originally published: 01/29/2015 (ENGLEWOOD, NJ) -- Bergen Performing Arts Center located at 30 North Van Brunt Street in Englewood, New Jersey presents ZZ Top, Tuesday, March 10th 2015 at 1PM and 4PM. Purchase tickets to see the at www.ticketmaster.com or Box Office at 201.227.1030.

ZZ TOP a/k/a "That Little Ol’ Band From Texas," lay undisputed claim to being the longest running major rock band with original personnel intact and in 2004 the Texas trio was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Of course, there are only three of them – Billy F Gibbons, Dusty Hill, Frank Beard -- but it’s still a remarkable achievement that they’re still very much together after more than 40 years of rock, blues, and boogie on the road and in the studio. "Yeah," says Billy, guitarist extraordinaire, "we’re the same three guys, bashing out the same three chords." The group is still very much together after more than 40 years of rock, blues, and boogie on the road and in the studio.

The elements that keep ZZ TOP fresh, enduring and above the transitory fray can be summed up in the three words of the band’s internal mantra: "Tone, Taste and Tenacity." ZZ TOP’s music is always instantly recognizable, eminently powerful, profoundly soulful and 100% Texas American in derivation. The band’s support for the blues is unwavering both as interpreters of the music and preservers of its legacy. They have sold millions of records over the course of their career, have been officially designated as Heroes of The State of Texas, have been referenced in countless cartoons and sitcoms and are true rock icons - but they’re really just doing what they’ve always done. With the release of each of their albums the band has explored new ground in terms of both their sonic approach and the material they’ve recorded. ZZ TOP is the same but always changing.

The story of the ZZ Top Beards Courtesy of zztop.com:

Guitarists Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill have been wearing the signature look since the late ’70s, while the group’s drummer, whose name is ironically Frank Beard, prefers to maintain a clean shave.

Billy in recent years revealed that he and Hill were once offered $1 million to cut off their facial hair, but they declined. In 1984, shaver manufacturer Gillette solicited the Rock ‘N Roll Hall Of Fame inductees for an ad campaign but they turned down the lucrative opportunity.

They spoke in an interview that they don’t regret their decision and still would not take the deal. "No dice," Gibbons said. "Even adjusted for inflation, this isn’t going to fly. The prospect of seeing oneself in the mirror clean-shaven is too close to a Vincent Price film…a prospect not to be contemplated, no matter the compensation."

Though ZZ Top formed in 1969, Gibbons and Hill did not don the beards until nearly 10 years later, and their decision to do so was by coincidence. After returning from extended vacations, Gibbons and Hill learned that each had let their beards grow long, according to the album liner notes for the band’s 2004 release, Rancho Texicano: The Very Best Of ZZ Top.

"[The manager] called a band meeting, and when the three members arrived, they noticed something had changed during their time apart," music journalist Tom Vickers wrote. "They had always had some form of facial hair, with Frank usually sporting a mustache, while Billy and Dusty had scruffy little beards no more than an inch or two long."

Gibbons explained his reaction to seeing Hill’s beard. "I walk into the room, and I’m lookin’ at a guy I think I know," he said. "My beard has grown to doormat proportions. And I realize that Dusty had done the same thing."

About bergenPAC
Founded in 2003, the 1,367-seat Bergen Performing Arts Center, or bergenPAC, is the area’s cultural mecca. Housed in a historic Art Deco-style theater boasting one of the finest acoustic halls in the United States, bergenPAC attracts a stellar roster of world-class entertainment. The jewel in our crown is The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC – the innovative, educational performing arts initiative that reaches more than 30,000 students annually. The Performing Arts School provides community youth, age 2 months to 21 years, with unique, "hands-on" training in music, dance and theater by industry professionals. It is through the ongoing generosity of sponsors, donors, members, and patrons that the not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation bergenPAC and The Performing Arts School are able to thrive and enrich our community.

 

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