# 2010 World Tour

The 2010 World Tour was a concert tour by rock band ZZ Top, which began in April 2010 and ended in December 2010. Like recent previous tours, it was a short outing, though for the first time in the band's career, they performed in South America, including three shows in Brazil. The band played many of their classic 1970s and 1980s hits. Critical reaction to the tour's shows was generally positive, although the absence of new material was noted. A great number of tickets were sold within a month of the tour's announcement, which prompted more dates to be added.

## Itinerary

On December 11, 2009, it was confirmed that ZZ Top would be headlining the High Voltage Festival in July 2010. The band announced five dates in South America, including three shows in Brazil; a video message by Billy Gibbons (speaking in Spanish) was posted on the band's official website for fans in Chile. Pre-sales began a month later and, according to ZZ Top's official Twitter, tickets for the May 20th show in São Paulo were sold-out. By the time the first North American leg was underway, more US concerts were announced, including festivals like Summerfest, Rocklahoma, and the Crossroads Guitar Festival. Subsequent dates with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in the fall were announced as well. This forced the band to cancel many previously booked engagements, several of them being with the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band; shows at the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival in Colorado, Kansas State Fair, and Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion in New Hampshire were canceled. After touring Europe in the summer, the band returned to North America, where they toured with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. In October 2010, they made a brief stop in Europe, where the Doobie Brothers opened shows in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Norway.

## Development

Donny Stuart was the production manager and has been with ZZ Top for the last four decades. In 1999, ZZ Top hired Toby Francis as front of house engineer, who had previously worked with Jane's Addiction and Guns N' Roses. Francis left in late 2010 to work with The Smashing Pumpkins and the band hired Jamie Rephann as a replacement. Jake Mann, from Clair Brothers, was the monitor engineer and has worked with the band for four years. Chris Stuba was the lighting designer, working with lighting technician Bobby Dominguez and assistant lighting technician Jeff Archibeque.
The sound was provided by Clair, consisting of Martin Audio products including WSX subwoofers and W8C loudspeakers, which were powered by Martin MA 2.8 and 4.2 power amplifiers. Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill did not use stage monitors or in-ear monitors; instead they relied on custom-made speaker cabinets to monitor themselves, a ritual that both Gibbons and Hill have used for years. Bandit Lites provided the lighting package, including mostly Vari-Lite fixtures, with VL3000 and VL2500 spotlights, as well as VL3500 floodlights. Martin Light MAC2000 floodlights, Atomic 3000 strobe lights and Color Kinetics ColorBlast 12 LED fixtures completed the lighting package. The lighting was controlled by a grandMA lighting control console. In 2005, the band had custom microphone stands made by John A. Douglas, who designed one of several skull-themed drum kits for Frank Beard used on the tour. The stands were made from truck exhaust pipes and had color-changing LED tubes built inside. Microphones were Telefunken M80s that were chrome plated.
Before beginning rehearsals for the tour, ZZ Top held a poll on their official website, asking fans to vote for their top three favorite songs. The results revealed that four songs were actually added to the band's set list: "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers", "Viva Las Vegas", "Francine", and "Thunderbird". The main set would include five songs from Eliminator (1983), three songs from Tres Hombres (1973), and two songs from Rio Grande Mud (1972); highlights in the show were a medley of "La Grange", "Sloppy Drunk Blues", and "Bar-B-Q". Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill wore custom-made jackets designed by Jaime Castaneda, who has worked for Nudie Cohn and Manuel Cuevas; their jackets usually consisted of rhinestones.

