# Worldwide Texas Tour

The Worldwide Texas Tour was a concert tour by American rock band ZZ Top. Arranged in support of their 1975 album Fandango!, the band visited arenas, stadiums, and auditoriums from 1976 to 1977. The elaborate stage production was designed to bring Texas to national audiences, with regional fauna and flora.
Encompassing five legs and 97 shows, the tour began in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on May 29, 1976, and ended in Fort Worth, Texas on December 31, 1977. The band's 1976 album Tejas, which elaborated on the tour's artistic theme, was recorded during a break in the tour, and its songs were played in 1977. In 2008, Guitar World′s Alan di Perna called it "one of the most ambitious and bizarre tours in all of rock history".

## Background

ZZ Top's 1973 album Tres Hombres and supporting single "La Grange" brought them commercial and critical success in the United States. They gained a reputation as one of the top rock acts in the country and earned them the nickname "that little ol' band from Texas". On September 1, 1974, ZZ Top performed at Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. The concert—photographs of which were used for their 1975 Fandango! album—was the last at the stadium until the Eagles performed there in 1995, as the artificial turf was damaged by rowdy fans. In 2008, guitarist and vocalist Billy Gibbons recalled the concert as a "great, great event".

## Design and production

The Worldwide Texas Tour stage was designed by Bill Narum, who also designed ZZ Top's album covers and tour posters. Whereas ZZ Top had previously used simple productions, the tour stage was an elaborate setup designed to "bring Texas to the people". It included a 63-by-48 foot (19-by-15 m) stage that was tilted at a four-degree angle, which resembled the shape of Texas and weighed 35 tons (70,000 lbs), costing a reported US$100,000. The stage was constructed in a seven-hour process with the help of 40 crew members. The set's backdrop was a 180-foot (55 m) three-dimensional panorama that used five scrims measuring 36-by-20 feet (11-by-6 m), which were hand-painted and individually lit to show dawn and dusk effects.
The presentation also included live animals such as a longhorn steer, black buffalo, two vultures, and two rattlesnakes, and plants such as yucca, agave, and cacti. Over US$140,000 was spent to ensure that the animals were healthy, traveling under the supervision of an animal expert and veterinarian. The set used 260 speakers and 130 light fixtures, using over 136,000 watts of power. A crew of 50 people traveled in a series of 13 vehicles to transport 75 tons (150,000 lbs) of equipment. The entire production and crew were insured for $10 million.

## Planning, itinerary, and ticketing

Rehearsals began in May 1976 at Astroarena in Houston. The band and crew spent a week rehearsing the show, constructing and adjusting the stage set. Unlike many of the group's previous tours, which began around the release of a new album, the Worldwide Texas Tour started over a year after Fandango! was released, allowing fans the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the songs. By opening night, the album had already been certified gold in the United States and sold over one million copies in Canada. The first leg of the tour, 30 shows in the US, alternated between stadiums and arenas. It didn't start off well as four days of heavy rain and hailstorms preceded the opening show at Groves Stadium, which decreased ticket sales to 20,000. Concerts in Europe, Japan, Australia, and Mexico were cancelled due to quarantine restrictions for buffalo.
The band's recorded their 1976 album Tejas after the second leg in the tour, and played its songs in 1977. By the time the third US leg began, Tejas had sold more than half a million copies in the US. The leg, which began in February 1977, was the band's first full arena leg of the tour. Tickets for two shows at The Summit in Houston sold out in less than twelve hours.
Ticket prices for outdoor venues were US$8.50 in advance and $10 on the day of the show, while indoor venues were $6 in advance and $7 at the door. At its conclusion, the Worldwide Texas Tour sold over 1.2 million tickets. In 2008, Guitar World′s Alan di Perna called it "one of the most ambitious and bizarre tours in all of rock history".

