and La Grange, it felt like the ’70s and ’80s were alive and well. There’s a reason they were the headliners, and they proved it during a strong opening section that included Gimme All Your Lovin', I Thank You and Got Me Under Pressure.īy the time the group closed out the night with Legs, Tube Snake Boogie. ZZ Top is in the enviable position of having dozens of legitimate hits, which makes comparisons between them and Cheap Trick unfair. They were expected to be highlights, and offered the only takeaways of the night for the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. The official Facebook page for That Little ol Band from Texas. The Flame, I Want You To Want Me, Dream Police, and Surrender were played well, but they are recognizable hits with decades of FM radio spins to their credit. The sound improved by the time the Rockford, Illinois quintet arrived at the meat of their catalogue, which eventually brought things up to a passable level. The abundance of empty seats at the outset didn’t help matters - start time was 7 p.m., when most attendees were getting primed in the lobby - and the band’s energy was largely lacking. Volume isn’t a problem if the acoustics play along, but the set was muddy and listless. The quality never dipped, where his playing was concerned, even when he and Francis broke out the faux-fur guitars.Ĭheap Trick, playing only its fourth show ever in Victoria, and first since a 2016 appearance at the University of Victoria’s Farquhar Auditorium, was flat-out deafening in the opening slot. Gibbons is the creator of his own brand of boogie bouillabaisse, a recipe that is imbued with charcoal and champagne. His guitar playing was typically greasy, carrying the show with a series of languid leads. ZZ Top is the only American rock band to have the same members for 30 or more years. The band consists of guitarist and lead vocalist Billy Gibbons, bassist and co-lead vocalist Dusty Hill, and drummer Frank Beard. Gibbons rose to the challenge, and was in fine voice throughout. ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. (DETROIT March 7, 2022) The Raw Whisky Tour brings ZZ Tops Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard and Elwood Francis to Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre on Saturday. His presence seemed to spark singer-guitarist Billy Gibbons, who had to work much harder Friday than he did six years ago (Hill sang lead on several songs and offered timely back-up vocals throughout ZZ Top’s career). He was missed, but the Texas trio sounded strong and cohesive on this night. ZZ Top’s Canadian tour with openers Cheap Trick was originally set to begin in Victoria on April 29, 2020, which would have featured Hill. The band’s first line-up change in more than 50 years came and went without a hitch. ![]() His replacement, the band’s former guitar tech, Elwood Francis, fell perfectly into place - beard and all - which came as a welcome relief. The band was without one of its core members, bassist Dusty Hill, who died in July at 72. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees ZZ Tops 1969 formation in the Houston area. The ’80s hitmakers returned to Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, once again on a Friday, and cranked the volume up - way up - for 80 minutes of Texas boogie. Pick up tickets to the band’s upcoming shows here.When rockers ZZ Top last played Victoria, in 2016, it was on a Friday night - which is their time to shine, it would be safe to assume. See ZZ Top’s tour dates below, followed by the album artwork and tracklist. The name of “The Raw Whisky Tour” is inspired by both the album and the recent release of ZZ Top’s own Tres Hombres whisky. ‘The Dust’ may have left the building but he’s still very much with us.”Įditor's Pick Billy Gibbons: ZZ Top Will Continue On Following Death of Dusty Hill ![]() In the liner notes for the album, surviving ZZ Top members Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard write, “It was as bare bones as when we first started touring in a behemoth Chrysler station wagon, driving vast stretches between those early far-flung shows under blackened Texas skies and first hearing our records on the radio. The album, which will arrive on July 22nd, features “raw” versions of the band’s classic hits and cover songs. In “righteous memory” of Hill, ZZ Top are releasing a new album called RAW, which was recorded while Hill was still alive during an intimate session at Gruene Hall, “the oldest continually run dance hall in Texas,” as depicted in the aforementioned Netflix documentary. Elwood Francis, a guitar tech for the band, has stepped in to replace Hill in the group’s touring lineup. ![]() The legendary band is still going strong despite the sudden passing of longtime bassist Dusty Hill last year.
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