In the early 1980s, Billy Gibbons had Don Thelan’s Buffalo Motor Car Shop build him a Chopped 1933 Eliminator Coupe, which became a symbol synonymous with the group itself. The flamboyance of the band’s reputation was furthered by practically conquering MTV, and making it their own ZZ channel in the eighties. The front men growing ‘moonshiner beards’ topped off with cheap sunglasses is an iconic image etched into the history of rock and roll.  The women in their videos had legs, but more importantly, so did ZZ Top. The three man unit has remained intact for four decades, and their music landed them in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. You can eliminate all of the extraneous attention grabbing flash, and find the key to their success and longevity in the solid rock music itself. 

On August 23rd, ZZ Top took the stage at the Paramount minutes after disembarking from their tour bus.  They posed for a quick photo with the house photographer, and strode to their places on the stage. “Got Me Under Pressure” was like a fish hook opener in the mouth of the audience, and the crowd was quickly reeled in. Catch and release would find the satiated audience walking to the exits after the greatest hits show concluded after a three song encore.  In total, the fans were given their money’s worth after a generous helping of eighteen songs, replete with ample jams.

Highlights of the set included “Gimme All Your Lovin'”, “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide”, “Cheap Sunglasses”, “Sharp Dressed Man”, and “Legs”.  A cover of the Jimi Hendrix Experience song “Foxy Lady” was a highlight where Billy Gibbons’ guitar work shone like fire from the desert sun. The audience shifted into overdrive as the solos were offered up like the finest Texas barbecue to ranch hands who hadn’t eaten in days.  In the end, the music was manna not to be saved for another day but partied to in the moment.  Legend states that Jimi Hendrix gave Gibbons his Pink Stratocaster guitar as a nod to the guitarist’s prowess. If the myth is true, it is easy to see why Hendrix was impressed enough for rock royalty to dole out a stamp-of-approval bauble for the ages.

Since 2003, the band has only released two studio albums, Mescalero and La Futura (2014). As is the case with the Rolling Stones, the dearth of recent studio output makes no difference when top of the pops players are offering a Hall of Fame catalog of songs. What the Beatles were to Mop Tops and the studio, ZZ Top is to beards and live performances. 

Billy Gibbons (lead guitar/vocals), Dusty Hill (bass), and Frank Beard have not lost a single Texas Two step to the ravages of Father Time.  Rather they have aged like a fine wine, and avid audiences still pack the venues to sample a taste of the finest vintage that rock has produced.  ZZ’s set concluded with encores of La Grange/Sloppy Drunk Jam, Tush, and Sixteen Tons, a Mel Travis cover. The tour concludes October 4th, at the Louder Than Life Festival in Louisville, Kentucky.

The evening was opened by The Bobby Volkman Trio.  Bobby Volkman hails from Long Island’s own Ronkonkoma, NY.  The group’s rockabilly style captured the attention of the receptive crowd and held it, which is a coup when a band that has sold over 50 million records globally is waiting in the wings.  ~Volkman’s guitar prowess and the Trio’s rhythm section makes them a band to look for in the future.

Words by Bob Wilson,    Photographs by Wayne Herrschaft. 

You can get more ZZ Top info here, and Bobby Volkman Trio info here.