ZZ Top performing at Musikfest 2015. [© Matt Bishop Photo for The Rock Revival]
(TRR) – Last night fans gathered at
Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA to watch iconic rock trio ZZ Top. After having to cancel their headlining appearance last summer due to illness, The Little Ol’ Band from Texas returned as promised and delivered a solid night of southern rock infused with some new wave stylings.
They band is still touring in support of their latest effort La Futura, which peaked at #6 on the Billboard Top 200 back in 2012. Although the record is a few years old now, the band has obviously built up a massive catalog of hits and fan favorites over their 40-year career. And despite getting older, ZZ Top showed no signs of slowing down with their hefty 18-song set on the Sands Steel Stage.
ZZ Top performing at Musikfest 2015. [© Matt Bishop Photo for The Rock Revival]
They got off to a running start with
“Got Me Under Pressure,” and immediately launched into their heavy blues double-track
“Waitin’ For The Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago.” Other highlights included
“Gimmie All Your Lovin’,” “I’m Bad, “I’m Nationwide,” “My Head’s In Mississippi,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” the seminal
“Cheap Sunglasses,” and many more. They threw in a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s
“Foxy Lady” as well. As not to be some washed-up act from yesteryear relying on their old hits, ZZ Top played three tracks from their latest
La Futura – “Chartreuse,” “Flyin’ High,” and the album’s lead single
“I Gotsta Get Paid.”
ZZ Top performing at Musikfest 2015. [© Matt Bishop Photo for The Rock Revival]
The band returned for an encore at the audiences’ insistence. They cranked out classic mega-hits “La Grange” and “Tush,” and the crowd went wild (as if they hadn’t been for the last hour and a half.) They finally closed the curtain with a second encore of
“Sixteen Tons” – a Merle Travis cover. Blues bars and badass guitars, ZZ Top still gots it.
ZZ Top have been rocking strong for over 40 years together. The band formed in Houston, TX in 1969 and released their debut album in 1971. To date, the band has released 15 studio albums that have produced countless hit rock anthems.
ZZ Top performing at Musikfest 2015. [© Matt Bishop Photo for The Rock Revival]
From 1983-1990, ZZ Top enjoyed their greatest commercial success, infusing elements of new wave, punk, and synth-pop into their bluesy riff-rock. The band released three albums in this span –
Eliminator, Afterburner, and
Recycler – all of which debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard Top 200.
The band’s music videos for “Legs”, “Rough Boy”, and“Sharp Dressed Man” all garnered MTV Video Music Awards for the band. With 13 multi-platinum albums, and 1 diamond album, ZZ Top have sold over 25 million albums sold in the U.S. alone. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
ZZ Top performing at Musikfest 2015. [© Matt Bishop Photo for The Rock Revival]
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About Matt Bishop
Welcome to the Revival of rock 'n' roll music. The way you used to hear rock, see rock, and feel rock is going to be shattered into a million pieces, reassembled, and revived. Dive into the realm of rock with interviews, concert coverage, and breaking news that make the music seem real again - in your ears, in your mind, and right in front of your very eyes. You'll feel the cool steel of the guitar strings and the smooth wood grain of the drum sticks right in your hands, all with the echoes of reverb in your head. This is the way rock was supposed to be experienced. Welcome to the Revival of rock 'n' roll music.
