadcast and the little bit I had heard in Dortmund a while ago. So essentially all was new. And I loved every second of it. It was my pace, my tone, my beat, and as Marty McFly in Back To The Future once said you could dance to it. And party we did.
As far as sound goes I have already stated that the venue isn´t easy at all. Some architectual things that had made rows of sound engineers scratch their heads. And there I was listening to the best live sound I had heared and have not found paralleld anywhere since. It was loud! It was clear! When Frank whacked the first 2x 3 beats leading into Rough Boy you could feel it as if someone hit you over the forehead with a roof batten. The buzz from Dusty´s bass blended and matched exactly with the groan of the lower tones of Bill´s guitar. It was one combo. The higher tunes from Billy´s guitar were loud and clear but never piercing. But so powerfull. When the Dean Z´s came out you could literally feel how their tone caved your head in.
The cool flashy instruments is one thing. To master them another. To do it in style yet another. To do it like the boyzz did is a whole different ballpark. Every one of the band a perceived master of his instrument, but what they achieve together is nothing less than fine art. Perfect timing for tempo changes and stops. And when they stop, they stop. Not a single sound from anywhere. The roar comes to an abrupt and complete silence. And the boyzz freeze in the same instant. And then, synchronic, it all comes to life again. Not a slow ramp up, not missing a beat, no offset in their timing. Just ON.
And they meke it look easy. At times Dusty would lean again the art deco stage props playing on, looking relaxed and perfectly at ease with what he was doing. And yet he was completely focused The band is like a swiss clock work. Only that the swiss clock work is boring. The boyzz are pure cool.
The perfection and craftmanship was so obvious, and it was so entertaining that it was clear this could stand alone. No additional gimmicks needed to keep the audience entertained. And yet it was there. Art deco stage, neon lit guitars and all. And the show girls. When they appaered the crowd went nuts. Be it them behind back lit blinds as the extented rythm section for Breakaway, or as the Lone Wolf Horns during She Loves My Automobile, they were nothing but stunning. Blonde or brunette every one a show stopper for herself. Combined beyond words.
I could go on with the set list. But you can read that up somewhere. This here is supposed to be subjective. And the subjective bit about the set list is that it was about the last time I got to hear a ZZ Top set list that wasn´t a best of compilation but had significant portions of a new album. I miss that.
I miss the tone. Today´s Gretch Billy Bo´s don´t have it
I miss the sound, it hasn´t been that good since.
I miss the girls. Not that they were needed, but man they looked great.
I missed the passion and cool during the Mescalero tour. Glad that is back.
I missed the show so bad that I kept looking for a recording for 17 years. Thanks to Brian I found it.
That night I found my music. It felt like coming home. I guess you know what I mean. And I haven´t left home since. For that and for finest, unmatched, straight A entertainment my thanks go to Frank, Dusty and Billy.
Dirk"
Thursday, September 8, 2011
In Response to your Query...
The following is a reply to an e-mail I received that contained a question:
The Virginia Beach show was likely different things to different people. To me it sucked - devoid of creativity, energy, zeal and desire. Truly the epitome of a sluggish, slow dinosaur that roams aimlessly and chews the green leaves (money) of the land.
To the group of 40 something women behind me who spent the majority of time on their iPhones then danced enthusiastically to the Eliminator hits the show was probably pretty good. A lot of songs they didn't know but then again not a very expensive ticket.
And to the hardworking yet somewhat downtrodden men and women who face an ever more uncertain future and an increasingly stressful present the concert was exactly what they needed - an escape to the past when life was easier and responsibilities were few.
The third group is who ZZ are aiming for - looking to tease and please. But you must remember, the ZZ Tops are not musicians...they are entertainers. And there is nothing wrong with being carted away to the living easy past, everyone loves to reminisce, myself included. But underneath the veneer of good faith and fun loving "entertainment" lies the dark allure of the green leaves - sure, you can have a front row seat and an autograph, but you might have to forgo contributing to your child's college education fund this year, or donating to a needy charity, or saving money for a rainy day.
Just who or what exactly is the band playing for...
There once was a group of three musicians who were about the music, who wanted nothing more than to play for their fans and mix it up. But once you attain great success music becomes a business. And in capitalism, businesses exist to make money. But everyone already knows this. The difference is some choose to close their eyes but not their ears, some choose to open both but with a heavy filter, and some simply choose to walk away.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
ZZ Top: Atlantic Waves: September 3rd, 2011
Well the power came back on and the house is back in order so I journeyed on out to the beaches of Virginia.
