Concert by ZZ Top | |
Location | United States |
---|---|
Associated album | Fandango! , Tejas |
Start date | May 29, 1976 |
End date | December 31, 1977 |
Legs | 5 |
No. of shows | 98 (100 scheduled) |
ZZ Top concert chronology |
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.
Encompassing five legs and 97 shows, the tour began in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on May 29, 1976, and ended in Fort Worth, Texas on December 31, 1977. The band's 1976 album Tejas , which elaborated on the tour's artistic theme, was recorded during a break in the tour, and its songs were played in 1977. In 2008, Guitar World ′s Alan di Perna called it "one of the most ambitious and bizarre tours in all of rock history". [1]
ZZ Top's 1973 album Tres Hombres and supporting single "La Grange" brought them commercial and critical success in the United States. They gained a reputation as one of the top rock acts in the country and earned them the nickname "that little ol' band from Texas". [2] On September 1, 1974, ZZ Top performed at Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. The concert—photographs of which were used for their 1975 Fandango! album—was the last at the stadium until the Eagles performed there in 1995, as the artificial turf was damaged by rowdy fans. [2] In 2008, guitarist and vocalist Billy Gibbons recalled the concert as a "great, great event". [3]
The Worldwide Texas Tour stage was designed by Bill Narum, who also designed ZZ Top's album covers and tour posters. [4] Whereas ZZ Top had previously used simple productions, the tour stage was an elaborate setup designed to "bring Texas to the people". [5] It included a 63-by-48 foot (19-by-15 m) stage that was tilted at a four-degree angle, which resembled the shape of Texas and weighed 35 tons (70,000 lbs), costing a reported US$100,000. The stage was constructed in a seven-hour process with the help of 40 crew members. The set's backdrop was a 180-foot (55 m) three-dimensional panorama that used five scrims measuring 36-by-20 feet (11-by-6 m), which were hand-painted and individually lit to show dawn and dusk effects. [6]
The presentation also included live animals such as a longhorn steer, black buffalo, two vultures, and two rattlesnakes, and plants such as yucca, agave, and cacti. Over US$140,000 was spent to ensure that the animals were healthy, traveling under the supervision of an animal expert and veterinarian. The set used 260 speakers and 130 light fixtures, using over 136,000 watts of power. A crew of 50 people traveled in a series of 13 vehicles to transport 75 tons (150,000 lbs) of equipment. The entire production and crew were insured for $10 million. [6]
Rehearsals began in May 1976 at Astroarena in Houston. The band and crew spent a week rehearsing the show, constructing and adjusting the stage set. Unlike many of the group's previous tours, which began around the release of a new album, the Worldwide Texas Tour started over a year after Fandango! was released, allowing fans the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the songs. By opening night, the album had already been certified gold in the United States and sold over one million copies in Canada. [7] The first leg of the tour, 30 shows in the US, alternated between stadiums and arenas. It didn't start off well as four days of heavy rain and hailstorms preceded the opening show at Groves Stadium, which decreased ticket sales to 20,000. Concerts in Europe, Japan, Australia, and Mexico were cancelled due to quarantine restrictions for buffalo. [7]
The band's recorded their 1976 album Tejas after the second leg in the tour, and played its songs in 1977. By the time the third US leg began, Tejas had sold more than half a million copies in the US. The leg, which began in February 1977, was the band's first full arena leg of the tour. [5] Tickets for two shows at The Summit in Houston sold out in less than twelve hours. [6]
Ticket prices for outdoor venues were US$8.50 in advance and $10 on the day of the show, while indoor venues were $6 in advance and $7 at the door. [5] At its conclusion, the Worldwide Texas Tour sold over 1.2 million tickets. [8] In 2008, Guitar World ′s Alan di Perna called it "one of the most ambitious and bizarre tours in all of rock history". [1]
Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening Act(s) | Attendance | Revenue |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leg 1: arenas and stadiums in the United States | ||||||
