Band releases new album on July 22nd
ZZ Top is returning to The Venetian Resort Las Vegas for five more shows at the Venetian Theatre. The band will perform December 3, 4, 7, 9 and 10 as part of its on going residency that began in April 2018 as part of the group’s 50th anniversary celebration.
Presale tickets are underway now via Ticketmaster. The general on sale is Friday, July 22nd.
The residency coincides with the annual National Finals Rodeo that runs December 1-10 in Las Vegas. the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that guitarist Billy Gibbons is planning to play the national anthem during the rodeo.
The band’s current line up features Gibbons, Frank Beard on drums, and the group’s guitar tech, Elwood Francis replacing bassist Dusty Hill, who passed away last July.
The Texas trio will release Raw on Friday, July 22nd via Shelter Records/BMG. The album’s 12 tracks were recorded at Gruene Hall, the notorious honky tonk in Texas, over the course of a single day as documented in the band’s 2019 documentary, ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band from Texas. The process was a nod to the band’s early days of staying simple and straightforward.
Gibbons served as producer with engineering by Jake Mann and Gary Moon. Raw was mixed by Ryan Hewitt. It will be available on 180-gram vinyl, CD and through digital platforms and will be released “In righteous memory of Dusty Hill.”
The release of the Raw album is being supported by ZZ Top’s Raw Whisky Tour. The tour will see the band on stage in 100 dates across North America. The tour’s title is a hat tip to both the forthcoming album as well as the recent release of ZZ Top Tres Hombres whisky from Balcones Distilling of Waco, TX, a flavorful 100 proof mash bill of roasted blue corn, malted barley and rye.
