“Back in the Ak — it feels good,” said ZZ Top singer-guitarist Billy Gibbons at the start of last night’s sold-out show at the Akron Civic Theatre. “We’ve been coming around here for four decades — same three guys, same three chords.” Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill even sported the same two beards, though they have a bit more gray in them these days. But that, in effect, was a good summary of ZZ Top’s appeal. Over the course of four decades, the self-described “little ol’ band from Texas” has remained a constant in the ever-shifting rock universe. While their new album, La Futura, represents a bit of a departure as producer Rick Rubin got the guys to play with a bit of a mean streak, last night, they didn’t deviate from their tried and true blues-rock sound.
This article appears in Oct 3-9, 2012.