May 29, 1976 | Winston-Salem | United States | Groves Stadium | Lynyrd Skynyrd, Point Blank | — | — |
June 2, 1976 | Norfolk | Norfolk Scope | Wet Willie | 8,309 / 12,000 | ||
June 3, 1976 | Richmond | Richmond Coliseum | — | |||
June 5, 1976 | Atlanta | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | Marshall Tucker Band, Elvin Bishop | 45,000 / 65,000 | $425,000 | |
June 6, 1976 | Knoxville | Knoxville Civic Coliseum | — | — | ||
June 7, 1976 | Louisville | Freedom Hall | ||||
June 12, 1976 | Pittsburgh | Three Rivers Stadium | Aerosmith, Point Blank | 47,705 / 65,000 | $425,000 | |
June 20, 1976 | Jacksonville | Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum | Elvin Bishop, Jay Boy Adams | — | — | |
June 23, 1976 | Niagara Falls | Niagara Falls Convention Center | Blue Öyster Cult, Starz | |||
June 24, 1976 | Binghamton | Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena | ||||
June 25, 1976 | South Yarmouth | Cape Cod Coliseum | Blue Öyster Cult, Starz | |||
June 26, 1976 | Philadelphia | Philadelphia Spectrum | Blue Öyster Cult, Ted Nugent | 18,209 / 19,500 | $104,568 | |
June 28, 1976 | Richfield | Coliseum at Richfield | Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band | — | — | |
June 29, 1976 | Charleston | Charleston Civic Center | Blue Öyster Cult | |||
July 4, 1976 | Memphis | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium | Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Outlaws | 32,000 / 60,000 | $320,000 | |
July 9, 1976 | Omaha | Omaha Civic Auditorium | — | — | ||
July 11, 1976 | Kansas City | Arrowhead Stadium | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jay Boy Adams | |||
July 14, 1976 | St. Louis | Kiel Auditorium | Pure Prairie League, Jay Boy Adams | |||
July 17, 1976 | New Orleans | Tulane Stadium | The J. Geils Band, Jay Boy Adams | 51,000 / 60,000 | $500,000 | |
July 21, 1976 | Duluth | Duluth Arena Auditorium | — | — | ||
July 23, 1976 | Milwaukee | MECCA Arena | ||||
July 25, 1976 | South Bend | Athletic & Convocation Center | ||||
July 26, 1976 | Clarkston | Pine Knob Music Theatre | REO Speedwagon | |||
July 27, 1976 | ||||||
August 1, 1976 | Denver | McNichols Sports Arena | Blue Öyster Cult, The Outlaws | 17,102 / 17,102 | $136,816 | |
August 4, 1976 | Albuquerque | Tingley Coliseum | Jay Boy Adams | — | — | |
August 7, 1976 | Anaheim | Anaheim Stadium | Blue Öyster Cult, Johnny & Edgar Winter | 49,169 / 60,000 | $498,040 | |
August 9, 1976 | San Diego | San Diego Stadium | — | — | ||
August 10, 1976 | Fresno | Selland Arena | ||||
August 14, 1976 | Daly City | Cow Palace | Ted Nugent | 14,500 / 14,500 | $79,844 | |
Leg 2: arenas and stadiums in the United States | ||||||
September 10, 1976 | Waterloo | United States | McElroy Auditorium | The Boys | 5,000 / 7,000 | $24,900 |
September 11, 1976 | Bloomington | Metropolitan Sports Center | Pure Prairie League, Jay Boy Adams | — | — | |
September 12, 1976 | Detroit | Cobo Center | ||||
September 17, 1976 | Bismarck | Bismarck Civic Center | REO Speedwagon | 4,200 / 8,000 | ||
September 18, 1976 | Billings | Yellowstone METRA | 10,086 / 13,000 | |||
September 19, 1976 | Laramie | War Memorial Fieldhouse | — | |||
September 21, 1976 | Salt Lake City | Salt Palace | Roadwork | |||
September 22, 1976 | Las Vegas | Las Vegas Convention Center | ||||
September 24, 1976 | Tucson | Tucson Community Center | ||||
September 25, 1976 | Nashville | Tennessee State Fairgrounds | The Band, Cate Brothers | $13,744 | ||
September 30, 1976 | Lakeland | Lakeland Civic Center | Point Blank | — | ||
October 2, 1976 | Hollywood | Hollywood Sportatorium | ||||
October 9, 1976 | Tallahassee | Doak Campbell Stadium | Wet Willie, Point Blank | 11,600 / 40,500 | $82,000 | |
October 14, 1976 | Dayton | University of Dayton Arena | Wet Willie | — | — | |
October 16, 1976 | Charlotte | Charlotte Coliseum | Styx | 13,500 / 13,500 | ||
October 17, 1976 | Columbia | Carolina Coliseum | — | |||
October 21, 1976 | Portland | Portland Memorial Coliseum | Elvin Bishop | |||
October 22, 1976 | Spokane | Spokane Coliseum | 6,506 / 8,500 | |||
October 23, 1976 | Seattle | Seattle Center Coliseum | — | |||
October 28, 1976 | Pocatello | ASISU MiniDome | 7,368 / 12,000 | |||
October 31, 1976 | Kansas City | Kansas City Municipal Auditorium | Rory Gallagher | — | ||
November 2, 1976 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma State Fair Arena | ||||
