Subject: ZZ Top

• Lingering Long on Love Street

  November 28, 2007

• SXSW: Black Diamond Heavies at Fado's Patio

  March 15, 2008

• Tonight: ZZ Top at Hard Rock Cafe

  June 23, 2008

• Billy Gibbons Tells an Awful Blonde Joke: Video and Pictures from ZZ Top's DVD Release Party

  June 24, 2008

• ZZ Top Signs to Rick Rubin's American Recordings

  July 3, 2008

• Tonight: World's Most Dangerous CD Release at Dan Electro's

  August 8, 2008

• Billy Gibbons Pt. 3: "We Were Fairly Confident," Taking Eliminator to the Dance Floor, The Videos, Eliminator In Hindsight

  October 7, 2008

• Free Birds and Drop Kick Chihuhahas

  New Year's Eve Houston at Bayou Place

  December 30, 1999

• La Grange Hotel Liked Ike, AG Says

  La Grange has been heretofore known mostly as the home of the fabled "Chicken Ranch" immortalized by ZZ Top and The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas. Now it can be known as the home of The Most Heartless, Coldest Bastard of a Motel In Texas (Allegedly). Texas AG Greg Abbott charged the Cottonwood Inn in La Grange today with overcharging people fleeing from Hurricane Ike.

  November 18, 2008

• Living the Unexamined Life, Happily

  November 3, 1994

• Will the Texan 30 Rock Writer Please Get in Touch?

  This is starting to mess with Rocks Off's head just a little. Last week's Janis-Joplin-movie subplot made him wonder, because it was hardly the first time Southeast Texas was used as a punchline, but now he's sure there's some sort of subversive Lone Star conspiracy afoot behind the scenes of NBC's Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning 30 Rock. In a combination zombie-movie spoof and caustic health-care commentary, the crew of The Girlie Show suffered from the flu as head writer Liz Lemon (T

  January 16, 2009

• Static

  September 12, 1996

• Tonight: "Live In Texas" Photo Exhibit at Cactus Music

  Stephanie Alexander ZZ Top, alive and well in Grand PrairieCool photo, huh? That's the work of Cy-Fair native Stephanie Alexander, who now has one of the choicest jobs any music-loving camera hound could hope for - even if it is in Dallas: house photographer for American Airlines Arena, the Big D counterpart to Toyota Center. The ZZ Top shot comes from the Lil' Ol' Band from right here's recent Live in Texas package - filmed at the Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie, where Alexander was the

  February 7, 2009

• Corrosive Talent

  April 24, 1997

• Songs You Didn't Get As a Kid

  Did you know that ZZ Top's "Pearl Necklace" is essentially about a man ejaculating onto a woman's neck? No? Well, neither did I when I was 12. That is just disgusting. It is a disgusting, insanely catchy song, and I had no idea what it was about until I was an adult. I thought it was about a woman whose boyfriend refused to buy her jewelry. "Afternoon Delight" is another one. I honestly thought it was about taking a hot air balloon ride. Maybe the phrase "sky rockets in flight" for some

  February 26, 2009

• Clubland

  July 30, 1998

• Aftermath: ZZ Top at RodeoHouston

  Mark. C. Austin/ Click here for a slideshowAftermath can not begin to tell you how much of a beacon ZZ Top was for him over the past few days. The lil' ol' band from Texas' RodeoHouston finale may not have had anything to do with SXSW per se, but knowing the first thing he would be doing upon returning to Houston was heading down to Reliant Park to watch the Bearded Ones and the Beardless One Named Beard kept him going. And sure enough, nothing in Austin last week could com

  March 23, 2009

• ZZ Top's Dusty Hill is 60 Today

  You didn't think we'd get out of here without wishing happy birthday to Houston's own Dusty Hill, the ZZ Top bassist who turns 60 today, did you? Hell no! To celebrate - and give any neophytes an idea of just how widely loved the Top really is - here's a pair of covers from about as far apart as you can get on the rock and roll spectrum: Phish doing "Jesus Just Left Chicago" and Ministry's version of "Just Got Paid." Can't wait for the Top/Aerosmith twin bill July 17 at the Woodlands... happy bi

  May 19, 2009

• The Greatest Texas Rock Album of All Time

  October 9, 2008

• World's Most Dangerous: Southern Fried Throwdown

  August 14, 2008

• The Mighty Orq

  February 21, 2008

• Various Artists

  Sharp Dressed Men: A Tribute to ZZ Top (RCA)

  May 16, 2002

• Paddled Senseless

  This send-up of Deliverance comes without a brain, too

  August 19, 2004

• Houston's Very Best Songs Ever

  September 27, 2007

• Tonk Blokes And the Mean Streets Of Da R.O.

