Denise and I went to see ZZ Top last night in Austin.

Or really, in Bee Caves, west of Austin. The old Backyard, where we saw lots of fun concerts, has been move3d to a new plot of land, north of the old site. This was the inaugural concert at the new site, so it was kind of a big deal.



Of course, before we headed for bee Caves, we headed down to North Austin and enjoyed a meal at our favorite Tex-Mex place, Pappasito's. I won't bore you with the details, but you can get the gist of it all by casting your longing gaze on my Brochette Shrimp. Plump, succulent wonders, stuffed with cheese and a slice of pepper, wrapped in bacon and grilled. Then dipped in a white wine and butter sauce that's so sinfully good it could make the Pope wanna suck a... Er, never mind.



After finishing our meal, we headed out on 71 towards Bee Caves. Then it was just a short stop at a local Mikky D's to get final directions (No, I didn't look it up on the web. Where the hell is the fun in that?), and we were there. And we weren't alone ether. The traffic goin' into the place was the big giveaway. "Uh, honey, I think we found the place." The web site says they have plenty of parking. Uh, yea, if you get there early. Be warned.



The lead-up band, Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights, came on at 8PM, while the sun was still up. There was a nice breeze blowing, cooling us off, but it would have been nice if they'd let some of us old folks bring in folding chairs.

Jonathan Tyler and his band put on a decent show. There's a huge Black Crowes vibe goin' on there, and I mean that in the best way. It'll be interesting so see them mature in time. After they finished, there was a half hour or so between shows. I spent most of that time in line to get our second round of drinks.

Then, as I got back to Denise, ZZ Top came on stage and began their show.



As I stood back on the lawn with Denise, it seemed the boys were starting out slow. Almost on slow motion. maybe it was the fact that they're just starting out on this new tour. I think this was their third show so far this tour. Who knows. It was probably just me.



However, when I moved closer down to the stage, to get some better pictures, the pace of the show quickened. The guys seemed to begin to have some fun, bustin' into some of the old routines, with Gibbons and Dusty Hill groovin' in sync with the beat.



They went through the whole range of the fan favorites, and tossed in some old blues tunes just for fun. In the end, they closed with Viva Las Vegas, La Grange and Tush. It was wonderful!

If you guys ever get the chance, check out these three old dudes from Texas. You won't be disappointed. Cheers.

Hows about a little rock and roll PT on the weekend.

If yer head don't start bangin' on that one... Ya probably need a bit more medication. Pat Travers was HUGE when I was in high school in the late 70s. Ya never hear about him any more, but he lives on. Here's another called "Steivie", in case you dig it.



Gettin' myself psyched up to see ZZ Top tonight at the Bell County Expo center. I'm Purposely not listening to ZZ before I go. Should be fun. I'll tell ya how it went later.

Update: Well, that was a good time. They had a lead up band, another power trio, but they were nothing to write home about. One day maybe, if they mature, and get a better sound guy. These dudes played for about 25 minutes, and then there was a 10 minute interlude/smoke break, so that ZZs gear could be set up. The boys came out to the cheers of the crowd, and played their asses off for about an hour and twenty minutes. Too many hits and great lesser known tunes to list here. Some of the favorites were Waitin' For The Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago, Beer drinkers and Hell Raisers, Just Got Paid, I'm bad - I'm Nationwide, Cheap sunglasses, Fool For Your Stockings, Pearl Necklace, Got me Under Pressure, Sharp Dressed Man, Legs, and even a new sounding remake of Viva Las Vegas. They walked off for a little break, and then came back and did a 20 minute medley of La Greange and Tush, with some free flowing jams tucked in there for good measure. It was a great night.

The crowd favorites were Jesus Just Left Chicago, Pearl Necklace, Sharp dressed Man (for which they donned their traditional white furry guitars), and finally the La Grange/Tush medley. After everything let go, it took us about 30 minutes to get out of the parking lot. What a cluster fuck! Then it was green lights all the way home. There were a few tunes I wished they'd have played, like Blue Jean Blues, but I can't complain. For a $40 ticket, I think I got the best show I could hope for. I thought I caught a whiff of something illicit once, but it was probably some woman's perfume. Lots of beer was sold inside the dome, which may go to explain why it took so long for everyone to get out of the parking lot. Anyway, it was a great time. If they come by your area, I'd advise you to pony up the change and see them. They play better than most of the crap that passes for rock and roll music these days, and that's a fact.

Here's alittle taste, from a 2003 concert.



He used that same guitar this evening, among others.