Zac Brown Band
Reliant Stadium
March 22, 2014
This being their fourth performance at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Zac Brown Band’s prowess onstage shouldn’t have surprised anyone Sunday night. But, of course, that didn’t make it any less impressive.
A fitting close to this year’s Rodeo, ZBB pulled out all the stops Sunday. They brought fans out of their seats to dance; they paraded around the stage, performing a solid mix of fan-favorites and a few newer cuts; and they ever covered a few classics, most notably their signature interpretation of the Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which continues to elate crowds no matter how many times it’s heard.
If you’ve seen it once, you want to see it again.
The band’s performance hasn’t changed much through the years, but if it ain’t broke… The set list does get a bit of a tuneup every year, and ZBB always adds a little extra for returning fans. This year, the cherry on top of their performance was Marcus Luttrell, a former US Navy SEAL whose non-fiction book Lone Survivor was recently made into a film of the same name. He walked onstage during “Chicken Fried” to roars from the crowd as Brown sang of stars, stripes and sacrifice.
Other notable additions to the show included a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” and a song called “Day for the Dead,” which the band debuted at the Country Music Awards. It’s a bit more rock than country and has just been released online along with a number of other sessions with Dave Grohl, who is rumored to be producing the band’s next album. That in itself should keep fans’ feet tapping.
Despite a mass exodus three-quarters of the way through their set, ZBB’s set Sunday night was a perfect ending to another great year of rodeo concerts. Next year, though, they might want to save “Chicken Fried” for last.
Personal Bias: My ass will be in a seat any time the Zac Brown Band comes into town. They have yet to disappoint.
SET LIST
The Wind
As She’s Walking Away
Toes
Sweet Annie
Day for the Dead
Colder Weather
Knee Deep
Can’t You See (Marshall Tucker Band cover)
Free
Keep Me in Mind
Chicken Fried
Goodbye in Her Eyes
Uncaged
Kashmir (Led Zeppelin cover)
The Devil Went Down to Georgia (Charlie Daniels Band cover)
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This article appears in Mar 20-26, 2014.
