Rock-tober 11, 2014

There are a lot of classic rock groups with whom I'd love to sit down and share a pitcher or two, but I think the most fun would be had with ZZ Top. These guys just exude "cool".

I'd imagine them pulling up to my favorite watering hole in the '33 Ford Eliminator and stepping out wearing cowboy hats, shades, and with Gibbons and Hill sporting those epic beards. Here's some rock and roll trivia: Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill have been growing those beards since 1979. And the one band member without a beard? LOL. Frank Beard.

We'd of course talk about the group's career that goes all the way back to 1969. That's 45 years. They're likely record holders for being the only group to have the same lineup for well over 4 decades. That speaks volumes for the camaraderie of this trio and yet another reason I'd love to hang with them.

We'd definitely get around to the Eliminator. Gibbons's hot rod was immortalized by being an integral character in several of ZZ Top's videos. That chop top coupe would swoop in like a fairy godmother to save the day and introduced countless, impressionable MTV youths to the world of hot-rodding. I'd ask if I could take her for a spin, and they'd toss me the keys exactly like they do in their videos. Like I said, they're cool.

They'd eventually ask me about my favorite ZZ Top song. I'd send them a link to last years legendary write up in Rock-tober Day 17, because of course by now we'd friended each other on facebook. But I'd also tell them lately I've been getting into the more bluesy songs in their repertoire.

"Oh yeah, like which ones, li'l bro?" Yeah, that's right, they call me "li'l bro".

"Well, probably 'Jesus Just Left Chicago' and 'My Head's in Mississippi' because they mention Mississippi, and you know, I grew up in Mississippi."

"'The Magnolia State'? That's awesome, l'il bro. You know we rocked Biloxi back in the day."

"Yeah, man, I was only 10 at the time and didn't get to see the show."

"Hey, no problem, l'il bro. We've got our kit in the coupe. What say we throw down in this joint?"

That's exactly how it would happen at my favorite watering hole, with ZZ Top playing a blues set for me...

And in a rare Rock-tober "2-fer", I present 2 bluesy ZZ Top offerings because, hey, I'm cool, too...