![]() So here they were, playing numerous favorites like “Gimme All Your Lovin’” “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide,” “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” (complete with fuzzy guitars) to keep the party going. That’s why he urged the band to keep going with Elwood Francis. To see him and Gibbons end it after Hill’s passing doesn’t seem right. Drummer Frank Beard - head down, eyes closed - never wavered from the beat, anchored yet loose, inserting sensible and powerful fills at just the right time of any ZZ Top song. The one-two punch of “Waitin’ For The Bus” and “Jesus Just Left Chicago” was just as toxic as ever, with Gibbons laying on a thick slab of blues-loaded tones over Francis’ rumbling bass lines. He can play bass and sing backups well enough to make you believe ZZ Top are still a viable, working band. He didn’t take on any of Hill’s lead vocals. Elwood Francis wasn’t there to mimic Dusty Hill. Perhaps a hat similar to Gibbons atop that mosh of hair would have made the frontline look a little more ZZ Top-like. Supposedly, after a beardless lifetime, he’s got a beard going, though it’s nothing like the strands of hair falling Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons’ chins. If you’ve seen ZZ Top in concert before (a good five, maybe six times here) and are familiar with what they look like (even non-fans know about the beards), Francis immediately looks a little out of place. One glance above, and the whole upper balcony section was alive with movement. As if to say they weren’t under pressure, they rolled right into “Got Me Under Pressure” to get the audience up and shaking. Before taking their places, Gibbons and Francis paid their respects to what was presumably a Dusty Hill shrine positioned in front of the stage left wall of Magnatone amps. In an instant, the three members of ZZ Top appeared. Besides, there were hundreds of phone cameras already documenting the night. Assuming nearly every one of the nearly 5,000 seats in the spectacular Opry House provided an optimal view, ZZ Top was all about the moment without the visual aides and big screens. In the past, the band showed a propensity for theatrics, from having live animals on stage to featuring an array of videos, fairly standard today. The set-up for ZZ Top was rather simple by previous standards. I don’t think it’s the last we’ll hear from them. “Hillbilly Rich,” lifted up by a video that caught Charlie Sheen’s attention and lead to future collaboration, also made the cut, showcasing the range of a relatively young band. ![]() Then, out of the blue, Montana and company took Dire Straits’ “Money For Nothing” for a spin and exceeded the speed limit. The team made it their theme song, which received full MLB support and earned Montana thousands of new fans.Īnother Gibbons collaboration called “Weed And Whiskey” seem to resonate well. The song received national exposure when its accompanying video included the Boston Red Sox during their drive to win the 2013 World Series. Tonight’s set included “Be A Cowboy,” with a generous rub of country flavoring, and the catchy “This Beard Came Here To Party,” a 2013 single that featured Billy Gibbons. They’re raring to push beyond a simple label, aligning a modern country music salvo with a southern rock swagger. The band - Montana, Brown, guitarist Kyle Rife, drummer Brian Wolff, and bassist Bryce Paul - are firmly entrenched in the Kid Rock and Blackberry Smoke school with indirect nods to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young. The singer has deep ties with Gibbons, which probably helped him land the opening slot, though the arena-sized chops crossed with the elegant harmonies featuring Montana and backing singer/acoustic guitarist Molly Brown won over the packed home of the Grand Ole Opry. Hill’s absence was noticeable, but the show goes on.īefore ZZ Top played, Nashville-based Tim Montana and his band, the Shrednecks, served up a piping hot set of country flavored rock with a sharp edge. Tonight at the Opry House in Nashville, Francis was there with guitarist Billy Gibbons and drummer Frank Beard, playing ZZ Top’s iconic hits, slathered up nicely with blues-tearing detours, segues and bridges. In the midst of the tour, the group’s guitar technician, Elwood Francis, stepped in for Hill. Then, just as the group was swinging back into action in 2021, bassist and co-vocalist Dusty Hill died on July 28, 10 days after his final gig with ZZ Top. It was supposed to be a celebration of the group’s 50 years together - all three originals members still out there, having a ball playing their unique style of Texas-sized blues-based rock. Like everyone else, ZZ Top’s touring schedule was derailed in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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