ZZ Top Ride’n Into Our Neck of The Woods

ZZ Top, that Texas blues/rock band which hails from Houston, Texas, will roll into Battle Creek on October 4th and appear at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel. The powerhouse band which is comprised of three members, Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, has been a mainstay in classic rock for over 40-years. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have amassed 11 gold records and 7 platinum records. They arrived on scene in 1969 and have the honor of being one of the few bands that have held the same line-up since their inception. The first time I had the pleasure of attending a ZZ Top concert was 1973 in Denver, Colorado. They were introducing their album Tres Hombres and were unknown to myself and my buddy Mark. We had gone to the concert venue to see Blue Oyster Cult and were a bit stunned when the headlining group, ZZ Top, walked out onto the stage. At this time, they were clean shaven cow-poke looking dudes wearing western shirts and cowboy hats, standing before a wall of giant Marshall Amplifiers which had Texas Longhorn Steer horns attached to the fronts. When they busted into their first song, there was no doubt that we were in for a memorable evening. It is amazing that three dudes can provide such a full rounded and LOUD sound. The upcoming concert at FireKeepers Casino Hotel will be well worth the ticket price, which starts at $65. Perhaps the sound level has been toned down, over the years, but it is advised that earplugs, wadded-up Kleenex or cotton balls be placed in your pocket to be available if the need arises.