And the results are in!

ZZ Top Fans Vote on Rare Tracks for Harley Show

Over the past few weeks, die-hard ZZ Top fans have been participating in an online poll to choose their favorite “rare” live tracks in the hope that the band will play one or more of those tracks live at the Harley Davidson 105th Anniversary show in Milwaukee on August 29th, or on the band’s upcoming “In Your Face” intimate theater tour. The results are in, and thousands of fans have spoken. The top-five tracks are: 1) Whiskey’n Mama; 2) She’s A Heartbreaker; 3) Balinese; 4) Beverly Hillbillies Theme; and 5) Pan Am Highway Blues.

The idea for the poll originated with long-time fan Ken Wysocki, who runs an unofficial fan blog at www.zztopeurope2007.blogspot.com. Wysocki, who has seen ZZ Top play live more than 40 times in at least 14 different states, first came up with the idea for the poll while discussing the band’s set list on an Internet mailing list. While the casual ZZ Top fan loves to hear their classic mega-hits like “Legs” and “Sharp Dressed Man,” hard-core fans have been clamoring for years to hear more obscure tracks played live. The Top’s legendary 1993 show at the 90th Harley Davidson bash featured a number of rare tunes, and Wysocki and other fans are hoping for a repeat this year: “I know that the band has always played the songs they wanted to play, but this is a great opportunity for fans to let the band know that we’d love to hear some really rare tunes at this show, just like we did 15 years ago,” said Wysocki. “And even if we don’t hear anything unusual at the Harley show, the band’s unique “In Your Face” theater tour, which starts in September, will be another opportunity to showcase some different tunes for us long-time fans.”

While other bands, such as the Scorpions, have formally asked their fans to help pick their set lists, this poll is purely unofficial. “Yeah, who knows if anyone will listen to us,” says Wysocki, “but it never hurts to try. And I hope the band appreciates how strongly its fans feel about some of the great older tunes. We love hearing ‘Legs’ and ‘LaGrange’ live, but hearing ‘Whiskey’n Mama’ or ‘Heartbreaker’ would blow our minds. Hell yeah.”

Hell yeah indeed!

For more information, please contact: zztopeurope2007@yahoo.com

ZZ Top Set List Poll To End This Week

OK, in order to get the results for the poll we are running to who we need to get them to, we have to end the set list poll this week. We have kept only the top 20 songs and the rules are still the same:

Vote as often as you want, for as many songs as you want.

We will name an official winner and will send the top five songs to the band.

Goin' Down to Mexico???

OK, we were just checking out the ZZ Top set lists at Pete Z's site and here is what he has listed for August 9:

Auburn, Washington - White River Amphitheatre (August 9 2008) - Got Me Under Pressure, Gimme All Your Lovin, Waitin for the Bus, Jesus Just Left Chicago, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide, I Need You Tonight, Goin Down to Mexico, Just Got Paid, Sharp Dressed Man, Legs, La Grange, Tush, Tube Snake Boogie (w/Brooks & Dunn), Jailhouse Rock. (Thanks to the Tacoma Washington News Tribune)

Soooo, which one of these is not like the others? How about Goin' Down To Mexico? Seriously, did they actually play that? Because I don't think they've ever played that in, like, ever...if they're playing a song that we don't know the words to you know it's a rare one. Can someone please confirm that they played this? If so, let's hope they keep it in the set list.

Who started the ZZ Top International Fan Club (ZZTIFC)?

Well, according to this article, it was someone named Donna Greene!

Press release for ZZ Top Fall 2008 theater tour

Here is the official press release for the new tour. NOTE: These dates conflict with some dates that have already been announced, so either those dates are wrong, or this release is wrong. Or both. Anyway:

August 8, 2008
ZZ TOP IN YOUR FACE THIS FALL!!
INTIMATE VENUE TOUR RECONNECTS ROCK HALL OF FAMERS WITH THEIR ROOTS

ZZ Top -- Billy F Gibbons, Frank Beard and Dusty Hill -- after touring and recording for the past 39 years and have decided to embark on a tour that will bring them even closer, literally, to their legions of fans. Kicking off in Wichita, KS on September 26, the ZZ Top In Your Face Tour will bring the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers to the kind of intimate venues they played much earlier in their tenure as rock's the longest running band with original personnel intact. For six weeks this fall, the trio forswears stadiums, areas and festivals for small theaters where they expect to connect very directly with their audience.

