Appears the group will be doing a show in Odessa, TX on 12/09/10. Read the article here:
http://www.oaoa.com/articles/top-55646-concert-promises.html
Billy promises the show will be full of "surprises", with songs from their early years and tunes pre-dating the birth of the group's members. Whether this means more of the same i.e. Future Blues and Brown Sugar, or new covers and long forgotten tracks ("Neighbor, Neighbor" anyone?) remains to be seen.
Also sounds like a great opportunity to preview a few rough cuts from the new album. But I'm likely dreaming.
Please comment if you plan on attending this show. And also please advise if you know anyone that may be taping this show.
28 days to go...
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Tumbleweeds / 2011 Rodeo / Thank you
So far things have been quiet. It's early though. Hopefully the band is relaxing with family - Billy doing the same while thinking about song titles!
A recordings of ZZ's final show of the 2010 World Tour in Moscow surfaced. Despite having played the songs upwards of 80 times the group still sounded energetic. As the tour progressed Billy jammed (solo) more and more between songs. As a result the introductions to "I Need You Tonight" and "Brown Sugar" grew pretty long. Several people have indicated that ZZ had indeed played Russia before, so let it be known, like thousands of times before and surely to follow, I was wrong - St. Petersburg and Moscow 2010 were not the first shows in Russia.
Anybody follow Rick Rubin on Twitter? I personally cannot stand the whole "tweet" thing but it does seem to be an occasional good source of intermittent info regarding the band. Any news from Mr. Rubin?
I have been checking the 2011 Houston Livestock and Rodeo website to look for any ZZ announcements. Having more or less established a pattern of playing the Rodeo every two years they are due to appear next year. I will definitively be attending if they play it, one cannot be sure how many more years the group will be playing live. It has been suggested that if ZZ ever played a "final" gig it would likely be in Houston, perhaps at the Rodeo, but I don't anticipate this to be the circumstances in 2011. Money is too tight for me to fly, looks like a 22 hour road trip is in my future. Hopefully they will be on the docket, if anybody hears any news please post in the comments section.
Thank you to those that have posted recently in the comments section, in my opinion it really adds to the appeal and importance of this blog as a means of communication between ZZ Top fans. I truly hope everyone enjoys reading this page as well, regardless of whether or not you choose to comment.
A recordings of ZZ's final show of the 2010 World Tour in Moscow surfaced. Despite having played the songs upwards of 80 times the group still sounded energetic. As the tour progressed Billy jammed (solo) more and more between songs. As a result the introductions to "I Need You Tonight" and "Brown Sugar" grew pretty long. Several people have indicated that ZZ had indeed played Russia before, so let it be known, like thousands of times before and surely to follow, I was wrong - St. Petersburg and Moscow 2010 were not the first shows in Russia.
Anybody follow Rick Rubin on Twitter? I personally cannot stand the whole "tweet" thing but it does seem to be an occasional good source of intermittent info regarding the band. Any news from Mr. Rubin?
I have been checking the 2011 Houston Livestock and Rodeo website to look for any ZZ announcements. Having more or less established a pattern of playing the Rodeo every two years they are due to appear next year. I will definitively be attending if they play it, one cannot be sure how many more years the group will be playing live. It has been suggested that if ZZ ever played a "final" gig it would likely be in Houston, perhaps at the Rodeo, but I don't anticipate this to be the circumstances in 2011. Money is too tight for me to fly, looks like a 22 hour road trip is in my future. Hopefully they will be on the docket, if anybody hears any news please post in the comments section.
Thank you to those that have posted recently in the comments section, in my opinion it really adds to the appeal and importance of this blog as a means of communication between ZZ Top fans. I truly hope everyone enjoys reading this page as well, regardless of whether or not you choose to comment.
Monday, November 1, 2010
2011 - Amateur Predictions of the Future
Friday, 10/29/2010. Moscow. The screams of Dusty and the finale of Frank's drums thunder one last time as "Tush" draws to a close. The 2010 World Tour, by every interpretation and definition, will go down as one of the group's most extensive and expansive tours ever. Featuring two long stints in America intermixed with two jaunts to Europe, including the first ever shows in Russia, the trip was a long and, I've got to assume, somewhat exhausting one.
Time for some rest.
Sometime in December, 2010. Mr Rubin places a call. "Billy" Rick says. "Yeah" Billy replies. "Let's lay 'em on down". "Sounds good, when?" questions the Reverend. "After Christmas, second week of January". "You got it" is the upbeat, and this time, determined answer.
January, 2011. Los Angeles. Billy enters the studio w/ Rubin, laying out rough ideas comprised over the past seven years. Ideas for a theme and record title are debated and discussed.
