Rock & Roll Hall of Famers ZZ Top brought back southern rock to Nashville’s historical music venue Grand Ole Opry.
Tim Montana from Butte, MT opened the night with a bang. To engage the audience, he put a country twist and twang on Eminem’s song ”Lose Yourself.” He managed to get the sit-down concert to stand and let loose. The singer had an accident earlier this August and his career was saved by a Vanderbilt doctor who had been invited to the show. He spoke very highly of the doctor and showed the audience how truly thankful he was. Acoustic guitarist, Molly Brown’s father had flown in from Canada to watch his daughter perform at the Grand Ole Opry. It was a heartwarming moment to see how proud the father was of his daughter.
As the band asked the Grand Ole Opry if they knew of the band prior to the concert, there were mixed murmurs around the crowd. They went on to explain that they owe their success to actor Charlie Sheen who directed the music video for the song ”Mostly Stoned.” The video has since gone viral, racking up millions of views and measuring this year at almost 3.5 million views. Prior to playing the song, singer Tim Montana spoke of how he grew up in a very religious home and how his mother does not approve of this specific song.
Throughout their set, the members of the audience were taken by the genuine charisma radiating from the band. Tim Montana definitely got a number of new fans for the night. Their fantastic musicianship showed, and they will definitely be more recognized after this tour with ZZ Top. They ended their set by wishing Nashville a Happy Thanksgiving.
During the intermission, you could tell that a lot of families have gathered in time for the holidays and went on an outing together as a family to explore the wonderful town of Nashville. The anticipation was thick in the air as everyone waited for ZZ Top to start. Drinks were flowing, and the concession stands were busy hustling out slices of pizza, pretzels, and more to satisfy hungry guests.
As the lights dimmed and ZZ Top went out on stage, the crowd went wild. Not a single soul sat down in their seats for another three songs. The fans were intense and showed their deep-poured love for the band. As it was late Dusty Hills wishes for the band to continue touring after his death, long-time guitar tech Elwood Francis has stepped in to fill his shoes. Elwood Francis has gracefully taken his place, and it shows that he was trying not to take up too much space on stage. However, Francis’ musicianship was impeccable, and his solo during ”Waitin’ for the Bus” showed the crowd that this is where he belongs. He may have had big shoes to fill, but he does fit in on the stage.
ZZ Top really showed why Grand Ole Opry is such a historical venue. Hearing the audience chanting the lyrics back to the band, the reverb was phenomenal. It was mesmerizing to watch all ages enjoy the concert. Singer Billy Gibbons has such a powerful voice that there is no need for him to move around on the stage. The multitude of guitar solos made the crowd go wild and roar with excitement.
Billy Gibbons said, ”I don’t remember what I did for the past year and a half, but I know what I didn’t do. I didn’t cut the grass.” The crowd laughed heartily at the joke. During the song ”I Gotsta Get Paid,” they did some improv solos and the audience ate it up. With the coordinated glitter jackets and pants, you can tell that ZZ Top is that cherry on top. They brought the extra details making their concerts so much more memorable. Even the drum kit stand had engraved Zs and so did their light-up mic stands. ”If you wanna sing along, just shout it out!” mentioned Billy Gibbons, and the screams were deafening.
The final song ”Tush” was dedicated to the late Dusty Hill, and it was actually a prerecorded tape from the last show he ever did with ZZ Top prior to his passing. It was an emotional end to the night, but the crowd was dancing up and down the aisles.
To sum it up, ZZ Top truly brought southern rock back to Grand Ole Opry. The fantastic details in clothing and music gear showed why they are Rock & Roll Hall of Famers. It was nice to see how a concert can bring so many families together for the holidays.
ZZ TOP
Website Facebook Twitter
