Woo. Top.

It was another weekend of nostalgia acts for me. On Friday, I went to see Sebadoh play in Houston; see Ramon's post for more details. Then on Saturday, I rushed back to Austin so that I could see ZZ Top. Yeah, that's right: ZZ Top. You got a problem with that?

If you're keeping score, I have seen both Joan Jett and ZZ Top in the last six months. And I don't think I ever mentioned that I also saw Thomas Dolby. So there you have it, somehow I went into an 80s timewarp when I moved Austin. And yes, I do have plans to see The Police in a couple months, thank you very much.

So, yeah, anyway back to ZZ Top. There was a time—well before I ever heard ZZ Top—that they made some pretty cool music. Sure, it was mostly limited to boogie blues, but as that stuff goes, Top was the top. And I guess they still are. I can't imagine liking anybody else playing that style of music—and believe you me there is plenty of it here in Austin—but I still quietly hum “La Grange” to myself every time I drive past the actual La Grange (which is often in the last few weeks). I understand they got a lot of nice girls out there.

Like most people my age, my introduction to ZZ Top was via MTV. Well, sort of. I had heard some the earlier stuff on classic rock radio occasionally before that, but since that wasn't current music, it didn't have a lot of resonance with me. ZZ Top may as well have been Steely Dan. Steely Dan never did MTV* so there was little chance that I would be able to think of them the same way that I thought about, say, Prince. The 80s were all about style over substance. It didn't matter so much what the music sounded like, so long as the people making it (or not making it) looked good. Nobody would ever accuse ZZ Top of being beautiful, but somehow with the beards, the cars, and the girls they made themselves into an MTV friendly package. And just like everybody else on MTV their music became dull and formulaic. I suppose that worked out well for them, though, as it's not likely that they would be playing to sellout crowds today had they never recorded Eliminator.

And how were they live? Well, they were the kitschy cartoon characters that you imagine they are. They still have the beards and the synchronized guitar moves. Billy is still wearing that strange hat that he took to wearing sometime in the 90s—the one that makes it look like he's got a short set of dreadlocks, very likely the only thing close to hair up there. Billy and Dusty have taken to wearing rhinestones on their Nudie suits. Frank looks bored and plays like it. Dusty doesn't sing so well anymore. Despite all that, they played hit after hit for a good hour and a half. Most bands are lucky to fill a set of 45 minutes with that much solid material.

Don't get me started on the audience. There is probably nothing sadder than a sea of lumpy middle aged white people all holding up their beers and cheering about looking for some tush. It seemed as though the whole audience was trying to prove that they've still got it. Woo!**

Here's the thing, though: ZZ Top seem to really enjoy playing. Somehow after playing together continuously for longer than I've been alive, they are still good friends. This is no small feat. I start hating all the members of the bands I'm in after a couple weeks, so for them to be chummy after 35 years, well you have to respect that, don't you?

*Donald Fagen did have that video with the fallout shelters for "New Frontier," but I had no idea who Donald Fagen was until much later. Come to think of it, it's possible I didn't know who Steely Dan was until much later, either.
**Also, the venue had the worst parking situation I think I've ever encountered. Who thought diverting hundreds of cars down a narrow, winding dirt road to an unpaved lot was a good way to handle parking?