ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 years, it was composed of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top had developed a signature sound based on Gibbons' blues guitar playing style and Hill and Beard's rhythm section. They are popular for their live performances, sly and humorous lyrics, and the matching appearances of Gibbons and Hill, who wore sunglasses, hats and long beards.
Mescalero is the fourteenth studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top. It was released in September 2003, as the band's final release for RCA Records. While the band still retained their foundation in blues rock, Mescalero explored genres like country and Tejano. Recording sessions took place at Foam Box Recordings in Houston, with Billy Gibbons as producer.
Eliminator is the eighth studio album by American rock band ZZ Top. It was released on March 23, 1983, by Warner Bros. Records, and rose high on the charts in many countries. Four hit singles were released—"Gimme All Your Lovin'" which reached the American Top 40, "Sharp Dressed Man", "TV Dinners" and their most successful single, "Legs". Eliminator is ZZ Top's most commercially successful release, with sales of 11 million and diamond certification in the US.
William Frederick Gibbons is an American rock musician, best known as the guitarist and primary vocalist of ZZ Top. He began his career in the Moving Sidewalks, who recorded Flash (1969) and opened four dates for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Gibbons formed ZZ Top in late 1969 and released ZZ Top's First Album in early 1971. He has also maintained a solo career in recent years, starting with his first album Perfectamundo (2015).
Joe Michael "Dusty" Hill was an American musician who was the bassist of the rock band ZZ Top for more than 50 years. He also sang lead and backing vocals and played keyboards.
The Vertigo Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, the tour visited arenas and stadiums between March 2005 and December 2006. The Vertigo Tour consisted of five legs that alternated between indoor arena shows in North America and outdoor stadium shows internationally. Much like the previous Elevation Tour, the indoor portion of the Vertigo Tour featured a stripped-down, intimate stage design. Protruding from the main stage was an ellipse-shaped catwalk that encapsulated a small number of fans.
The Joshua Tree Tour was a concert tour by Irish rock band U2. Staged in support of their 1987 album The Joshua Tree, the tour visited arenas and stadiums across North America and Europe from April to December 1987. The tour was depicted on the video and live album Live from Paris, and on the 1988 album and documentary film Rattle and Hum.
"Legs" is a song by the band ZZ Top from their 1983 album Eliminator. The song was released as the fourth single in May 1984 more than a year after the album came out. It reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and the dance mix version of the song peaked at number 13 on the dance charts.
"Tush" is a song by American blues rock band ZZ Top and was the only single from their fourth album Fandango!. The song was named the 67th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.
The Couldn't Stand the Weather Tour was a worldwide concert tour by blues rock band Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Produced in support of their 1984 album Couldn't Stand the Weather, the tour visited North America, Europe, Australasia and Japan from 1984 to 1985. To reflect the new musical direction that the group took with Couldn't Stand the Weather, the tour was aimed to differ from their past and surpass expectations of the band. In comparison to Vaughan and Double Trouble's modest stage setup from the previous Texas Flood Tour, the Couldn't Stand the Weather Tour involved a slightly more elaborate production. It utilized grander amplifier setups and sound systems to take advantage of the larger venues in which they performed. To avoid their renowned strictly blues material, Vaughan and Double Trouble embodied a more expanded and varied repertoire during performances. In disparity to the previous tour, each of the Couldn't Stand the Weather shows opened with mostly the same three songs before other material was played. The album and the tour were the beginnings of the group's mid-eighties musical development.
"Rough Boy" is a song by the American rock band ZZ Top. It was released by Warner Bros. Records in the US in March 1986, as the third single from their ninth studio album, Afterburner. The song reached No. 5 on the Album Rock Tracks chart and No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as No. 23 in the UK Singles Chart. Unlike the other songs on the album, this song has a much slower tempo and is more of a power ballad. It also shares a similar tune to their song "Leila", from their seventh studio album, El Loco.
Live from Texas is a live DVD/Blu-ray by ZZ Top. It was recorded on November 1, 2007, at the Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas, and released on June 24, 2008, by Eagle Rock Records. It was also released on audio CD in Europe on October 28, 2008, and in the US on November 4, 2008. A vinyl version is also available in Europe.
The Hollywood Blues Tour was a concert tour through the United States and Canada, undertaken by American rock band ZZ Top. Named after a warm-up show at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California, the tour was their second of which to be staged without a supporting album. As a result, they did not perform any newer material. Although this was a criticism for the tour, it was generally well-received—a critic from The Florida Times-Union regarded the band as "one of rock's most reliable acts; you just know they're going to put on a good show". In contrast to ZZ Top's elaborately-staged productions from previous tours, the Hollywood Blues Tour utilized an austere stage setup. To embrace the group's renowned concept of visual imagery, the stage featured an LED drape for a backdrop video screen that showed visual effects, video clips and flashing text phrases, along with amplifiers stacks and a Van de Graaff generator.
The Worldwide Texas Tour was a concert tour by American rock band ZZ Top. Arranged in support of their 1975 album Fandango!, the band visited arenas, stadiums, and auditoriums from 1976 to 1977. The elaborate stage production was designed to bring Texas to national audiences, with regional fauna and flora.
The El Camino Ocho Tour was a concert tour through North America and Europe, undertaken by American rock band ZZ Top. The tour's concerts were performed in casinos and fairs from May through September 2008. Band members Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill dressed in black biker jackets, along with baseball caps and boots. The El Camino Ocho Tour consisted of three legs and 60 shows. Some of the tour was depicted in the concert film Double Down Live.
The 2010 World Tour was a concert tour by rock band ZZ Top, which began in April 2010 and ended in December 2010. Like recent previous tours, it was a short outing, though for the first time in the band's career, they performed in South America, including three shows in Brazil. The band played many of their classic 1970s and 1980s hits. Critical reaction to the tour's shows was generally positive, although the absence of new material was noted. A great number of tickets were sold within a month of the tour's announcement, which prompted more dates to be added.
"What's Up With That" is a song by ZZ Top, released as the second single from their 1996 album Rhythmeen.
Live at Montreux 2013 is a live video of a concert performed by ZZ Top on July 10, 2013 at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, released in July 2014 on DVD and Blu-ray by Eagle Vision.
The Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers Tour was a concert tour through North America and Europe, undertaken by American rock band ZZ Top. Arranged in support of their 2003 album Mescalero, the band visited arenas, amphitheaters, and festivals from 2003 to 2004. To match the artistic theme that the group created with Mescalero, the tour was intended to differ from their past and surpass expectations of the band. Contrary to ZZ Top's elaborately staged multimedia events from previous tours, the Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers Tour was a modest stage setup. It utilized minimalism by adorning "Mescalero" themed props on its stage. To escape their reputation for using stage gimmicks, ZZ Top embodied a more staid and focused image on tour. The Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers Tour was central to Mescalero′s success.
Farewell Yellow Brick Road was a concert tour by English musician Elton John. It began in Allentown, Pennsylvania, US, on 8 September 2018, and ended in Stockholm, Sweden, on 8 July 2023. It was intended to be John's final tour and consisted of 333 concerts worldwide. The tour's name and its poster reference John's 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
