Sharp Dressed Man

ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons on taming that beast.

- John Wirt

Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, collectively known as ZZ Top, probably are the only intact major rock band from the 1960s still firing on all cylinders. Since their formation in 1969, ZZ Top’s blues-based sound has yielded international sales of 30 million records and the classicrock staples “La Grange,” “Legs” and “Sharp Dressed Man.”

ZZ Top’s May 20 show at the Saenger Theatre is a makeup date for November 12, when bassist Dusty Hill’s stomach illness led to the cancellation of the show. OffBeat interviewed ZZ Top singer-guitarist Billy Gibbons in September, a few weeks after the band’s hometown, Houston, had been devastated by floods that accompanied Hurricane Harvey.

On September 10 in Sugar Land, Texas, ZZ Top played the first major concert in the Houston area after Hurricane

Harvey. Was it a concert unlike any you’ve played before?

It was a unique experience, a homecoming to a hometown that was devastated but not down for the count.

Many first responders attended your show in Sugar Land at the Smart Financial Centre. What was your take on the overall vibe, atmosphere and spirit in the audience?

Surprisingly upbeat. The abiding feeling was one of moving forward. Folks there needed a break from the magnitude of the disaster experience. The show seemed to provide some momentary enjoyment. I mean, what ZZ Top does is based on the blues and it’s often said that the blues is there when you need ’em. We were happy to provide that at a time of real need.