## Concert synopsis

With the house lights down, the show began with a house music introduction. After about 50–60 seconds, the microphone stands would be lit, usually in a red color, and the band members would walk on stage. They started with a performance of "Got Me Under Pressure". The next song was "Waitin' for the Bus", which segued into "Jesus Just Left Chicago". After a performance of "Pincushion", they would play "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide". The show continued with a 'blues hat' skit, in which Gibbons would ask for 'technicians' (one of them being Gibbons' wife) to hand him his fedora. This led into covers of "Future Blues" by Willie Brown and "Rock Me Baby" by B.B. King, followed by "Cheap Sunglasses". A snippet of "My Head's In Mississippi" was included before leading into a brief guitar solo by Gibbons and performing "I Need You Tonight". After playing a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe", the band performed "Brown Sugar" from their 1971 debut album, along with "Party on the Patio" from El Loco (1981) and "Just Got Paid" from Rio Grande Mud. The main set ended with "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man", and "Legs". After a brief break, the band returned to the stage. The encore began with the "La Grange" medley, which included a cover of "Sloppy Drunk Blues" and "Bar-B-Q" from Rio Grande Mud. "Tush" always closed the show. "Viva Las Vegas" was sometimes preceded "La Grange". In addition, "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers", "Viva Las Vegas", "Francine", and "Thunderbird" were variously performed only during the first North American leg.