February, 2011. Houston. Billy heads back to his hometown and meets up with his bandmates. Dusty and Frank lay down rough takes on bass and drums and throw their creative feedback into the mix.
March, 2011. Los Angeles. Billy calls on Hardy and Moon to apply polish, structure, timing, and sequence to the tracks. Out of 25 possible tunes Billy narrows it down to 15. ZZ also plays the Houston Rodeo to a full house, but no new tracks are debuted. "Just Got Back From Baby's", "Rattlesnake Shake", "Breakaway" and Williams' "All My Ex's Live In Texas" are rarities of note.
April, 2011. Converted warehouse in Central Texas. ZZ Top, with Rubin at the control deck, records live the 15 songs which will comprise the groups next effort, to be released late Summer 2011.
May, 2011. Los Angeles. Final mixing under the care of Rubin and Gibbons. Album, as yet untitled, is announced to the public.
June, 2011. Los Angeles. Final mastering.
August 30, 2011. ZZ Top's 15th album is released to positive critical and public reception.
Late September, 2011. Beginning of 30 date tour in America, ends mid October in Houston, TX.
Late October, 2011. Beginning of 20 date tour in Europe, finishing at Wembley, London.
December, 2011. Announces World Tour beginning April, 2012.
Hey, it could happen. You never know.
Time for some rest.
Sometime in December, 2010. Mr Rubin places a call. "Billy" Rick says. "Yeah" Billy replies. "Let's lay 'em on down". "Sounds good, when?" questions the Reverend. "After Christmas, second week of January". "You got it" is the upbeat, and this time, determined answer.
January, 2011. Los Angeles. Billy enters the studio w/ Rubin, laying out rough ideas comprised over the past seven years. Ideas for a theme and record title are debated and discussed.
February, 2011. Houston. Billy heads back to his hometown and meets up with his bandmates. Dusty and Frank lay down rough takes on bass and drums and throw their creative feedback into the mix.
March, 2011. Los Angeles. Billy calls on Hardy and Moon to apply polish, structure, timing, and sequence to the tracks. Out of 25 possible tunes Billy narrows it down to 15. ZZ also plays the Houston Rodeo to a full house, but no new tracks are debuted. "Just Got Back From Baby's", "Rattlesnake Shake", "Breakaway" and Williams' "All My Ex's Live In Texas" are rarities of note.
April, 2011. Converted warehouse in Central Texas. ZZ Top, with Rubin at the control deck, records live the 15 songs which will comprise the groups next effort, to be released late Summer 2011.
May, 2011. Los Angeles. Final mixing under the care of Rubin and Gibbons. Album, as yet untitled, is announced to the public.
June, 2011. Los Angeles. Final mastering.
August 30, 2011. ZZ Top's 15th album is released to positive critical and public reception.
Late September, 2011. Beginning of 30 date tour in America, ends mid October in Houston, TX.
Late October, 2011. Beginning of 20 date tour in Europe, finishing at Wembley, London.
December, 2011. Announces World Tour beginning April, 2012.
Hey, it could happen. You never know.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Most Wanted Shows / Recordings
The following are my top most wanted shows. I will trade 10 shows from my collection in exchange for one off of the list. I am obviously always open to trading for any concerts, but this list comprises the most sought after recordings.
01) ??/??/1974 Boston, MA (free show)
02) ??/??/1980 Honolulu, HI
03) 06/30/1983 San Francisco, CA
04) 02/10/1984 Ames, IA
05) 03/21/1987 Honolulu, HI
06) 12/22/1994 London, England
07) --/--/2000 Australia (any show)
08) 01/18/2001 White House, Washington DC, USA
09) 03/18/2007 Houston, TX (Rodeo show)
10) 03/16/2009 Ft. Worth, TX (Billy Bob's show)
11) 05/15/2009 Portsmouth, VA
12) 04/25/2010 Austin, TX
01) ??/??/1974 Boston, MA (free show)
02) ??/??/1980 Honolulu, HI
03) 06/30/1983 San Francisco, CA
04) 02/10/1984 Ames, IA
05) 03/21/1987 Honolulu, HI
06) 12/22/1994 London, England
07) --/--/2000 Australia (any show)
08) 01/18/2001 White House, Washington DC, USA
09) 03/18/2007 Houston, TX (Rodeo show)
10) 03/16/2009 Ft. Worth, TX (Billy Bob's show)
11) 05/15/2009 Portsmouth, VA
12) 04/25/2010 Austin, TX
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
2010 Year In Review
Okay, so maybe the year isn't over just yet. But seeing as how the ZZ Top 2010 World Tour will be coming to an end in the next week or so, and the months of November and December are notoriously quiet, it's as good a time as any to look back at the past handful of months.
