I would imagine those first shows with Elwood were emotional. We’re crazy characters, almost cartoon-like, but at the bottom of it, we’re all very dedicated and serious on the musical level. It’s kind of an interesting twist, but the balance remains. He’s been a solid standby for over three decades." He is adding to five decades of a rather serious side of making loud sounds. He said, “Listen, if I’m late getting back to the gig, make sure that Elwood, our guitar technician, wraps his hands around my guitar.” I said, “Okay.” He said, “Look, he’s more than a family member. When he was feeling a bit out of sorts, he requested going to see his physician. Not only was he a great performer and a great friend, he had a thread of wisdom. You and Frank have made an admirable transition, the way you've moved forward with Elwood. Watch ZZ Top Perform 'La Grange' at Gruene Hall I think that’s the best way to describe it. We decided to take a stab at it as nothing more than interpreters. Lord knows, the great American art form that the blues to this day remains was established long before we started. How do you connect the eras and the diversity of things like "Just Got Paid" compared to "Sharp Dressed Man," from your perspective?Īlthough we’ve been tagged as a blues rock band, we took that blues piece as interpreters. That part of it has not changed and maybe it’s a good balance! ![]() You can have a humorous experience going out with a ZZ Top night and the underlying tone is very serious. I think that measure of seriousness is a good balance that exists even today. But coming from Houston as well as Frank and Dusty coming from Dallas, we had a very strict set of guidelines as we were learning how to play and perform. One being the rather eccentric and weirdly odd perception that kind of unfolded with the weird beards and funny hats, kind of out of step with trends of fashion. Just recently, we were kind of reflecting on the two sides of ZZ Top. The album really gives good context to the unique eras of ZZ Top and how it all fits together. Even today, we have a fond memory of those humble beginnings. We have the ‘Certified Blues.’” That was an inspiration. I said, “Well, that pretty much carves it in stone. They had a decrepit neon sign and the only word that was lit up was the word “certified.” In the middle of nowhere, we certainly had the blues. As we were crossing the desert sands, way out in West Texas, we passed a gas station. We had booked some recording time at a studio on the West Coast. We were going out to California early on. " Certified Blues" is not one that finds its way into a set list very often. Things worked out pretty much as they’ve always been, three guys just thrashing around. We were just knocking around, pretty much like we started. We started playing as the cameramen were getting their gear in place. So in addition to posing for a photograph, we decided to put the guitars to work and let Frank take the drum stand. It now serves as a grand resonating speaker box. That place has been there so long, every speck of sawdust in that crazy wooden structure has rattled into place. They went ahead and set up the entire stage with equipment – which to our delight, happened to be at Gruene Hall. Upon arrival, we discovered that no one had told our crew and technicians that this was simply an exercise for a photograph session. Initially, we were under the impression that Sam wanted to take a snapshot of us three guys with a backdrop of a place that might suggest elements of where ZZ Top got its beginnings, humble as that may be. I have to give credit to Sam Dunn, who was the director of the film. The fact that you were able to record these performances at Gruene Hall is pretty great. Watch ZZ Top Perform 'Brown Sugar' at Gruene Hall ![]() He discussed the new release and the emotional experience of moving forward with Francis, while also sharing some humorous memories of Willie Nelson in advance of their concerts together this summer. We spoke with Gibbons in the midst of ZZ Top's ongoing tour as they were preparing to play a show in Tucson. Diehards will appreciate the many priceless moments put to tape, from the Texas shuffle of "Thunderbird" to the beer-drenched guitar licks of songs like "Blue Jean Blues." ZZ Top runs through a loose collection of classics, while also pushing deeper into the depths of their catalog to pull out lesser-heard tracks like "Certified Blues" and "Brown Sugar," both from 1971's ZZ Top's First Album. The set was recorded at the time of the band's 2019 documentary, That Little Ol' Band From Texas, at Gruene Hall – the longest running live music venue and dance hall in Texas. Raw, a new live album, will be released on July 8. First, they're taking things back to the beginning in a way that's fitting for a group more than five decades removed from the release of their debut album.
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