What About ZZ Top?

ZZ Top have been around awhile.

Ok, so they've been around...forever. Since 1969 in fact. The band is good, classic American rock. Many of their songs are radio standards, especially "La Grange" and "Sharp Dressed Man..." but does this make them festival relevant in 2009?

Sweden Rock Festival thinks so. ZZ Top will play Sweden Rock 09, one of the biggest festivals in the world.

I guess I never really thought about ZZ Top as headlining a U.S. festival. I know the band is still quite active and performs regularly...they are just never on my radar. To be fair and completely honest, ZZ Top are not on my "ten favorite bands of all time" list. In fact, they are pretty far down that sacred list.

Since we're slowly learning of all the summer tours and festivals, I figured we might as well discuss ZZ Top. Should the band play Rocklahoma? Rock Gone Wild? South Texas Rock Fest? None of the above?

Here's my thing: Rock Gone Wild isn't pigeonholed into a single genre of rock - the acts can cross genres. South Texas is sort of like that but Rocklahoma is really heavy into the 80s thing. ZZ Top had some of the biggest hits in the 80s, so in that respect I guess it fits. Plus, UFO played last year and they formed at the end of the 1960s, too. I guess if push comes to shove, hearing "Tush" live at Rocklahoma wouldn't suck - after all, it's certainly better than Triumph.

Thoughts on the Texas boys? I've never seen ZZ Top live, so if they did headline a summer festival, that would be another band on my list!

Comments

[Rob Rockitt, Hardrockhideout.com]

Rumor has it, ZZTop will be on tour with Aerosmith this summer. =)

[Rob Rockitt, Hardrockhideout.com]

Oh, and I think they would be a great fit for RGW.

Rocklahoma seems to be a lot more hair metal this year, and I am not sure they would work on that bill.

[don]

rocklahoma is supposed to be hair metal but they deviated from that last year to go half 70s aor. i've seen zz and no way should they play rocklahoma. maybe some of the others festivals would be okay though.

[Christian]

I agree - I saw the live DVD that ZZ Top did recently and they are not as boring as Triumph, but still not a good fit for ROK, at all.

[Pat]

They're also headlining Download in the UK with Def Leppard and Whitesnake. Motley and Tesla (!) are playing Download this year too, which is impossibly awesome.. :)

[MotleyCrue666]

i dont like them but they r doing that big show with buckcherry

[Christine Sixx]

I saw ZZ Top a few months ago when my friends Blackberry Smoke opened up for them (and they're playing at my wedding too! Yippee!). I didn't know what to expect, but I was certainly surprised. They sounded amazing and it was a really great show. Perhaps they're not a perfect fit for Rocklahoma, but these boys are rock legends and I'd be stoked to see them on just about any bill.

[Damnp78]

I agree with Christine. ZZ are classic and would be great to see on any bill.

Ally- a truly sad day today losing rock legend Randy Rhoads. BTW, note the spelling of the last name.

[kari]

Great band with great songs but live....boring boring boring!no energy whatsoever, I sat through them once and never again! Definately not a fit for any big ROCK festival unless you want a huge buzzkill.

[Lucifer]

I've never been fans of ZZ Top.
Just dont like their music.

[Rhodeislandrock - Heavy Metal Addiction]

ZZ Top has been successful through their entire career but they hit their zenith of fame with MTV exposure. I had MTV since it started and when I saw the Sharp Dressed Man video I was hooked. It was a combination of great music and image that made them one of the biggest bands of the '80s.

They were great in the '70s and '80s but they got lost in the shuffle in the mid-90s and they have put some great albums out since their last big record Recycler (1990). I think they would be great on ANY festival here in the U.S.

Steve
Heavy Metal Addiction
http://hardrockheavymetal.wordpress.com/

[Bob]

I've seen ZZ live many times, the first being back in 1980. the thing about ZZ is that they can totally still bring it live from a musical standpoint, but they don't do any flashy stage shows or stuff like that. Musically, they'll blow away just about any reformed hair band at any festival, but some people will probably find them boring because they're not theatrical in any way.

[Valeroscanebunul]

am mancat cacat!

[Da]

ZZ TOP NOT THEATRICAL!?! Well, maybe not that word but the one word that does come to mind is cool. They don't need a flash bang - the amps do that. They don't need frilly scarfs, the three knockouts with them have those. All they need is what they got, more cool than anything this rotten music scene has to offer. They're still here because they were BETTER!

[Ted Henry]

ZZ Top have been cool for decades. Put them on any bill near my house and I'll be there.