Music Varia

ZZ Top bring their Texas boogie to Montreal

 

 

 

ZZ Top headlined the Bell Centre in Montreal on March 17, 2015 (Photo courtesy evenko)
ZZ Top headlined the Bell Centre in Montreal on March 17, 2015 (Photo courtesy evenko)

By Richard Burnett for Curtains Up

@bugsburnett

Some 6,000 of the faithful attended the March 17 concert by Texas boogie trio ZZ Top at the Bell Centre . But everybody was drinking and yakking so much  – even during the songs – that the place felt more like a Mississippi juke joint.

When guitarist Gibbons took the stage, he told the appreciative crowd that after fronting the legendary three-piece for 45 years, “We’re still the same three guys, same three chords.”

Many tried-and-true ZZ Top classics like Blue Jean Blues and Tubesnake Boogie didn’t make the 17-song setlist (including two encores), that’s how deep the band’s catalogue is. But many of their chestnuts were, from their 1970s blues (Jesus Just Left Chicago) to the synth-fueled 80s hits such as Legs, complete with spinning white-fur guitars. The biggest applause was reserved for the two staples that made ZZ Top MTV-era superstars, Gimme All Your Lovin’ and Sharp Dressed Man.

The band also did a sensational cover of the Jimi Hendrix classic Foxy Lady. Which was appropriate because Gibbons’ first band the Moving Sidewalks opened four dates for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Hendrix would later say Gibbons was the best guitar player in America and then gave him his pink Stratocaster. 

Gibbons masterful guitar playing and style also especially shone through on the band’s inspired cover of the Muddy Waters track Catfish Blues, every bit authentic as the original.

The band’s rhythm section remains solid. Drummer Frank Beard anchored the show like an unstoppable  freight train and, after 45 years, it was really fun to see the intimate camaraderie between Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill, especially during Cheap Sunglasses, where just a hand placed on a shoulder spoke volumes.

The last time ZZ Top headlined the Bell Centre, some folks complained the band’s 75-minute set was a wee bit short for the ticket price. This time the band clocked in around 75-80 minutes, but after they closed with Tush, everybody went home with smiles on their faces. It was that kind of show.

Set list:

  1. Got Me Under Pressure
  2. Waitin’ For the Bus
  3. Jesus Just Left Chicago
  4. Gimme All Your Lovin’
  5. I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide
  6. Pincushion
  7. I Gotsta Get Paid
  8. Flyin’ High
  9. Foxy Lady
  10. Catfish Blues
  11. Cheap Sunglasses
  12. My Head’s In Mississippi
  13. Chartreuse
  14. Sharp Dressed Man
  15. Legs

Encores:

    16. La Grange/ Sloppy Drunk/ Bar-B-Q

17. Tush

After their final encore, ZZ Top leave the stage - with their pet dog (Photo by Richard Burnett)
After their final encore, ZZ Top leave the stage – with their pet dog (Photo by Richard Burnett)

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