After touring and recording for the past 39 years, ZZ Top decided to embark on a tour that will bring them even closer, literally, to their legions of fans.
Kicking off in Wichita, Kan., on Sept. 26, the ZZ Top In Your Face Tour will bring the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers to the kind of intimate venues they played much earlier in their tenure as rock’s longest running band with original personnel intact. For six weeks this fall, the trio forswears stadiums, areas and festivals for small theaters, where they expect to connect very directly with their audience.
“Earlier this year, because of a routing quirk, we accepted a ‘fill-in’ date at a little old theater in Knoxville," guitarist Billy Gibbons said. "That experience reminded us of our roots, both in terms of a stripped-down, gut-bucket musical approach and the direct connection with the people who came to see us. So we said, ‘why not do this on a more extended basis and have some real fun?’”
Though ZZ Top is just back from Europe, where the band played to monumental crowds at festivals in eight countries, members were game to revisit the experience.
“We figured it would be a kick to, so to speak, get in people’s faces and the idea for this tour was born,” bassist Dusty Hill said.
Drummer Frank Beard added, “To actually be able to see whole audience and interact with them like this is a throwback to our early days and who wouldn’t want to go back in time?”
The ZZ Top In Your Face Tour runs for six weeks this fall. The itinerary includes:
Sept. 26 — Wichita, Kan. - Century II
Sept. 27 — Fort Smith, Ark. - Convention Hall
Sept. 28 — Tulsa, Okla. – SpritBank Event Center
Sept. 30 — St. Louis - Fox Theatre
Oct. 1 — Kansas City, Mo. - Midland
Oct. 3 — Nashville, Tenn. - Ryman Auditorium
Oct. 4 — Huntington, W.V. - Keith-Albee Theatre
Oct. 5 — Cleveland - Allen Theatre
Oct. 10 — Columbus, Ohio - Palace Theatre
Oct. 11 — Indianapolis – Murat Centre
Oct. 12 — Milwaukee - Riverside
Oct. 17 — Minneapolis - Orpheum
Oct. 18 — Grand Forks, N.D. - Chester Fritz
Oct. 19 — Sioux Falls, S.D. - Great Hall
Oct. 22 — Portland, Ore. - Arlene Schnitzer Hall
Oct. 23 — Pullman, Wash. - Beasley Performing Arts Center
Oct. 30 — Colorado Springs, Colo. - Pikes Peak Center
Oct. 31 — Denver- Paramount Theatre
Nov. 1 — Amarillo, Texas – Civic Center Auditorium
