In Wayzata, he went hatless, showing off his freewheeling cloud of Brillo-y curls, pushed backed by a red headband that matched Gibbons' kerchief. Like Gibbons, he's toothpick thin, with the requisite cheap sunglasses and beard - silver compared with Gibbons' strawberry blond. Gibbons' raspy voice was often coarse but still effective, sounding suitably macabre on a bluesy reading of the country classic "16 Tons."īeard was once again solid on his big kit with its two bass drums.įrancis, whom Hill tapped as his successor, is a 30-year member of the ZZ Top family. Overall, this concert was 100% more satisfying than ZZ Top's last Twin Cities gig, at the 2019 State Fair, when the trio seemed rushed because of an impending rainstorm.Īs always, Gibbons was in command on guitar, delivering licks in various mutated styles of the blues - Delta, Texas, Chicago, heavy, fast, slow, boogie, shuffle, gritty - and even punkish Chuck Berryesque riffs on "Pearl Necklace." In fact, the band seemed refreshed, which was noticeable on the opening "Got Me Under Pressure," a 1983 MTV hit, when Gibbons and Francis grooved together.įrom the jump, this was a winning night. There was nothing sad about the Rock Hall of Famers' appearance Friday night at the Wayzata Beach Bash less than two months after Hill's passing. With longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis stepping out on bass, ZZ Top still has three distinctive beards with frontman Billy Gibbons and Francis, as well as clean-shaven drummer Frank Beard. Watch ZZ Top perform “Brown Sugar” and “La Grange” live at Gruene Hall (from the film That Little Ol’ Band From Texas) below.Bass man Dusty Hill had the beard, shades and hat that visually defined ZZ Top.Īfter he died on July 28, there was no question that the little ol' blues band from Texas - which had never had a personnel change in 52 years - would continue. It’s a calling that has us grinning from start to finish.” If that’s the direction, I gotta take it.'”Īsked about the band’s plans to put out new music beyond Raw, Gibbons said making new music “would be an interesting excursion into the unknown-particularly with Elwood holding down the bottom end.” He continued, “We’ve got the makings of a band that is partially the tried-and-true longstanding experience with something so fresh, and kind of uncharted territory that’s being broken. It was, ‘Hey Elwood, grab the guitar.’ He said, ‘Okay, listen, I’m the hired gun. Elwood grabbed Dusty’s hat and placed it on the microphone and made sure that there was a point of relation through the whole night. “To Elwood’s credit, he made certain that Dusty was in an ethereal sense still present during the experience. “The emotions were running high,” he said. Gibbons described the emotional tone of the band’s first shows without Dusty. We’re crazy characters, almost cartoon-like, but at the bottom of it, we’re all very dedicated and serious on the musical level.”įrancis has already performed live with ZZ Top. 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.
Asked about the transition, Gibbons said it was Dusty who recommended Francis for the position. The band also has plans to work on new music with Elwood Francis, who served as the outfit’s guitar tech for over 30 years, on bass. Due to be released on July 8th, the album will feature a mix of classic tunes and lesser-heard songs like “Certified Blues” and “Brown Sugar”, both from the band’s 1971 debut, ZZ Top’s First Album. The band will first release a new live album, Raw, which was recorded with Dusty during the making 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. Gibbons announced in an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock. ZZ Top has plans to put out new music with the band’s longtime guitar technician Elwood Francis filling in for the late Dusty Hill, who passed away in 2021, guitarist Billy F.
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