Posted on Thursday, 25th August 2011 by Declan Palazzi
October is the month for Texas-style boogie and southern rock as ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd co-headline the “Rebels & Bandeleros Tour” with a show at the American Bank Center on Oct. 21st! The two groups, whose respective histories have been intertwined since the early 1970s, are set for a string of tour dates together for this fall. The tour marks the first time in years that the standard-bearers of Southern Rock and Hall of Fameinductees will have toured so extensively together.
The two bands first joined forces in 1974 when Houston-based ZZ Top invited Lynyrd Skynyrd, then an emerging new band from Jacksonville, to become part of The Outlaw Tour that year. Ultimately, ZZ Top, which had formed in 1969, would go on to become a band with one of the longest running original personnel line-ups – Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard – in music history. Tragedy struck Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1977 when a plane crash took the lives of band members Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines. Today’s Lynyrd Skynyrd includes founding member Gary Rossington along with Johnny Van Zant, brother of the late Ronnie Van Zant, as well as Rickey Medlocke, Michael Cartellone, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Robert Kearns, Peter Keys Dale Krantz Rossington and Carol Chase.
The Rebels & Bandoleros Tour has hit markets in Texas, Oklahoma, Maine, New York, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri , and New Mexico offering concert goers a wealth of classic material including; from ZZ Top: “Tush,” “LaGrange,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Cheap Sunglasses” ……. from Lynyrd Skynyrd: “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Gimme Three Steps,” “What’s Your Name,” “Saturday Night Special,” and ALL TIME FAVORITE…….”Free Bird”.
Ticket Prices–$59.50, $49.50, $39.50, and $29.50 (plus service fees). ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd will take the stage Friday, October 21st at the American Bank Center Arena in Corpus Christi. Doors open at 6:00pm with the show starting at 7:00pm. This show is produced and promoted by Gary Boren of Llano Estacado Music.
Both bands are Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees; ZZ Top was inducted by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones in 2004 and Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2006 by Kid Rock. Lynyrd Skynyrd’s most recently released album is “God & Guns” while ZZ Top’s forthcoming, as yet untitled, album is expected later this year.
“Rebels and Bandolers is more of a coming together of friends more than a mere tour,” Billy Gibbons commented in a statement. “We’re delighted to be hitting the road with our Skynyrd brethren once more. It’s going to be a great ride.”
Johnny Van Zant remarked in a statement, “Eleven years ago we toured together for eleven months straight. We love the guys in ZZ and their music, and can’t wait to get back out on the road with them.”
Tickets go on sale Thursday, August 25th at 10:00 am at the American Bank Center Box Office, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.
Tags: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Skynyrd, Zz Top
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