Showing once again that they won't stop until the wheels fall off, ZZ began announcing tour dates in February and March. A skeleton set of gigs was slowly filled in as Spring commenced, and a very heavy itinerary was finalized. These guys must really like playing together, this being the fourth year in a row consisting of intense touring.
*Disclaimer* - I can not stress this enough, the following is merely my opinion. I don't claim to be any type of expert, and I don't know Billy, Dusty or Frank (but it would be cool if I did). I hope that people enjoy reading this blog, but those that do seem to comment very little. If you agree, or blantently disagree, than comment. Call me an idiot and tell me what you think. I'm just here to talk about that Little Ol' Band from Texas.
Some positive trends in 2010:
- "Thunderbird", "Francine", "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers", and "Viva Las Vegas" were brought back to the set
- "Rock Me Baby", a new cover song, was added to the live repretriore.
- Dusty's voice appears as strong as ever, with one exception, to be mentioned shortly.
- ZZ visited a number of new countries and cities, including big shows coming up in St. Petersberg and Moscow.
- The groups spirits have been high, with Frank in particular, never one to show emotion, smiling more than in the past and even coming to the front of the stage to take a bow at the end of shows
Negative trends in 2010:
- All the aforementioned and welcomed songs listed above were quickly dropped from the set list. Without a doubt the most frustrating aspect for a seasoned ZZ Top fan. I'm gonna come out and say it, I hate "Cheap Sunglasses". There, I feel better.
- "Rock Me Baby" is a cover song. "Hey Joe" is a cover song. "Future Blues" is a cover song. That's great and all, but if I have a limited amount of songs to hear at a ZZ Top concert, than I want them all to be ZZ Top songs. Dig. How about "Movin' On Down the Line"?
- "I Need You Tonight" has been played as the blues track for three years running. Quickly getting stale. Time to bring back some "Fool For Your Stockings" or "Just Got Back From Baby's".
- I am 85% positive Dusty is lip-syncing "Party On the Patio". This is an awesome song, simply awesome. And I love how they brought it back late last year. But if you don't like the way your vocals as sung today sound, don't patronize me. Play something else.
- Too much touring. Take a year off. Recharge, regroup, record some new songs, and relax.
I sincerely hope some of the negative trends go away, but if not I still love this band. I love seeing their shows and I love listening to their records. Don't plan on changing either.
Next post: Hopes and possibilities for 2011
Showing once again that they won't stop until the wheels fall off, ZZ began announcing tour dates in February and March. A skeleton set of gigs was slowly filled in as Spring commenced, and a very heavy itinerary was finalized. These guys must really like playing together, this being the fourth year in a row consisting of intense touring.
*Disclaimer* - I can not stress this enough, the following is merely my opinion. I don't claim to be any type of expert, and I don't know Billy, Dusty or Frank (but it would be cool if I did). I hope that people enjoy reading this blog, but those that do seem to comment very little. If you agree, or blantently disagree, than comment. Call me an idiot and tell me what you think. I'm just here to talk about that Little Ol' Band from Texas.
Some positive trends in 2010:
- "Thunderbird", "Francine", "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers", and "Viva Las Vegas" were brought back to the set
- "Rock Me Baby", a new cover song, was added to the live repretriore.
- Dusty's voice appears as strong as ever, with one exception, to be mentioned shortly.
- ZZ visited a number of new countries and cities, including big shows coming up in St. Petersberg and Moscow.
- The groups spirits have been high, with Frank in particular, never one to show emotion, smiling more than in the past and even coming to the front of the stage to take a bow at the end of shows
Negative trends in 2010:
- All the aforementioned and welcomed songs listed above were quickly dropped from the set list. Without a doubt the most frustrating aspect for a seasoned ZZ Top fan. I'm gonna come out and say it, I hate "Cheap Sunglasses". There, I feel better.
- "Rock Me Baby" is a cover song. "Hey Joe" is a cover song. "Future Blues" is a cover song. That's great and all, but if I have a limited amount of songs to hear at a ZZ Top concert, than I want them all to be ZZ Top songs. Dig. How about "Movin' On Down the Line"?
- "I Need You Tonight" has been played as the blues track for three years running. Quickly getting stale. Time to bring back some "Fool For Your Stockings" or "Just Got Back From Baby's".
- I am 85% positive Dusty is lip-syncing "Party On the Patio". This is an awesome song, simply awesome. And I love how they brought it back late last year. But if you don't like the way your vocals as sung today sound, don't patronize me. Play something else.
- Too much touring. Take a year off. Recharge, regroup, record some new songs, and relax.
I sincerely hope some of the negative trends go away, but if not I still love this band. I love seeing their shows and I love listening to their records. Don't plan on changing either.
Next post: Hopes and possibilities for 2011
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Fall European Tour - Set List
Set list for the first three shows in the European fall leg of the tour were the same as the end of the summer tour section. Slightly disappointing, but not surprising.