  Ten things I read about Houston on Urbandictionary.com, the Wikipedia of the hood

  September 20, 2007

• For What It's Worth

  Anniversaries

  August 16, 2007

• Calvin Owens Orchestra, Barbara Lynn, Evelyn Rubio, Pete Mayes, Rue Davis, Tweed Smith

  The Calvin Owens Orchestra and special guests perform 9 p.m. Saturday, August 4, at the Howling Coyote, 6536 FM 1960 West, 281-444-3401.

  August 2, 2007

• A Revolting Show

  May 4, 2006

• ZZ Top, David Allan Coe, Hank Williams III, Old 97's

  ZZ Top, David Allan Coe, Hank Williams III and Old 97's perform Saturday, July 14, at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands, 281-363-3300.

  July 12, 2007

• Amplified

  Eliminated

  December 30, 1999

• Los Super 7

  Heard It on the X

  March 24, 2005

• Lost in the "Woods"

  Negative Space Gallery's new show has bark and bite

  January 6, 2005

• Rockin' in the Free World

  Soundtracks for your Election Night shindigs

  October 28, 2004

• Best Sign of Texas Pride

  September 23, 2004

• Oh, Won't You Stay

  ZZ Top brings down the curtain at a venerable venue

  November 20, 2003

• Best Seafood Restaurant

  Goode Co. Texas Seafood

  September 25, 2003

• Gut Reactions

  Plus: Catcher in the Wry, The Brown Brown Vote, Super-Kid Cynics

  January 16, 2003

• The Chips Are Down

  Unable to secure a new location, Leo's Mexican Restaurant says adios -- for now

  March 1, 2001

• EP of the Week: Battle Rifle's Guaranteed To Rattle Dat Trunk!!!

  You really can't get any more H-Town than our very own Battle Rifle and its latest vinyl EP, Guaranteed To Rattle Dat Trunk!!! Unless, that is, we taught Mayor Bill White to how to make blast beats and had Quanell X rhyme over them and the pair played guerrilla shows outside the Rodeo during a ZZ Top concert. Guaranteed runs about ten minutes in length over two sides of "Luv Ya Blue" colored vinyl, with the Oilers logo emblazoned throughout. Its eight or so tracks would make a good soundtrack fo

  May 6, 2009

• Before We Go: Devin the Dude, ZZ Top, Camp Jam Houston, The Orb, Something Fierce and More

  Free Press Houston has added Devin the Dude, whom Rocks Off is currently trying to track down for a prospective new feature (email us, mang!) and Prince Paul to its Summer Fest August 8 and 9 in Eleanor Tinsley Park. See FPH's or Pegstar's Web sites for ticket info (hint: it's $7 per day). Yesterday, Rolling Stone Online published just about the most badass live photograph of ZZ Top we've ever seen, from the Bearded Ones' June 9 concert in Munich. Unfortunately, we can't publish it here for copy

  June 16, 2009

• Remembering Fever Tree's Don Lampton

  Besides Michael, Farrah, Ed McMahon and Sky Saxon of the Seeds, last week's bumper crop for the Grim Reaper also claimed Don Lampton, a founding member of '60s local psych-rock band Fever Tree. Lampton, 61, played keyboards and rhythm guitar for the Bostwick Vines, which became Fever Tree after husband-and-wife duo Scott and Vivian Holtzman began managing and writing songs for the band, which released several singles in the Houston area on New York City's Mainstream label. Lampton's tenure in Fe

  June 29, 2009

• Do You Look Like Aerosmith's Steven Tyler or One of ZZ Top?