Venue I have to admit was pretty cool. Right on the Atlantic, the stage was literally 100 feet from the water. Beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. Also very mild temperatures for this time of year, low 80's (F) with no humidity. Couldn't ask for better conditions.
Turns out ZZ was taking part in a major Labor Day festival. Bad Company and Blackfoot were to play later in the day and the next day was to feature Little Feat and several other acts of interest. Tickets were cheap too, $15 face value.
Once again River City Gang opened - they opened earlier this year for the Charlottesville show and I believe last year in Portsmouth. They are more country music in style and somewhat enjoyable. Significant contrast to ZZ - River City is a young, hungry, eager up and coming band who work hard to get the audience involved and often plug their songs and album. I can't remember the last time Billy named one of ZZ's albums on stage.
River City came on at 3:00 pm sharp. Played a long set, till about 3:45. Then they thanked the audience and wrapped things up. Two minutes later they came back and told the crowd they were asked to play a little longer. A faithful rendition of the Stones "Honky Tonk Women" brought things to a final close.
ZZ hit the airwaves at 4:05. I have to say this was the loudest outdoor concert I have ever heard. Dusty's bass practically made the sand jump. Crowd was pretty into it and stood the majority of the show. Very unique audience by the way, mostly beach goers who were there for the festival as a whole, not just ZZ. Not a single ZZ hat or T-shirt was to be found. Again this is Labor Day Weekend so the beach and the city were swarming with people, very crowded everywhere. In light of so many casual fans the audience did not truly come alive until the Eliminator trilogy was reeled off.
Dusty was pretty animated and even lead the audience in some rhythmic clapping. No lite-brite, but two large video screens assisted those with a poor stage view. At one point a close up on the video screen showed an extremely bored and distracted looking Frank Beard - if I wasn't used to this type of demeanor and nonchalant attitude I would be worried that he was about to leave the group. But knowing this is just how he is I suppose it is good that some things never change. Also I don't remember seeing him smoke a single cigarette or drink any Tab, but then again I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention.
Crowd left happy having spent the past hour and ten minutes basked in sunlight, blues rock and alcohol and orderly dispersed into the streets, alleys and boardwalks of the jovial city.
Venue I have to admit was pretty cool. Right on the Atlantic, the stage was literally 100 feet from the water. Beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. Also very mild temperatures for this time of year, low 80's (F) with no humidity. Couldn't ask for better conditions.
Turns out ZZ was taking part in a major Labor Day festival. Bad Company and Blackfoot were to play later in the day and the next day was to feature Little Feat and several other acts of interest. Tickets were cheap too, $15 face value.
Once again River City Gang opened - they opened earlier this year for the Charlottesville show and I believe last year in Portsmouth. They are more country music in style and somewhat enjoyable. Significant contrast to ZZ - River City is a young, hungry, eager up and coming band who work hard to get the audience involved and often plug their songs and album. I can't remember the last time Billy named one of ZZ's albums on stage.
River City came on at 3:00 pm sharp. Played a long set, till about 3:45. Then they thanked the audience and wrapped things up. Two minutes later they came back and told the crowd they were asked to play a little longer. A faithful rendition of the Stones "Honky Tonk Women" brought things to a final close.
ZZ hit the airwaves at 4:05. I have to say this was the loudest outdoor concert I have ever heard. Dusty's bass practically made the sand jump. Crowd was pretty into it and stood the majority of the show. Very unique audience by the way, mostly beach goers who were there for the festival as a whole, not just ZZ. Not a single ZZ hat or T-shirt was to be found. Again this is Labor Day Weekend so the beach and the city were swarming with people, very crowded everywhere. In light of so many casual fans the audience did not truly come alive until the Eliminator trilogy was reeled off.
Dusty was pretty animated and even lead the audience in some rhythmic clapping. No lite-brite, but two large video screens assisted those with a poor stage view. At one point a close up on the video screen showed an extremely bored and distracted looking Frank Beard - if I wasn't used to this type of demeanor and nonchalant attitude I would be worried that he was about to leave the group. But knowing this is just how he is I suppose it is good that some things never change. Also I don't remember seeing him smoke a single cigarette or drink any Tab, but then again I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention.
Crowd left happy having spent the past hour and ten minutes basked in sunlight, blues rock and alcohol and orderly dispersed into the streets, alleys and boardwalks of the jovial city.
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