“That Little Ol’ Band From Texas” has been at it for well over a half century, delivering rock, blues and boogie on the road and in the studio to millions of devoted fans. ZZ TOP is synonymous with beards, hot rod cars, spinning guitars and that magic keychain, all of which transcend geography and language.
It was in Houston in the waning days of 1969 that ZZ TOP was formed from two rival bands, Billy Gibbons’ Moving Sidewalks and Frank Beard and Dusty Hill’s American Blues. Their third album, 1973’s “Tres Hombres”, catapulted them to national attention with the hit “La Grange:, still one of the band’s signature pieces today. “Eliminator”, their 1983 album was something of a shift for ZZ TOP. Their roots blues skew was intact but added tech-age trappings that soon found a visual outlet with such tracks as “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” on MTV. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
The band’s line-up of the bearded Gibbons and Hill and Beard, who ironically is clean shaven, remained intact for more than 50 years until Dusty’s passing. When Dusty departed the tour in 2021, it was a given that Elwood would stand in for Dusty until he could return. But Dusty’s return was not to be, and Elwood continues to handle the bass duties for the band.
The band will perform on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are: $49.50, $59.50, $79.50, $89.50, $99.50 and $139.50. Tickets can be purchased at the Salem Civic Center Box Office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and online at www.ticketmaster.com.
-The Salem Times-Register
