Gimme all Your Lovin'

Furry guitars and special guests make for a memorable ZZ Top show atRodeoHouston

Luckily, ZZ Top didn't forget the furry guitars.
Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
Billy Gibbons and company plowed through hits from "La Grange" to "Legs," withsome country thrown in for good measure.
Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
Gibbons, left, with bassist and vocalist Dusty Hill.
Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
Halfway into the concert, Billy Gibbons realized he needed a hat . . . luckily,there were a few extras.
Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
Calling RodeoHouston committee member Randy Paiz a ZZ Top fan might be anunderstatement.
Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
Now this is a custom drum kit.
Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
Country star Jamey Johnson joined the band for several songs.
Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com

Don't get me wrong, I love "La Grange" and "Tush" and all those pre-beard ZZ Top songs from the '70s.

Personally, though, I like my ZZ Top with some early-MTV flair — the old cars in the desert, the furry guitars, the synchronized moves and maybe some synthesizer flourishes here and there. I'll even take that track they recorded for Back to the Future III.

After reading that the trio would returning to a streamlined rock sound for their long-awaited upcoming album, I'll admit, I was nervous about Thursday's RodeoHouston concert at Reliant Stadium. They wouldn't ax their '80s material . . . would they?

I like my ZZ Top with some early-MTV flair — the old cars in the des ert, the furry guitars, the synchronized moves and maybe some synthesizer flourishes here and there.

When they climbed onstage from vintage Cadillac convertible with the chest-length beards and matching mariachi jackets, it was clear this would be the classic slightly-over-the-top ZZ Top we all know and love.

Kicking off the show with the rockin' "Got Me Under Pressure" from their 1983 hitmaker, Eliminator, the group seamlessly transitioned into pair of personal faves from 1973's Tres Hombres, "Waitin' for the Bus" and "Jesus Just Left Chicago."

The band sounded amazingly tight and well rehearsed. Perhaps a tour that new Rick Rubin-produced album, almost four years in the making now, finally might be on the horizon.

Next up were two tracks somewhat beyond the range of my ZZ radar — the late-era "Pincushion" and "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" from Degüello, the first album to feature guitarist Billy Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill with the legendary beards.

Then came the trifecta of hits we were all there to hear.

The crowd went absolutely wild when they heard Frank Beard's intro drum beat for "Gimme all Your Lovin'" and got even crazier when they saw the original video pop onto the giant video screen behind the band. With "Sharp Dressed Man," you actually could hear the audience singing every lyric.

As if ZZ Top didn't already have fans in the pal ms of their hands, Gibbons and Hill brought out the sheepskin guitars for "Legs."

As if ZZ Top didn't already have fans in the palms of their hands, Gibbons and Hill brought out the sheepskin guitars for "Legs." I couldn't believe my eyes . . . the furry instruments actually played! I always thought they were props.

A trio of covers brought us back to reality. Dusty Hill took on the Elvis standard, "Viva Las Vegas," before the Gibbons called Nashville star Jamey Johnson onstage for country classics "11 Months and 29 Days" and "In the Jailhouse Now," the later of which was made famous by Johnny Cash.

While I was fully satisfied after my '80s moments, the show's finale of "La Grange" and "Tush" made me realize just how solid of a band ZZ Top remains after four decades in the business. Cross you fingers for an upcoming tour.

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In Memoriam

Legendary Texas singer-songwriter Joe Ely dies at 78

Joe Ely/Facebook

Joe Ely was a major figure in Texas' progressive country scene.

Joe Ely, the legendary songwriter, singer and storyteller whose career spanned more than five decades, has died from complications related to Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia. He was 78.

In a statement posted to his Facebook page, Ely died at his home in Taos, New Mexico, with his wife, Sharon, and daughter, Marie, at his side.

Born February 9, 1947, in Amarillo, Texas, Ely was raised in Lubbock and became a central figure among a generation of influential West Texas musicians. He later settled in Austin, helping shape the city’s reputation as a hub for live music.

As with many local legends, it's hard to tease out what specifically made Ely's time in Austin so great; Austin treasures its live music staples, so being around and staying authentic from the early days is often the most important thing an artist can do.

Ely got his local start at One Knight Tavern, which later became Stubb's BBQ — the artist and the famous venue share a hometown of Lubbock. He alternated nights with emerging guitar great Stevie Ray Vaughn. He built his own recording studio in Dripping Springs, and kept close relationships with other Texas musicians. Later in his career, Ely brought fans into the live music experience, publishing excerpts from his journal and musings on the road in Bonfire of Roadmaps (2010), and was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2022. Austin blues icon Marcia Ball was among Ely's friends who played the induction show.

"Joe Ely performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls," said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

In the 1970s, Ely signed with MCA Records, launching a career that included decades of recording and touring around the world. His work and performances left a lasting impact on the music scene and influenced a wide range of artists, including the Clash and Bruce Springsteen, according to Rolling Stone.

"His distinctive musical style could only have emerged from Texas, with its southwestern blend of honky-tonk, rock & roll, roadhouse blues, western swing, and conjunto. He began his career in the Flatlanders, with fellow Lubbock natives Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, and he would mix their songs with his through 50 years of critically acclaimed recordings. [...]"

Read the full story at KVUE.com. CultureMap has added two paragraphs of context about the Austin portion of Ely's career.

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