ZZ Top

#48
Sunday, September 13, 2009
ZZ Top
Justin Jones and the Driving Rain
9:30 Club

After watching the losers lose and drinking a couple Hop Backs at DC9, I headed over to ye olde 9:30 Club. It was still well before show time but the line outside had been cleared. I got myself an Old Rasputin (so tasty!) and secured a spot near the front.
Justin Jones and the Driving Rain is a local alt-country/singer-songwriter act who made a good impression on most of the audience. I thought they were good, although it's not my kind of music.
It wasn't too long before ZZ Top came out since the massive drum-kit (with built-in ashtray) was already set up and just needed to be uncovered. You can't tell from either of the photos, but the mic stands light up. They also had a full LED wall with graphics and stuff behind them, not to mention the rhinestone jackets. Anyway, although I wouldn't say I'm a huge ZZ Top fan I do really love blues rock and I knew all the songs they played. Billy Gibbons must have had at least 4 different guitars during the set, and I wish I could have gotten a better look at them. The pic is not only fuzzy, those are fuzzy guitars. Awesome. The set was about and hour and a half total with the final encore being an extended version of Tush. This show was seriously amazing: seeing a band that's been around for nearly 40 years who are still at the top of their game playing at 9:30 is hard to beat.
An aside: this crowd was only about one step below a Clutch crowd in terms of pushiness but the old fogie behind me seriously underestimated my stamina [I got a bruised kidney once, jackass. I only move when I'm in danger of being kicked in the face.].