Time to “Doubleback” to Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on June 8 at 8 p.m. as ZZ Top, that little ol’ band from Texas, returns with their stash of classic blues and rock classics. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 15, at noon.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame trio consisting of Billy Gibbons (guitar), Dusty Hill (bass), and Frank Beard (drums), whose red-hot Texas boogie and blues has captivated fans of all ages, owes much of their enduring appeal to their mastery of and feel for rootsy forms. The band cites influences of such blues masters as Freddie King, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Muddy Waters.
The genius of ZZ Top is that they’re reverential about the blues, but loose and funny about the subject matter of their songs that are laden with pop-culture references, sexual double entendres and the determined pursuit of a good time. Typical hit titles include “Jesus Just Left Chicago,” “Party on the Patio,” “Pearl Necklace,” “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers,” and “Heard It on the X.” For many, ZZ Top is the premiere party band on the planet. Certainly, they have been Texas’ foremost cultural ambassadors.
Formed in 1969, the trio released its first album, epononymously titled ZZ Top’s First Album, and played their first show in 1970. Their second album, Rio Grande Mud (1971), staked out their bluesy, no-frills territory and gave them a chart hit with “Francine.” ZZ Top solidified their sound on Tres Hombres (1973) by recording in Memphis. Tres Hombres’ key track, “La Grange,” was a growling boogie about the same place celebrated in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
The band quickly built a word-of-mouth fan base on the road, and nonstop touring in turn propelled record sales. Tres Hombres reached #8 and became the first in an unbroken string of eleven gold and platinum albums. The next two albums – Fandango! (1975) and Tejas (1977) – hit #10 and #17, respectively. Fandango! yielded the hard-driving “Tush,” which became ZZ Top’s first Top 40 single. Three years later, they returned with a fiery new album, Deguello (1979) filled with instant classics such as “Cheap Sunglasses,” “Fool for Your Stockings,” “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide,” and their remake of Sam and Dave’s “I Thank You.” El Loco (1981) yielded another naughty anthem with “Tube Snake Boogie” and poised them for a phenomenal explosion in popularity.
In the 1980s, ZZ Top discovered synthesizers, and MTV discovered ZZ Top. Eliminator, whose title and cover were inspired by Gibbons’ hot-rod ’34 Ford coupe, became one of the biggest albums of the decade, selling more than 10 million copies. Three of its songs – “Gimme All Your Lovin’” (#37), “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” (#8) – were radio, video and club hits. With its leggy, model-strewn video, “Legs” remains the biggest single of ZZ Top’s career.
Now regarded as international superstars, the group followed Eliminator with Afterburner (1985), which yielded four Top 40 hits: “Sleeping Bag” (#8), “Stages” (#23), “Rough Boy” (#22) and “Velcro Fly” (#35). Recycler (1990) completed the trilogy that had commenced with Eliminator and several instant classics – “Give It Up,” “Doubleback,” “My Head’s in Mississippi” – to the repertoire.
Other later releases included greatest hits compilations and Antenna (1993), Rhythmeen (1996), XXX (1999), Mescalero (2003) and Rancho Texicano: The Very Best of ZZ Top (2004).
Tickets cost $69, $59, $49 and $39*; all seats are available at the Hard Rock Live Box Office, Tuesday – Saturday from noon – 6 p.m. and Sunday – Monday only open on event days at noon. Tickets also are available at all Ticketmaster outlets online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone: 1-800-745-3000. Doors open one-hour prior to show start time. *Additional fees may apply.