November 4, 1976 | Wichita | Levitt Arena | The Fools | |||
November 7, 1976 | Evansville | Roberts Municipal Stadium | 8,007 / 12,732 | $51,686 | ||
November 9, 1976 | Toledo | Toledo Sports Arena | Montrose | — | — | |
November 11, 1976 | Landover | Capital Centre | Styx, Elvin Bishop | |||
November 25, 1976 | Houston | The Summit | Rory Gallagher | |||
November 26, 1976 | ||||||
November 27, 1976 | Fort Worth | Tarrant County Convention Center | ||||
November 28, 1976 | ||||||
November 30, 1976 | Tulsa | Tulsa Assembly Center | Pure Prairie League | |||
Leg 3: arenas and auditoriums in the United States | ||||||
February 16, 1977 | Madison | United States | Dane County Memorial Coliseum | Head East | — | — |
February 17, 1977 | Indianapolis | Market Square Arena | Elvin Bishop | |||
February 19, 1977 | Chicago | Chicago Stadium | Atlanta Rhythm Section | |||
February 22, 1977 | Fort Wayne | Allen County War Memorial Coliseum | ||||
February 23, 1977 | Cincinnati | Riverfront Coliseum | Cate Brothers | 11,951 / 17,556 | $78,764 | |
February 24, 1977 | Detroit | Cobo Center | Atlanta Rhythm Section | — | — | |
March 3, 1977 | Portland | Cumberland County Civic Center | The Blend | 7,489 / 9,500 | ||
March 8, 1977 | Binghamton | Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena | The Dictators | — | ||
March 9, 1977 | Springfield | Springfield Civic Center | Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band | |||
March 16, 1977 | Boston | Boston Garden | Santana | |||
March 17, 1977 | ||||||
March 19, 1977 | Jackson | Mississippi Coliseum | Point Blank | |||
March 23, 1977 | Lake Charles | Lake Charles Civic Center | ||||
March 25, 1977 | Springfield | Hammons Center Arena | ||||
March 26, 1977 | Lincoln | Pershing Auditorium | Styx | |||
March 27, 1977 | Normal | Horton Fieldhouse | Point Blank | |||
April 1, 1977 | Savannah | Savannah Civic Center | ||||
April 2, 1977 | Mobile | Mobile Municipal Auditorium | ||||
April 3, 1977 | Birmingham | Birmingham–Jefferson Civic Center | ||||
April 7, 1977 | Richmond | Richmond Coliseum | Nils Lofgren | |||
April 8, 1977 | Hampton | Hampton Coliseum | Atlanta Rhythm Section, Nils Lofgren | |||
April 9, 1977 | Greensboro | Greensboro Coliseum | Nils Lofgren | |||
April 10, 1977 | Roanoke | Roanoke Civic Center | The Outlaws | |||
April 13, 1977 | Kalamazoo | Wings Stadium | Rush | |||
April 15, 1977 | Johnson City | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Blackfoot | 5,688 / 8,500 | $39,501 | |
April 16, 1977 | Clemson | Littlejohn Coliseum | — | — | ||
April 18, 1977 | Columbia | Hearnes Center | ||||
April 21, 1977 | Rochester | Rochester Community War Memorial | Pure Prairie League | |||
April 23, 1977 | Manchester | John F. Kennedy Memorial Coliseum | The Dictators | |||
April 24, 1977 | Waterbury | Palace Theater | Piper | 3,800 / 3,800 | $28,500 | |
April 30, 1977 | Providence | Providence Civic Center | Foghat | — | — | |
May 6, 1977 | Hays | Gross Memorial Coliseum | ||||
May 7, 1977 | Lawrence | Allen Fieldhouse | Foreigner | |||
Leg 4: arenas and auditoriums in the United States | ||||||
June 7, 1977 | Albuquerque | United States | Tingley Coliseum | Pure Prairie League, Climax Blues Band | — | — |
June 8, 1977 | Tucson | Tucson Community Center | ||||
June 9, 1977 | Tempe | ASU Activity Center | ||||
June 11, 1977 | Inglewood | Inglewood Forum | Elvin Bishop | |||
June 14, 1977 | Bakersfield | Bakersfield Civic Auditorium | ||||
June 15, 1977 | San Diego | San Diego Sports Arena | 9,921 / 14,800 | $65,768 | ||
June 18, 1977 | El Paso | El Paso County Coliseum | Point Blank | — | — | |
June 21, 1977 | Fresno | Selland Arena | Elvin Bishop | |||
June 22, 1977 | San Bernardino | Swing Auditorium | ||||
June 24, 1977 | Daly City | Cow Palace | 9,167 / 14,000 | $62,039 | ||
July 1, 1977 | Honolulu | Neal S. Blaisdell Center | Yellow Rose Band | — | — | |
July 2, 1977 | ||||||
July 9, 1977 | Fargo | North Dakota State University | ||||
July 10, 1977 | Rapid City | Rushmore Plaza Civic Center | Burton Cummings | |||
Leg 5: arenas and auditoriums in the United States | ||||||
December 28, 1977 | Shreveport | United States | Hirsch Memorial Coliseum | Sea Level | — | — |
December 29, 1977 | Abilene | Taylor County Expo Center | Muddy Waters, Jay Boy Adams | |||
December 30, 1977 | San Antonio | San Antonio Convention Center | Muddy Waters, The Fools | |||
