Three sharp-dressed men, a.k.a. the power trio ZZ Top, have arrived to the Motor City to deliver a little “Tube Snake Boogie.”
Formed in 1969, that little ol’ band from Texas, formally known as ZZ Top, is celebrating 51 years of beards, brews, and raunchy Texas blues this year with a massive national tour, the Raw Whiskey Tour. Although founding member “The Dust“ Dusty Hill, passed recently in 2021, the band still carries the torch forward as they track across the nation. The trio (with bassist Elwood Francis, longtime band guitar tech, taking Dusty‘s position) have made a stop at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater. They arrive to a packed outdoor venue, full of excited ZZ fans sporting concert swag from across the decades. A large sign can be seen high in the lawn section that reads “We Miss You Dusty!“
8:30pm, and showtime has arrived. House music is cut abruptly and a dramatic pause ensues as Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard, and Elwood Francis step onto the main stage. A roaring crowd provides a standing ovation for the threesome. Billy‘s infectious grin creeps across his face as he straps on his custom-made, aqua blue Telecaster. “Got Me Under Pressure” blasts through the sound system without hesitation, and this crowd is electrified. Their sound is crispy, raw, gritty, and undeniably ZZ Top. The band transitions into the Sam and Dave cover “I Thank You,” followed by “Waitin for the Bus” then “Jesus Just Left Chicago.” Elwood and Billy join forces center stage and do a bit of synchronized rock-star dips that has the crowd cheering for this tasteful ode to “The Dust.” “Gimme All Your Lovin'” comes next and the entire amphitheater sings along with that ever-so-famous chorus line. It must be noted that Elwood Francis does a great job of keeping that baseline tight in the pocket with Beard’s thunderous kick foot. Gibbons’ golden guitar tone melts through that magnificent wall of Magnatone amps, with an absolute HUGE presence that is crunchy and full of ZZ goodness! “Pearl Necklace” is next and Billy steps to the mic and says, “Are we having a good time? And yes, I’m sure you told your mother what that song meant.“
Hits spanning decades keep rolling with “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide,” “I Gotsta Get Paid,” “My Head‘s in Mississippi,” and the Merle Travis cover, “Sixteen Tons.” We see a tech hand Billy the uber-famous relic, his precious Les Paul “Miss Pearly Gates“ as well as a glass slide. While Elwood swaps to a double-neck guitar, BG steps to the mic, and with that unmistakable Texas growl says, “Time to slip and slide!” Gibbons rips through some impromptu blues licks before launching into “Just Got Paid.” “Sharp Dressed Man” comes next and Billy introduces the tune with “We can’t let the night go by without doing one of my favorites!“ Techs return and place the furry Bo Diddley Box guitars into EF and BG’s hands and the duo fire into “Legs,” giving the full furry ZZ treatment as the fans sing along with Gibbons. The last note rings out and Billy smiles as he points randomly to crowd members. The lights dim and the crowd responds with a “hungry for more“ applause. The trio obliges, and return with “Brown Sugar,” “Tube Snake Boogie,” and they close the night on the timeless masterpiece, “La Grange.”
