Top gear!

My new telephoto lens (have I mentioned that enough?) began earning its keep at the ZZ Top show. Though the alcohol free section to the right of the stage wasn't too crowded, there were enough people that I was kept a dozen or so "rows" away from the action. ZZ Top have been around for 35 years, and Billy F. Gibbons' career stretches back to The Moving Sidewalks, so we aren't talking about spring chickens, but they were still tight and powerful. It's a tribute to their ubiquity that I recognized every song they played with the exception of their new one, Buck Naked (which I confess to finding not that great) - but as long as they play I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide, along with Pearl Necklace, Jesus Just Left Chicago, Legs, Tush and a dozen other greats over the space of almost two hours, you have to leave happy. The two guys behind me were going nuts, singing along and generally being exuberant beyond the call of rock concert duty, but other than that it was all I'd hoped for.

Billy F. Gibbons and a funny-shaped Gretsch.



Dusty Hill - he and Billy switched to sparkly black jackets for the encore.



Frank Beard - "The famous man with no beard!"



Billy and Dusty.



Billy and Frank.



Billy and Dusty do the shuffle.



"Same three guys ... same three chords!"