- Got Me Under Pressure
- Waitin' For The Bus
- Jesus Just Left Chicago
- Pincushion
- I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide
- Future Blue
- Rock Me Baby
- Cheap Sunglasses
- My Head's In Mississippi lead into I Need You Tonight
- Hey Joe
- Brown Sugar
- Party On The Patio
- Just Got Paid
- Gimme All Your Lovin'
- Sharp Dressed Man
- Legs
Encore:
- La Grange
- Tush
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Random Concert Thoughts - Richmond VA 09/14/2010
Sorry I never got around to posting a full review of the Richmond, VA show I attended. I will say it was very enjoyable and the band, especially Billy, seemed very loose and relaxed. Several times his words were slurred and he seemed to lose focus momentarily. Billy's not much of a drinker so I'm guessing he was under the influence of a greener substance.
After one song, I can't remember which, he commented on the green and even pulled out what had the obvious appearence of a joint. Whether it was filled with the good stuff or mere tobacco is unclear, but in the case of this band it's likely the former.
Virginia is a relatively conservative state, much more so than the Northeast or California. Despite the conservatisim, and a substantial tobacco industry, Virginia recently voted to outlaw smoking indoors. Exceptions are made only if the facility in question has a separate ventilation system that can isolate smokers from non-smokers. I make this point in regards to Frank's chain smoking throughout the show. One only needs to read the tabloids to see the many exceptions regarding the law that are made for movie stars and such. I for one have no problem with Frank smoking indoors, and no one else did either. He has paid his dues and if he wishes to enjoy his smokes more power to him. But I would not be suprised if one day a venue tells him no can do.
Billy appeared to be particularly enamored with the acoustics of the venue. Frank's bass drum had a strikingly strong effect, shaking the entire building. Billy would often let up on the guitar and begin pumping his fists to the beat in obvious jubilation. The crowd was thrilled.
Prior to the show I had dinner at a restaurant adjacent to the venue. I noticed the band's tour buses were parked on the street just outside the diner's west windows. Requesting a seat next to the window I figured at some point Billy or Dusty or Frank would appear. Sure enough, having just taken a bite of my chicken wrap I looked over and saw Billy not five feet away from me. Normally when that close I would have reached out to offer my praise and shake hands, but in this case the glass made such an exercise impossible. I do not believe he even would have heard me shout, and to have knocked on the glass in excitment with a huge dumb grin on my face would have no doubt been met with stares and laughter.
The set list was the same as the show I saw in Pennsylvania back in August. The Richmond show was also the last show before they joined up with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Would have loved to have heard some "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers" or "Viva Las Vegas" but it was not to be.
I am very excited to see what the upcoming 11 date European tour brings. Hopefully we will be privy to some first hand accounts.
After one song, I can't remember which, he commented on the green and even pulled out what had the obvious appearence of a joint. Whether it was filled with the good stuff or mere tobacco is unclear, but in the case of this band it's likely the former.
Virginia is a relatively conservative state, much more so than the Northeast or California. Despite the conservatisim, and a substantial tobacco industry, Virginia recently voted to outlaw smoking indoors. Exceptions are made only if the facility in question has a separate ventilation system that can isolate smokers from non-smokers. I make this point in regards to Frank's chain smoking throughout the show. One only needs to read the tabloids to see the many exceptions regarding the law that are made for movie stars and such. I for one have no problem with Frank smoking indoors, and no one else did either. He has paid his dues and if he wishes to enjoy his smokes more power to him. But I would not be suprised if one day a venue tells him no can do.
Billy appeared to be particularly enamored with the acoustics of the venue. Frank's bass drum had a strikingly strong effect, shaking the entire building. Billy would often let up on the guitar and begin pumping his fists to the beat in obvious jubilation. The crowd was thrilled.
Prior to the show I had dinner at a restaurant adjacent to the venue. I noticed the band's tour buses were parked on the street just outside the diner's west windows. Requesting a seat next to the window I figured at some point Billy or Dusty or Frank would appear. Sure enough, having just taken a bite of my chicken wrap I looked over and saw Billy not five feet away from me. Normally when that close I would have reached out to offer my praise and shake hands, but in this case the glass made such an exercise impossible. I do not believe he even would have heard me shout, and to have knocked on the glass in excitment with a huge dumb grin on my face would have no doubt been met with stares and laughter.
The set list was the same as the show I saw in Pennsylvania back in August. The Richmond show was also the last show before they joined up with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Would have loved to have heard some "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers" or "Viva Las Vegas" but it was not to be.
I am very excited to see what the upcoming 11 date European tour brings. Hopefully we will be privy to some first hand accounts.
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