December 31, 1977 | Fort Worth | Tarrant County Convention Center | Muddy Waters | |||
January 1, 1978 | Amarillo | Amarillo Civic Center | ||||
ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. For 51 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sound based on Gibbons' blues style and Hill and Beard's rhythm section. They are known for their live performances, sly and humorous lyrics, and the matching appearances of Gibbons and Hill, who wore sunglasses, hats and long beards.
ZZ Top's First Album is the debut studio album by American rock band ZZ Top, produced by Bill Ham and released in January 1971 by London Records. Establishing ZZ Top's attitude and humor, the album incorporates styles such as blues, boogie, hard rock, and Southern rock influences. "(Somebody Else Been) Shakin' Your Tree" was the only single released from the album.
Tres Hombres is the third studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released on July 26, 1973 by London Records. It was the band's first collaboration with engineer Terry Manning. The album would be ZZ Top's commercial breakthrough in the United States charts. It peaked at number 8 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in 1974. Its lead single "La Grange" reached number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is the first of many ZZ Top albums to incorporate the use of Spanish terminology in their branding. "Tres Hombres" means "three men" in Spanish.
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.
Tejas is the fifth studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top. It was released in late November 1976, on the London label. The title is a Caddo language word meaning "friends", which is the origin of the name of the band's home state, Texas.
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.
Rancho Texicano: The Very Best of ZZ Top is a greatest hits album by the rock band ZZ Top. It was released in 2004 on Rhino Entertainment. The title is a portmanteau of "texan" and "mexicano", meaning "Tex-mex Ranch". The 2-CD compilation is essentially a pared-down version of the 4-CD box set Chrome, Smoke & BBQ, released the previous year. All songs are original mixes that have been digitally remastered.
The Best of ZZ Top(10 Legendary Texas Tales) is a greatest hits album by American rock band ZZ Top, released November 26, 1977. Spanning the years from 1971 to 1975, this compilation album does not contain any songs from Tejas, which was released the year before.
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 backing and lead vocals and played keyboards.
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 Recycler Tour was a concert tour by American rock band ZZ Top. Presented by Beaver Productions and sponsored by Miller Lite, the tour took place in North America and Europe. The set list featured material from the band's previous seven studio albums. Venues were mostly arenas.
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.
ZZ Top: A Tribute from Friends is the fourth tribute album to honor American blues-rock band ZZ Top. It includes performances from Daughtry, Nickelback, Wolfmother, Filter and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith among others.
"Arrested for Driving While Blind" is a song by American blues rock band ZZ Top. Written by all three band members Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, it was released as the second single from their fifth studio album Tejas (1976).
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.
The Tonnage Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band ZZ Top in support of their 2016 live album Live! Greatest Hits from Around the World. The tour consisted of six legs that alternated between indoor and outdoor shows in the US, along with arenas and festivals in Europe. Much like their recent tours, the Tonnage Tour featured a stripped-down, intimate stage design. The band played a mixture of older and newer material during their set, which included songs from their latest studio album La Futura (2012).
"Waitin' for the Bus" and "Jesus Just Left Chicago" are two songs by American rock band ZZ Top from their 1973 album Tres Hombres. The two songs open the album, segued into each other, and for years radio stations played the two tracks together. "Waitin' for the Bus" was written solely by Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill, while "Jesus Just Left Chicago" was also co-written by drummer Frank Beard.