Sometimes, the best way to carry on is to put on your sparkly jacket, strap on your furry guitar and get back to work.
ZZ Top played its first hometown show at the Woodlands Pavilion on Saturday night since the death of drummer Frank Beard in August. It was a bright and brisk set, 90 minutes from start to finish against a graffiti backdrop, rotating skateboards and stacks of colorful Magnatone amps.
Billy Gibbons is the only remaining member of ZZ Top’s classic lineup. Dusty Hill, the band’s bassist, died in 2021 and was replaced by guitar tech Elwood Francis. Drummer Michael Monahan has taken over Beard’s duties. The current trio was animated and joyful, a fitting way to honor that little ol’ band’s legacy.
“I guess all this humidity made my hair get straight,” Gibbons said as he tugged at his beard. “This is the hometown, you know. We were in New York City, I said, I’m about a quart low on hot sauce. Don’t worry, you’re going down to Houston.”
Gibbons then relayed his experience earlier in the day at a nearby farm, where he had a run-in with “50 baby piglets.” His spot-on squeal was a highlight of the night.
The trio made no mention of Beard but they didn’t need to. His and Hill’s legacies are forever woven into the band’s blues-boogie blueprint. Gibbons and Francis have their own quirky chemistry, like two daddy longlegs, shuffling onstage together and moving their guitars in sync. They wore custom Western jackets adorned with sparkling, traditional Mexican folk-art embroidery and matching shoes. Sharp-dressed men, indeed.
They zipped through the setlist, with almost no breaks between songs. Opener “Got Me Under Pressure” led into “I Thank You,” which segued into “Waitin’ for the Bus” and “Jesus Just Left Chicago.”
The band’s MTV era still crackles with pop energy. “Gimme All Your Lovin’” was stretched out for several extra minutes of searing guitar work. “Sharp Dressed Man” earned the night’s biggest cheers of recognition. “Legs” remains as irresistible as ever, thanks to that wicked synth-bass groove.
The trio cheerily faked its way through a few goodbyes, returning for “Brown Sugar” and “Tube Snake Boogie,” offering one more tease with “Thunderbird” and finally, truly closing with “La Grange.” It was efficient, energetic and exactly what will keep the ZZ machine running for several more years.