That Little Ol' Band from Texas makes a stop in El Paso.

That Little Ol’ Band from Texas makes a stop in El Paso.

Nothing like a Monday night in West Texas when the ever-popular ZZ Top drops into the Abraham Chavez Theatre in beautiful downtown El Paso, Texas, this time brining us The Elevation Tour 2024. I’ve covered this band several times over the past 10 years as a photojournalist, they always pack the house and only once have I seen them in support and that was opening for Guns and Roses back in September of 17 here at the Sunbowl on the campus of the University of Texas El Paso, boy, was that a show!!

Straight outa Houston in 69, 15 releases in 41 years and the last being La Futura in 2012, with that said, just touring the world over the past 12 years and if you do the math that makes 55 years as a band with the original line up, but all that changed when Dusty died in July of 21. As per one of his final wishes, Dusty wanted his long-term guitar tech Elwood Francis to take over the duties of Bass guitar upon his death which Billy honored. The band never missed a lick and carried on as Dusty would have wanted, this past Monday make twice now I’ve shot Elwood, he fits like a well wore glove, the perfect fit, one would say.

The Abraham Chavez Theatre holds 2500, didn’t quite sell out, but damn close to it. Regardless this El Paso Audience was treated to hit after hit from this infamous Little Ol’ Band from Texas, opening with Got Me Under Pressure and 17 songs later wrapping it up with La Grange. As a fan of 49 years, ZZ Top never gets old, sparks up memories of time when things were a little simpler and that’s never a bad thing, music does that, right?

On a personal note, the first time I saw them was right after the release of Fandango, which was their 4th release in 6 years. On 3 July 75, they headlined the Florida Jam in Tampa, Florida, acts like Johnny Winter, Marshall Tucker, War and Kiss were in support, just to name a few, I think its safe to say, I became a ZZ Top fan that day. Being raised in the South and listening to mostly Southern Rock growing up, it would be hard to be a fan of this epic band over the years. I got to hang out with Billy a few years back and I must say a class act all the way, super friendly, especially to his fans. Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard and Elwood Francis, still going strong and with no plans on stopping, they’re out on the road as we speak, a 36-city tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd is about to take off, Southern Rock at its finest, tell me I’m wrong.