  Live Nation has come through with a four-pack of lawn tickets to the classic-rock show of the summer, Aerosmith and Houston's own ZZ Top July 18 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, and Rocks Off sure as hell ain't gonna give this away for some cheap-ass trivia question. Naw, this time we're gonna make it real interesting. Here's the deal: if you look like either Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler or one member of ZZ Top, or know someone who does, email a picture to chris.gray@houstonpress.com o

  July 2, 2009

• Last Call for ZZ Top/Aerosmith Lookalike Contest

  Courtesy Tom Degler Rocks Off is a little disappointed we haven't gotten more response to our call for ZZ Top and Steven Tyler lookalikes - we are giving away a four-pack of lawn tickets to Friday's ZZ/Aerosmith show, after all. Yes, it's a little hot for all that facial hair, but we're fairly sure the show is going to kick all kinds of ass too. (A possible Billy Gibbons/Joe Perry duet on "Last Child" or "Back in the Saddle"? Sheeeeeit.) We figured we'd give y'all 24 more hours, because as it st

  July 14, 2009

• Our Favorite ZZ Top Covers: QOTSA, Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Dwight Yoakam, Willie Nelson, Tina Turner and... Rapeman?

  [Note: Now with added Ministry.] Counting down to Friday's ZZ Top/Aerosmith show in The Woodlands is starting to feel like the week Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers played there last year: a steady build of anticipation and antsiness, until Friday we're flat-out squirming to get out of the office. By the way, if all you think Rocks Off does is sit around listening to classic rock, we'll have you know that Monday we blasted brand-new albums by the Dead Weather - that's yet another Jack White pro

  July 14, 2009

• Tres Hombres

  July 16, 2009

• Vintage ZZ Top Artwork and Houston's Hippie Past

  scarletdukesCan you guess which one is Billy Gibbons? Chris GrayWhat goes around comes around. The same week ZZ Top is playing The Woodlands (which you may have read about on Rocks Off once or twice this week), the Buffalo Bayou Partnership announced it's renovating the International Coffee Building (right), site of legendary if fuzzily remembered psych-rock club Love Street Light Circus. Along with joints like Liberty Hall, Catacombs, the Old Quarter and Of Our Own, Love Street was a cornersto

  July 15, 2009

• Slide Show: ZZ Top's Roots and Influences

  One of the most influential Southern rock bands of all time, ZZ Top has, of course, been influenced by those who came before. You can see shades of the boys with the beards in each of the following bands - acknowledged by music critics, and in some cases the band itself, as huge influences on ZZ Top - but you can't deny it all adds up to a singularly unique sound. Bonus points if you know which of these bands actually contained members of ZZ Top before Dusty, Billy and Frank joined forces.

  July 16, 2009

• The Best ZZ Top Videos (We Could Find Online)

  Not one but two gentlemen with long beards may be sneaking down your chimney today. They will leave memorabilia such as guitar picks and signed drumsticks, and if you've been a good boy or girl all year, may even give you a free guitar lesson. Instead of milk and cookies we're told they prefer Lone Star and funky fine Texas barbecue, and we would advise against sitting on anyone's lap unless you've really given it some serious thought. Someone, somewhere, is convinced that there is money to be m

  July 17, 2009

• Aftermath: ZZ Top and Aerosmith at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

  Photos by Mark C. Austin Make all the Guitar Hero jokes you want. Whatever it is that's kept ZZ Top and Aerosmith in the public eye for almost four decades - video games or beards-n-babes videos, Back to the Future cameos or Michael Bay ballads, bee-stung lips or cheap sunglasses - they've never forgotten that eventually it all circles back around to the stage. And never been unable to deliver when it does. Formed half a continent but not many years apart, ZZ and Aerosmith found common ground e

  July 20, 2009

• A Musical Guide to Post-Secession Texas: Houston and "Brazoria"

  The final installment of our Five States of Texas project brings it all back home, to the new state of Brazoria, encompassing all of Southeast Texas from the Brazos Valley to Sabine Pass. ​Patron Saint: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. A master of rock and roll, country, Cajun/Creole, blues and jazz, no one area musician sounded more like Southeast Texas. That he spent his life moving all over the area, on both sides of the Sabine, only serves as evidence in favor of one of our geographical hypothe

  August 18, 2009