I did not expect my first live concert experience post-pandemic to be a show by rock legends ZZ Top, nor did I expect it to be at a county fairgrounds not even an hour’s drive from my house, but the pandemic taught us to expect the unexpected – so I should probably just shut up and get on with reviewing the fun show.
We got to the fair in plenty of time before the show. Our seats were folding chairs on the dirt track where the annual demolition derby is held, as well as other events. There’s also grandstand seating that was probably less crowded and and not muddy – as it had rained earlier that day.
It also rained again, to the point where the show had to be delayed an hour due to the deluge that hit the fair. ZZ Top, minus Dusty Hill, who was home in Texas recovering from a hip injury, took the stage “on time.” Hill was replaced on bass by one of their long-serving guitar techs, Elwood Francis, and he did a fine job. They opened with “Under Pressure,” which is even fuzzier live, rivaling Billy Gibbons‘ epic beard.
It’s sometimes easy to forget how good of a guitarist Gibbons is. He can play anything from blues to psychedelic rock to garage rock. Frank Beard still chops behind a massive drum kit that had an impressive amount of customization on it.
Another impressive thing was the production sound and quality of the show. ZZ Top has a top-notch crew. Most, if not all, of Gibbons’ guitar effects were done remotely off-stage by the crew of with this weird-looking thing on stage left.
The show was a “greatest hits” set that also included a fun version of Merle Travis‘ “Sixteen Tons.” The tour is their 50th anniversary tour, and “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” were, of course, big hits with the crowd. I’d hoped for “TV Dinners,” but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. They did break out the monster fur guitars, however.
It was a fun night, and Dusty Hill died just a few days later. Gibbons and Beard have stated they will continue touring and making music, as it was Hill’s wish that they would.
Keep your mind open.
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