Friday 2/7, The Paramount Theater
The voice and blues-riffin’, trademark long beard-wagglin’ leader of Texas rock trio ZZ Top, Billy F. Gibbons hits the stage backed by the BFGs, Mike Flanigin and Chris Layton. Gibbons—who presumably added the F. to his moniker to distinguish himself and his solo career from his 50-some-odd-year tenure with ZZ Top—remains a “Sharp Dressed Man,” sparkly clothed, topped with a big hat, and sporting a fancy guitar from his well-known collection.
He’s released three solo discs since 2015, starting with Perfectamundo, an unusual sidestep in which he dabbled in Cuban beats and other percussive embellishments to songs built around the pentatonic scale. Later came The Big Bad Blues (2018), and Hardware (2021), both featuring collaborator Matt Sorum of Guns ’N Roses fame on drums. While his last two solo records didn’t veer particularly far from what you may expect of Gibbons’ earlier work, they skirted the heyday of ZZ Top’s synth use that brought them ridiculous pop stardom in the 1980s.
At any rate, it’s all for naught, judging by the evidence making its way to fan clips online. It appears the 75-year-old has chosen to stick mostly with playing the hits that made him famous, eschewing just about all of the music on his three extracurricular albums. As such, he’ll likely please those in attendance with “Cheap Sunglasses,” “La Grange,” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” but the odds are high for airing other covers from both ZZ Top and others, ranging from Jimi Hendrix (who famously name-checked him as a rising talent) and a long list of blues big shots.
Expect to be treated to the guitar tones that younger blues-rock hopefuls have been chasing for decades—along with a voice that has recently overcome a bout of laryngitis. Though that shouldn’t be much of an issue as Gibbons has long been regarded as more of a growling howler who’s garnered more praise for what his hands can do than his throat. At this stage of his storied career, he’s likely not too concerned about winning over new fans, as much as giving his longtime followers the signature Lone Star bluesy-rock style he pioneered.
