Who Is On Tour With Zz Top?
There is currently a Raw Whisky Tour going on, which began in May 2022 and ended in December 2022 for ZZ Top Tickets. Zack, The rock band was formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas, with Billy Gibbons as the guitarist and vocalist, Dusty Hill on bass guitar and vocals, and Frank Beard on drums. These three men with magnificent beards are the members of the band that became world famous thanks to songs such as Sharp Dressed Man, Legs, Gimme All Your Lovin, and La Grange.
Although ZZ Top has had a rather stable lineup since 1970, when Frank Beard joined the ranks, the band was hit by a big blow in 2021 when Dusty Hill, the band's longtime bassist, died at 72. On the same note, ZZ Top suspended its touring schedule, at least for a while, last year to honor Hill. However, Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard knew the best way they could pay tribute to their bandmate, who was no longer alive, was to keep creating the kind of rock music ZZ Top is famous for. Thus, the Raw Whisky Tour took place in 2022 with the participation of its new bassist.
It was not easy to try to replace a rock icon, more so a legendary figure like Dusty Hill. However, ZZ Top lucked into Elwood Francis, who was the ideal man for the job. Unlike the famous Gibbons or Hill, Francis is another professional bass guitarist who was born in Dallas, Texas. This young man has been performing with various bands in the past three decades and has been doing his live performances throughout America and Europe. Francis even once played at the famous motorcycle rally called the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Knowing that he's been performing on stage for many years, he's the right man to accompany ZZ Top on such a big tour.
Popa has also claimed that in live interviews, Billy Gibbons has credited Francis for memorizing their entire discography and for integrating into the band perfectly. The bearded bassist resembles Dusty Hill both in appearance and with the ability to sing, therefore maintaining the appearance of ZZ Top. From all the concert venues on the many dates of the Raw Whisky Tour, all reviews have been positive as ZZ Top performs songs from their classic albums and album cuts for diehard fans. Regardless of whether Dusty Hill can ever be replaced, Francis offers ZZ Top support to continue rocking without losing the beat.
To promote the Raw Whisky Tour, ZZ Top created the concept of performing in one city for a week, just as Las Vegas performers do. On every route, ZZ Top produces a number of concerts at a specific location, rather than concentrating on a single day. This gives them a chance to accommodate themselves and perhaps play more songs. Until now, they have performed multiple shows in a single night in places like Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Akron, Ohio. They also have many other plans until the end of 2022.
The next show destinations for the Raw Whisky Tour are Raw Whisky's six performances in Chicago in late October. ZZ Top is scheduled to perform in Washington State in early November, with two performances in Seattle and one in Spokane. At the end of that month, four shows in total are performed in Milwaukee and Green Bay, Wisconsin. They also recently released a newly added string of West Coast dates in December, where they will play three shows, respectively, in Las Vegas and Indio California.
The Raw Whisky Tour fans are in for a treat, as they will be treated to a performance of a setlist of all hit songs from ZZ Top. These shows normally start with Got Me Under Pressure by the band from their 1983 Eliminator album. Other songs often played are Gimme All Your Lovin, Sharp Dressed Man, and Legs, which also feature solos by Elwood Francis. Some of the more well-known songs, even ones that originated early in the band's career, like I Thank You, Waiting for the Bus, and Jesus Just Left Chicago, are played in sets, and so too are encores, which include La Grange and Tush, although some of the multi-night stands afford ZZ Top the luxury of changing some of the deeper cuts played.
Billy Gibons is said to sing as powerfully and play guitar as ferociously as he did 10 years ago, as evidenced by the reviews given of his performances. Frank Beard continues playing the drums and is perhaps one of the most vital components that help maintain the momentum of the group as the band's drummer. As for Elwood Francis, who takes over Dusty Hill's position, he is equally good at laying down the familiar bass lines for all ZZ Top enthusiasts. It is still evident that the chemistry is there, and the band, after going over fifty years of its formation, still enjoys touring.
To be precise, the Raw Whisky Tour is named after the collaboration that ZZ Top has with Tim Montana's American Whiskey. In the latest show clips, it is very common to see Gibbons on the mic stand wearing a whiskey bottle, and he often crams it. Although the name ZZ Top is connected with the point of having fun, the abbreviation raw™ here refers to the band's roots in blues. While the blues is reminiscent of the band's youth, ZZ Top may refine the genre with perfect pop hooks while maintaining something more primal.
Let us hope that the Raw Whisky Tour still goes on, providing new fans with the ZZ Top music style. Their fusion of rock, blues, and humor is eternally amazing, and somehow they never get bored of it. The latest tour involving Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard, and Elwood Francis confirms that ZZ Top is still able to pack arenas, half a century since the band's conception. With the new bassist now in place, ZZ Top is looking forward to continuing their long-bearded, hot-rod rockin™ blues into the next millennium. If you want to have a fun night with these legends and be a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, you should attend a show on this tour.
