What was I thinking, boing to an outdoor concert, on a Thursday, in 45 degree weather? Hell, what was I doing seeing Rodney Adkins and Brooks and Dunn. Let me tell you my friends...sucking it up to see ZZ Top.
I'm going to gloss over Rodney Adkins and Brooks and Dunn. I went into the third to last song of Brooks and Dunn before I even knew a song, because they covered someone else's song. They finished up with Boot Scoot Boogie, which I also know, and have hated forever.
But the night started out with an hour and a half drive to get there. It wasn't bad, we were with friends, but my leg was absolutely killing me. We met up with some other friends, and their neice and her friend, so immediately I had to watch what I said, because they are 15ish.
We get in, and wandered around, and waited for Rodney Adkins to come on. When he did, he had a good response. The place was pretty filled by this point. It was an older crowd, so everyone was there early, not like the metal shows I usually go to, where people trickle in and out all night long.
But he played 9 songs, I knew none of them, anost of them were new country cliche. He had the jeans, farm t shirt, and a farm baseball hat, and sang about girls, small town country life, and of course the token song about America. He did debut a new song, which encompassed all three.
The highlight of his set, was the kid who passed out two songs into it, after puking. He was officially hammered drunk, and slept thru three songs before security removed him from the premises. At that point, he couldn't walk by himself, and he may possibly have one of the top 10 hangovers of all time today.
Next was Brooks and Dunn. Apparantly my boss and I were the only two who didn't know every song they sang. I'm biased, I admit. I think most their songs are new country crap. My attitude towards them doesn't allow me to give a proper review, so I'll let it go. But everyone else LOVED them, and were very responsive, so I'm wrong about them apparantly.
Finally, the gods of Texas boogie came on, with a bang and a flash of lights, and were absolutely incredible. Dusty Hill's beard was now grey, but other than that, they look the same as they did in the 80's. Frank Beard's hair was a little grayer, and his mullet was a little longer also.
But the show was a greatest hits tour, from Sharp Dressed Man, to Jesus Just Left Chicago. They even threw in Hey Joe, made famous by Hendrix, and Jailhouse Rock, which they played with Brooks and Dunn.
Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons switched off singing duties, and they looked like they were having a great time playing together, still, after 30 some years together. It was funny, watching them play, because they subconsciously move the same way on stage. They sway the same way, keep time the same way, and played flawlessly the whole time.
They needed no props. They had a minimal light show, and very little flash, and it was worth every penny. In fact, if they would just concentrate the cameras on Mr Gibbons fingers, you could have a "How to play slide guitar" video.
My only regret was not taking my boys to see them. I was under the assumption that it was an adults nite out, or I would have. I know he would have loved it. And I'd have had someone to suffer thru the country beginning.