Guitarist Billy F Gibbons explains, "Earlier this year, because of a routing quirk, we accepted a 'fill-in' date at a little old theater in Knoxville. That experience reminded us of our roots, both in terms of a stripped-down, gut-bucket musical approach and the direct connection with the people who came to see us. So we said, 'why not do this on a more extended basis and have some real fun?'"

Though they've just come back from Europe where they played to monumental crowds at festivals in eight countries, the band was game to revisit the experience and, as bassist Dusty Hill puts it, "We figured it would be a kick to, so to speak, get in people's faces and the idea for this tour was born."

Drummer Frank Beard added, "To actually be able to see whole audience and interact with them like this is a throwback to our early days and who wouldn't want to go back in time?"

Earlier this year, at the Nokia Theatre in Dallas, the band was shot for the Eagle Vision DVD release Live From Texas that went on to debut at #1 on Billboard's music DVD chart the week it was released. The title has since returned to the top slot on that chart where it has stayed for two consecutive weeks. They are currently touring the U.S. with Brooks & Dunn packing arenas and sheds around the country. On September 9th, the anniversary of their breakthrough album, Eliminator, will be celebrated with the release of a special Collectors Edition of the RIAA-certified Diamond album (over 10 million units) by Warner Bros. through Rhino Entertainment.

The ZZ Top In Your Face Tour runs for six weeks this fall and brings the band to some major markets including Minneapolis, Nashville, Cleveland, St. Louis, Denver, Indianapolis and Kansas City and some much smaller locales where they haven't played in many years, including Grand Forks, ND; Fort Smith, AR, Huntington, WV and Sioux Falls, SD. A complete ZZ Top In Your Face Tour itinerary follows.

September 26 - Wichita, KS - Century II
September 27 - Ft. Smith, AR - Convention Hall
September 28 - Tulsa, OK - SpritBank Event Center
September 30 - St. Louis - Fox Theatre

October 1 - Kansas City, MO - Midland
October 3 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
October 4 - Huntington, WV - Keith-Albee Theatre
October 5 - Cleveland, OH - Allen Theatre
October 10 - Columbus, OH - Palace Theatre
October 11 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Centre
October 12 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside
October 17 - Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum
October 18 - Grand Forks, ND - Chester Fritz
October 19 - Sioux Falls, SD - Great Hall
October 22 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Hall
October 23 - Pullman, WA - Beasley Performing Arts Center
October 30 - Colorado Springs, CO - Pikes Peak Center
October 31 - Denver, CO- Paramount Theatre

November 1 - Amarillo, TX - Civic Center Auditorium

How much does it cost to book ZZ Top???

OK, we're adding lots of news stories today, here is an interesting oen that talks about the economics involved in booking live concerts, including the current ZZ tour:

http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x469172886/Will-state-fairs-1-million-lineup-be-worth-it

Tall tales from Billy...

...about a forest fire he helped to extinguish. Also mentions a gig they played with Slash in Las Vegas???

http://www.idahostatesman.com/entertainment/story/457315.html

Encore!

It looks like ZZ and Brooks and Dunn are doing an encore together on this tour!

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/music/articles/2008/08/03/20080803brooksanddunn.html

Life on the road is not always exciting..

The ZZ Top/Brooks * Dunn tour has started, and we are anxious to get any reports of the set list the boyzz are playing on this tour.

In the mean time, here is an odd little blurb from Carson City, Nevada, with a photo of the back of Pablo's head, and Dusty hauling some luggage into the Marriott:

http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20080804/NEWS/965753734/-1/HEALTH

ZZ Top Set List Poll

OK, the European Tour is over. The Brooks & Dunn tour is next followed by a nice theater tour. Please keep voting in the set list poll at the right. We need as many votes as possible!!!!!