No Trick. No additional electricity wanted.

They said they had to drop by because they were running “about a quart low on hot sauce”. (Any excuse to avoid saying they missed us.)

When the boys opened for the Rolling Stones, we all thought, “Hey, local guys done good.” Rolling Stone’s, Keith Richards, then opened for them at their Rock and Roll of Fame induction ceremony some 15 years ago.

Storms may make the blues but they don’t stop rock or ZZ Top’s 50th Anniversary Texas Bash.

Drive over an hour under severe weather alerts? (Welcome to my normal life)

What’s a little lightning? Baseball sized hail? Tornados moving in this general direction?

Not enough to deter.

ZZ Top 50th Anniversary Texas Bash concert at Cynthia Woods Pavilion/Woodlands. Their rock music, heavily based on the American blues, shows influence of punk, new age, even dance party rock. You see the actual guys on the right below the big screen.(© image)

Here’s the ZZ Top boys: Ironically, drummer Frank Beard, is the only one without a beard. Cheap sunglasses? Yeah, there’s a song about that. And the hats, too.(© image)

I know. You are thinking sum ole country boys

Actually Billy Gibbons and his local psychedelic band, The Moving Sidewalks, toured and opened for Jimi Hendrix Experience,

Dang, we thought at the time. Local boy dun good.

And he still is.

Left to right: Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard, Dusty Hill. Their performance is effortless, casual, and musically perfect even after all these years.(© image)

Rolling Stone may have ranked Gibbons at # 32 on their 2011 list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, but to us he’ll always be Little Billy Gibbons who lived down the block in his mom’s garage apartment between tour dates.

His lovely mom used to go around handing out bumper stickers. I credited those for the lack of vandalism to my car for years.

Billy always took care of his mom. Probably to thank her and his older sister for taking him, a five year old, to see Elvis perform.

When Billy was around 7, his dad, an entertainer, conductor, and classical pianist who worked with MGM studios, took him along to a B.B. King recording session. That chord struck.

Not just a one note player, William Frederick Gibbons, (aka The Reverend Billy F. Gibbons) takes the stage with many other musicians and is on TV shows including his recurring role as an over protective dad in Bones and as Frank Hill’s cousin in King of the Road. 

Known for their growling rock sound – and loud…very, very loud. With signature double entendres and innuendos…if you can hear the lyrics. At this concert the mix of vocals to music wasn’t done well…if you didn’t know the words, you might have gotten lost. But everyone there did, so no matter: grandparents with their kids who brought their own kids (didn’t see babies or toddlers as, did I say, the boys are known for loud.)(© image)

More odd bits of info:

• The group’s name comes from blending B.B. King and Z.Z. Hill to created Z.Z. King – then recognizing that was a little too close, morphed to “king” as “in top of the heap” resulting in the ZZ Top moniker. (article: ZZ Top)
• The beards? Oh, those appeared during a two year break in the late ’70’s. There’s always been hats – stetson or “sharp dressed man” ones (That’s a song:  Video “Sharp Dressed Man”)
• And here’s the deal about the sunglasses: Video “Cheap Sunglasses“
• You probably know one of their songs – it was used in a commercial for those stockings sold in egg containers. Video of original song “She’s got legs.”  In this video you can also see Billy has always been a bit of a gearhead and likes vintage cars which are featured on album covers, concerts, videos, and t shirts.
• They tour with multiple, often unique, guitars. One of the favorites, two white fake fur covered ones did make an appearance at the concert. (See those guitars in “Legs” video above.)

No, don’t worry, Not a lightning strike outside the open tent-like venue. Some people just take that “make an entrance” advice seriously. (© image)

As this is getting long, I won’t ramble on at length about the opening acts as we arrived fashionably late. 

First because due to weather and major lane closures on the beltway from 3 lanes down to 1 lane

Second: slipping quietly into an undercover parking space (in an undisclosed location we’d like to keep secret for future availability)

And totally unexpected: running into a Sr Prom event (Seriously? So many paid professional photographers posing kids everywhere…regardless of traffic or drizzle…..Also, we really need to do something about teenage obesity – That’s not mean – that’s worry about what their future health will be.)

So we missed Cheap Trick’s opening act. Not our fault..entirely. The venue, worried about severe storms, tornado threat, and lightning kept moving the start time up earlier and earlier.

Actually, realizing the set status, we opted to sit by the riverwalk and enjoy some chicken quesadillas during their last 3 songs before going through the gates.

Hey, It was right next door. We could hear just fine.

Yeah, they rocked. This is too long, so just read the review linked.(© image)

But we did get in and seated in time for Bad Company’s set. It was impressive.

They are waaaay better than I remembered.

Would have more pictures, except there was this big guy wearing a black t-shirt with “DEATH” in big letters all across the back always managing to get dead center in the frame. Not exactly the image focus point desired.

Anyway, great performances. Great crowd that enjoyed the show without getting annoyingly drunk or rowdy. 

Here’s a well written concert review (with all the groups’ play list) so no point in duplicating any of that. It’s a good read.

Ending on that note,

Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge

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