## Tour dates

List of concerts, showing date, city, country, venue, tickets sold, number of available tickets and amount of gross revenue :
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening act(s) | Attendance | Revenue |
| Leg 1: North and South America |||||||
| April 23, 2010 | Tyler | United States | The Oil Palace | Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights | — | — |
| April 24, 2010 | Beaumont | United States | Ford Park | Edgar Winter Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights | — | — |
| April 25, 2010 | Bee Cave | United States | The Backyard at Bee Cave | Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights | — | — |
| April 29, 2010 | West Palm Beach | United States | SunFest | Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights White Collar Crime | — | — |
| April 30, 2010 | Melbourne | United States | Maxwell C. King Center | | 1,939 / 1,939 | $128,573 |
| May 1, 2010 | St. Petersburg | United States | Tropicana Field | | 34,813 / 36,973 | — |
| May 4, 2010 | Jacksonville | United States | Moran Theater | Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights | 1,442 / 2,500 | $81,569 |
| May 5, 2010 | Columbus | United States | Columbus Civic Center | Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights | — | — |
| May 7, 2010 | Little Rock | United States | Riverfest Amphitheatre | Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights | 1,930 / 3,500 | $104,011 |
| May 8, 2010 | Atlanta | United States | Chastain Park Amphitheater | Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights | 3,710 / 6,700 | $213,145 |
| May 9, 2010 | Tupelo | United States | BancorpSouth Center | Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights | 2,863 / 3,500 | $96,538 |
| May 14, 2010 | Belton | United States | Bell County Expo Center | Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights | — | — |
| May 18, 2010 | Santiago | Chile | Movistar Arena | El Cruce Harrison Trio | — | — |
| May 20, 2010 | São Paulo | Brazil | Via Funchal | Hudson Cadorini Banda Rollemax | — | — |
| May 21, 2010 | São Paulo | Brazil | Via Funchal | Hudson Cadorini Banda Rollemax | — | — |
| May 23, 2010 | Porto Alegre | Brazil | Pepsi on Stage | | — | — |
| May 26, 2010 | Buenos Aires | Argentina | Estadio Luna Park | | — | — |
| May 28, 2010 | Speedway | United States | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | | — | — |
| May 29, 2010 | Pryor | United States | Rocklahoma | Cinderella Saliva | — | — |
| June 5, 2010 | Vancouver | Canada | Thunderbird Sports Centre | Wide Mouth Mason | — | — |
| June 6, 2010 | Victoria | Canada | Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre | Wide Mouth Mason | — | — |
| June 8, 2010 | Cranbrook | Canada | Cranbrook Recreational Complex | Wide Mouth Mason | — | — |
| June 9, 2010 | Cranbrook | Canada | Cranbrook Recreational Complex | Wide Mouth Mason | — | — |
| June 10, 2010 | Grande Prairie | Canada | Crystal Centre | Wide Mouth Mason | — | — |
| June 11, 2010 | Edmonton | Canada | Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium | Wide Mouth Mason | — | — |
| June 13, 2010 | Medicine Hat | Canada | Medicine Hat Arena | Wide Mouth Mason | — | — |
| June 15, 2010 | Winnipeg | Canada | MTS Centre | Wide Mouth Mason | — | — |
| June 16, 2010 | Thunder Bay | Canada | Thunder Bay Community Auditorium | Wide Mouth Mason | — | — |
| June 19, 2010 | Belleville | Canada | Big Music Fest | Collective Soul Finger Eleven | — | — |
| June 23, 2010 | Bloomington | United States | U.S. Cellular Coliseum | Backyard Tire Fire | — | — |
| June 24, 2010 | Muskegon | United States | Heritage Landing | Mid-Life Crisis | — | — |
| June 25, 2010 | Milwaukee | United States | Marcus Amphitheater | | 35,817 / 45,774 | $2,331,045 |
| June 26, 2010 | Milwaukee | United States | Marcus Amphitheater | | 35,817 / 45,774 | $2,331,045 |
| Leg 2: Europe |||||||
| July 2, 2010 | Skånevik | Norway | Skånevikfjorden | Bjørn Berge | — | — |
| July 3, 2010 | Järvenpää | Finland | Vanhankylänniemi | John Lee Hooker Jr. Eddie Cotton | — | — |
| July 5, 2010 | Monte Carlo | Monaco | Prince's Palace of Monaco | The Stooges PPZ Rocket | — | — |
| July 6, 2010 | Toulouse | France | Zénith de Toulouse | Joe Bonamassa | — | — |
| July 8, 2010 | Bayonne | France | Arènes de Bayonne | Joe Bonamassa | — | — |
| July 9, 2010 | Nîmes | France | Arena of Nîmes | Joe Bonamassa | — | — |
| July 10, 2010 | Locarno | Switzerland | Piazza Grande | Jeff Beck | — | — |
| July 12, 2010 | Rome | Italy | Ippodromo delle Capannelle | Pino Scotto | — | — |
| July 13, 2010 | Lucca | Italy | Piazza Napoleone | Jeff Beck | — | — |
| July 14, 2010 | Padova | Italy | Villa Contarini | Maurizio Solieri Band | — | — |
| July 15, 2010 | Vigevano | Italy | Castello Sforzesco | Tower of Power | — | — |
| July 16, 2010 | Aix-les-Bains | France | Lac du Bourget | Pete Doherty Gogol Bordello | — | — |
| July 18, 2010 | Kempten | Germany | bigBOX Allgäu | Siggi Schwarz | — | — |
| July 19, 2010 | Strasbourg | France | Zénith de Strasbourg | Philip Sayce | — | — |
| July 20, 2010 | Tienen | Belgium | Grote Markt | John Fogerty Manzarek–Krieger | — | — |
