On Wednesday, September 24, Albany’s Palace Theater hosted a night destined for the Rock and Roll history books. ZZ Top – that Little ol’ Band from Texas – returned 50 years later to the Palace stage they first played on September 27, 1975, nearly to the day, their third ever show in Albany, returning louder, flashier, and tougher. It was a reminder to everyone in attendance that time may change the world around us, but their groove, grit, and swagger remain unshakable.
Before rock royalty, Knoxville, Tennessee’s The Sedonas opened the evening with a set that felt both fresh and familiar. From the moment they hit their first chord, the band caught your attention. Rooted in Americana and blues but spiked with psychedelic edges, their songs carried an energy that filled the hall with promise. They didn’t sound like an opener; they sounded like a band on the rise, intent on leaving their stamp. Tracks like “Livin’ Fastly”, “It’s Bad” and “Happens Right” showcased their knack for mixing soulful harmonies with jagged intensity.
Midway through the set, frontman James Connor Wike grabbed a megaphone and began singing through it, throwing his voice like a rock ’n’ roll ventriloquist. It was a striking, unexpected touch, a throwback to the 1990s. Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots had pulled the same move in the height of the grunge era. For a moment, The Sedonas bridged generations of rock, proving bold gestures still land in 2025.
Their ability to shift gears, from stripped-down intimacy one song to full-band fire the next, kept the crowd locked in. By the time they left the stage, the cheers were real, not polite. They didn’t just open for ZZ Top; they primed the room for what was to come.
The house lights dropped, amps glowed, sequined jackets sparkled, and the beards strode out like kings returning to their throne. The first guitar hit, the bass rattled ribcages, and in that instant fifty years evaporated. ZZ Top had arrived, not to remind us of who they were, but to show us who they are.
Frank Beard was back behind the kit. Beard, the only member of the band without a beard, had missed portions of the 2025 Elevation Tour due to medical issues, with drum tech John Douglas stepping in. But in Albany, Beard was back where he belonged, driving the engine of the band he’s anchored for more than half a century, a reassuring heartbeat for ZZ Top.
The set exploded with hits that refused to age: “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Tush,” “Just Got Paid,” and of course, the swaggering “La Grange.” Each song felt brand new, sharpened for 2025 but carrying the same DNA that built them into legends. Gibbons’ guitar work was a masterclass in impact, bending notes into corners, holding chords until they ached, then slicing through the silence with slide riffs that cut to the bone. His voice, that gravel-toned growl, rang out with authority, proof that some things only get better with age.
Elwood Francis was just as commanding, anchoring the sound with his famed 15-string bass. Its monstrous growl wasn’t a gimmick; it was one of the night’s many spectacles, a pulse that kept the crowd moving whether they realized it or not. Together, the band conjured a sound both tight and loose, polished yet still dangerous.
The visuals matched the firepower. LEDs bathed the stage in neon hues while sequins shimmered under the lights, indulgence without excess. Every movement was accentuated, from the synchronized steps of Gibbons and Francis to the sly smiles exchanged between riffs. Their swagger was baked into every gesture, every note.
The energy inside the Palace was communal, not just observational. Fans weren’t spectators; they were part of the show. Every chorus was shouted back, every riff met with hands in the air. During pauses, the silence hung heavy, broken only by screams and cheers that cascaded across the hall. The band fed off the crowd, and the crowd fed off the band, creating a feedback loop that elevated the night beyond performance into ritual.
The magic of the evening hit hardest when you thought about the fifty-year span between their first Palace show and this most recent appearance: September 1975 to September 2025. When ZZ Top first played Albany, Gerald Ford was President, the Vietnam War had just ended, gas was 57 cents a gallon, and the digital world didn’t exist. Bruce Springsteen had just dropped Born to Run, Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here was new, and disco was climbing the charts. Albany itself was in flux—the Empire State Plaza freshly built, and the Palace was more movie house than concert hall.
Fast forward fifty years. Smartphones run our lives, streaming dominates music, vinyl has returned with a devoted following, and doom scrolling is everywhere. The White House now hosts a polarizing, unpredictable and dangerous personality, a stark contrast to Ford’s calm, steady presence. The world is louder, faster, more chaotic, but ZZ Top remains unshakable. The Palace, renovated in 2003, stands as a reminder of history preserved amid change, just like the band, guitars loud, groove intact, attitude untouchable.
That contrast gave the night its resonance. The world around them has morphed in ways no one could have imagined, but onstage, ZZ Top is still ZZ Top. With The Sedonas lighting the way and Frank Beard back on drums, the Texans didn’t just perform; they owned the room.
When the final notes of “La Grange” rang out, the Palace was electric. Fans left buzzing, voices hoarse, spirits lifted. Rock ’n’ roll doesn’t fade with age, it roars, struts, and shakes the rafters. For those there, it reminded us why it still matters.
Setlist: Got Me Under Pressure, I Thank You (Sam & Dave cover), Waiting For The Bus, Jesus Left Chicago, Gimme All your Lovin’, Pearl Necklace, I’m Bad I’m Nationwide, I Gotsta Get Paid, My Head’s In Mississippi, Sixteen Tons, Just Got Paid, Sharp Dressed Man, Legs
Encore: Brown Sugar, Tube Snake Boogie, La Grange
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