SHOW REVIEW BY DAVID TAYLOR and PHOTOS BY ROBERT A CHADWICK | Go Venue Magazine
Friday nights are always a great night for a rock show and on Friday, September 17, Texas rockers ZZ Top made a tour stop at Stir Cove in Council Bluffs. These legendary rockers made it a perfect night to just let your hair and/or beard down.
It takes a lot of guts to continue touring after losing a member from death, and that is what ZZ Top did. Long-time bassist Dusty Hill passed away almost two months ago, and the band knew he would wanted them to continue without him. They are a working-class band and the show must go on. I must say, guitarist Billy Gibbons, at the ripe age of 71, can still rip up a guitar. His effortless playing made his performance more enjoyable. One of the last true rock stars out there still. The replacement for Dusty Hill was Dusty’s bass tech, Elwood Francis, who paid proper tribute to Dusty, incorporated his choreographed stage movements with Gibbons. And drummer Frank Beard hit the skins hard with his unique drum sound, heavy and thick. The crowd sounded like they were having a great time, loving the mix of country, blues, and rock n’ roll. They ended the concert playing tribute to their fallen brother, Dusty Hill, by playing along to a record of the last time Dusty Hill sang the song, “Tush”, live. I do hope ZZ Top gets to end their run of playing music on their own terms. It seems like Billy and Frank are still having fun out there. Go see ZZ Top live when they’re in town because they still got it!
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