| July 22, 2010 | Nantes | France | Zénith de Nantes Métropole | Philip Sayce | — | — |
| July 24, 2010 | London | England | Victoria Park | Heaven & Hell Foreigner | — | — |
| Leg 3: North America |||||||
| July 31, 2010 | Stillwater | United States | Tumbleweed Concert Arena | Corey Smith | — | — |
| August 1, 2010 | Southaven | United States | Snowden Grove Amphitheater | Young Guns | 3,958 / 10,353 | $87,985 |
| August 4, 2010 | Clearfield | United States | Clearfield County Fair | | — | — |
| August 7, 2010 | Wisconsin Dells | United States | Crystal Grand Music Theatre | | — | — |
| August 9, 2010 | Sturgis | United States | Buffalo Chip Campground | Buckcherry | — | — |
| August 10, 2010 | Sioux Falls | United States | Sioux Empire Fair | The Lugnuts | — | — |
| August 13, 2010 | West Wendover | United States | Peppermill Wendover | | — | — |
| August 14, 2010 | Murphys | United States | Ironstone Amphitheatre | Joan Jett & the Blackhearts | — | — |
| August 15, 2010 | Costa Mesa | United States | Pacific Amphitheatre | | — | — |
| August 19, 2010 | Albuquerque | United States | Legends Theater | | — | — |
| August 20, 2010 | Las Vegas | United States | Las Vegas Hilton | | — | — |
| August 21, 2010 | Las Vegas | United States | Las Vegas Hilton | | — | — |
| August 22, 2010 | Jackpot | United States | Cactus Pete's | | — | — |
| August 24, 2010 | Lancaster | United States | Antelope Valley Fair | | — | — |
| August 25, 2010 | Livermore | United States | Wente Vineyards | | — | — |
| August 27, 2010 | Salem | United States | L.B. Day Comcast Amphitheatre | | — | — |
| August 29, 2010 | Snoqualmie | United States | Snoqualmie Casino | | — | — |
| September 2, 2010 | Avila Beach | United States | Avila Beach Golf Resort | Tommy Castro | — | — |
| September 3, 2010 | Mountain View | United States | Shoreline Amphitheatre | Eagles of Death Metal | — | — |
| September 4, 2010 | Del Mar | United States | Del Mar Racetrack | | — | — |
| September 5, 2010 | Laughlin | United States | Aquarius Casino Resort | | — | — |
| September 9, 2010 | Orillia | Canada | Casino Rama Entertainment Centre | | — | — |
| September 10, 2010 | Orillia | Canada | Casino Rama Entertainment Centre | | — | — |
| September 12, 2010 | New York City | United States | Beacon Theatre | Moreland and Arbuckle | 4,342 / 5,162 | $264,689 |
| September 13, 2010 | New York City | United States | Beacon Theatre | Moreland and Arbuckle | 4,342 / 5,162 | $264,689 |
| September 14, 2010 | Richmond | United States | National Theater | Barrelhouse | — | — |
| September 16, 2010 | Tampa | United States | St. Pete Times Forum | | 14,369 / 16,755 | $1,135,296 |
| September 18, 2010 | Raleigh | United States | Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion | | 18,456 / 19,669 | $693,042 |
| September 19, 2010 | Charlotte | United States | Verizon Wireless Amphitheater | | 16,311 / 18,739 | $677,372 |
| September 21, 2010 | Dallas | United States | Superpages.com Center | | 14,320 / 18,000 | $787,276 |
| September 23, 2010 | Tulsa | United States | BOK Center | | 12,887 / 13,222 | $1,055,145 |
| September 24, 2010 | The Woodlands | United States | Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | | 15,871 / 15,871 | $1,053,362 |
| September 26, 2010 | Phoenix | United States | US Airways Center | | — | — |
| September 28, 2010 | Chula Vista | United States | Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre | | — | — |
| October 1, 2010 | Los Angeles | United States | Hollywood Bowl | | 17,415 / 17,415 | $1,691,714 |
| October 2, 2010 | Irvine | United States | Verizon Wireless Amphitheater | | 14,932 / 14,932 | $1,096,208 |
| Leg 4: Europe |||||||
| October 14, 2010 | Graz | Austria | Stadthalle Graz | | — | — |
| October 15, 2010 | Zürich | Switzerland | Hallenstadion | The Doobie Brothers | — | — |
| October 16, 2010 | Paris | France | Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy | The Doobie Brothers | 8,031 / 9,286 | $758,389 |
| October 18, 2010 | Brussels | Belgium | Forest National | The Doobie Brothers | — | — |
| October 19, 2010 | Enschede | Netherlands | Go Planet Expo Hall | The Doobie Brothers | — | — |
| October 21, 2010 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Forum Copenhagen | The Doobie Brothers | — | — |
| October 22, 2010 | Gothenburg | Sweden | Scandinavium | The Doobie Brothers | — | — |
| October 23, 2010 | Oslo | Norway | Oslo Spektrum | The Doobie Brothers | — | — |
| October 24, 2010 | Stockholm | Sweden | Annexet | | — | — |
| October 27, 2010 | Saint Petersburg | Russia | Yubileyny Sports Palace | | — | — |
| October 29, 2010 | Moscow | Russia | Crocus City Hall | | — | — |

## Citations

* ↑ ZZTop.com 2009a.
* ↑ ZZTop.com 2009b
* ↑ ZZTop.com 2010a
* ↑ ZZTop.com 2010b.
* ↑ ZZTop.com 2010c.
* ↑ ZZTop.com 2010d
* ↑ Vozick-Levinson 2010.
* ↑ ZZTop.com 2010e.
* ↑ Warren 2010.
* ↑ Bickel 2010.
* ↑ WBLM 2010.
* ↑ visitOSLO 2010.
* 1 2 MA Lighting 2007.
* 1 2 Harvey 2010.
* 1 2 Telefunken 2010.
* ↑ Martin Audio 2010.
* ↑ Prown & Sharken 2003.
* 1 2 3 Link 2010.
* ↑ Douglas 2005
* ↑ ZZTop.com 2010f.
* ↑ ZZTop.com 2010g.
* ↑ Jaime Castaneda 2008.