## Setlist

* "Thunderbird" (The Nightcaps cover)
* "Chevrolet"
* "Precious and Grace"
* "Waitin' for the Bus"
* "Jesus Just Left Chicago"
* "Enjoy and Get It On"
* "Pan Am Highway Blues"
* "It's Only Love"
* "Ten Dollar Man"
* "Move Me on Down the Line"
* "Heard It on the X"
* "Arrested for Driving While Blind"
* "Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings"
* "She's a Heartbreaker"
* "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers"
* "Blue Jean Blues"
* "Rattlesnake Shake" (Fleetwood Mac cover)
* "La Grange" (contains excerpts of "Sloppy Drunk Blues" and "Bar-B-Q")
* "Mexican Blackbird"
* "Backdoor Love Affair"
* "Tush"
* "Goin' Down to Mexico"
* "Backdoor Medley" (contains excerpts of "Backdoor Love Affair", Little Walter's "Mellow Down Easy", and "Long Distance Boogie")
* "Shiek"
* "Thunderbird"
* "Chevrolet"
* "Precious and Grace"
* "Waitin' for the Bus"
* "Jesus Just Left Chicago"
* "Enjoy and Get It On"
* "Pan Am Highway Blues"
* "Move Me on Down the Line"
* "It's Only Love"
* "Ten Dollar Man"
* "Heard It on the X"
* "Arrested for Driving While Blind"
* "Balinese"
* "Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings"
* "She's a Heartbreaker"
* "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers"
* "Blue Jean Blues"
* "Rattlesnake Shake"
* "La Grange/Sloppy Drunk Blues/Bar-B-Q"
* "Mexican Blackbird"
* "El Diablo"
* "Tush"
* "Thunderbird"
* "Chevrolet"
* "Precious and Grace"
* "Waitin' for the Bus"
* "Jesus Just Left Chicago"
* "Enjoy and Get It On"
* "Pan Am Highway Blues"
* "Move Me on Down the Line"
* "It's Only Love"
* "Ten Dollar Man"
* "Heard It on the X"
* "Arrested for Driving While Blind"
* "Balinese"
* "Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings"
* "She's a Heartbreaker"
* "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers"
* "Blue Jean Blues"
* "Rattlesnake Shake"
* "La Grange/Sloppy Drunk Blues/Bar-B-Q"
* "Mexican Blackbird"
* "El Diablo"
* "Goin' Down to Mexico"
* "Tush"
* "Backdoor Medley"
* "I Thank You"
* "Neighbor, Neighbor"
* "Precious and Grace"
* "Waitin' for the Bus"
* "Jesus Just Left Chicago"
* "Down Brownie"
* "Ko Ko Blues"
* "It's Only Love"
* "Ten Dollar Man"
* "Heard It on the X"
* "Arrested for Driving While Blind"
* "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers"
* "Blue Jean Blues"
* "La Grange/Sloppy Drunk Blues/Bar-B-Q"
* "Mexican Blackbird"
* "Tush"

## 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: arenas and stadiums in the United States |||||||
| May 29, 1976 | Winston-Salem | United States | Groves Stadium | Lynyrd Skynyrd, Point Blank | — | — |
| June 2, 1976 | Norfolk | United States | Norfolk Scope | Wet Willie | 8,309 / 12,000 | — |
| June 3, 1976 | Richmond | United States | Richmond Coliseum | | — | — |
| June 5, 1976 | Atlanta | United States | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | Marshall Tucker Band, Elvin Bishop | 45,000 / 65,000 | $425,000 |
| June 6, 1976 | Knoxville | United States | Knoxville Civic Coliseum | | — | — |
| June 7, 1976 | Louisville | United States | Freedom Hall | | — | — |
| June 12, 1976 | Pittsburgh | United States | Three Rivers Stadium | Aerosmith, Point Blank | 47,705 / 65,000 | $425,000 |
| June 20, 1976 | Jacksonville | United States | Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum | Elvin Bishop, Jay Boy Adams | — | — |
| June 23, 1976 | Niagara Falls | United States | Niagara Falls Convention Center | Blue Öyster Cult, Starz | — | — |
| June 24, 1976 | Binghamton | United States | Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena | | — | — |
| June 25, 1976 | South Yarmouth | United States | Cape Cod Coliseum | Blue Öyster Cult, Starz | — | — |
| June 26, 1976 | Philadelphia | United States | Philadelphia Spectrum | Blue Öyster Cult, Ted Nugent | 18,209 / 19,500 | $104,568 |
| June 28, 1976 | Richfield | United States | Coliseum at Richfield | Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band | — | — |
| June 29, 1976 | Charleston | United States | Charleston Civic Center | Blue Öyster Cult | — | — |
| July 4, 1976 | Memphis | United States | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium | Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Outlaws | 32,000 / 60,000 | $320,000 |
| July 9, 1976 | Omaha | United States | Omaha Civic Auditorium | | — | — |
| July 11, 1976 | Kansas City | United States | Arrowhead Stadium | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jay Boy Adams | — | — |
| July 14, 1976 | St. Louis | United States | Kiel Auditorium | Pure Prairie League, Jay Boy Adams | — | — |
| July 17, 1976 | New Orleans | United States | Tulane Stadium | The J. Geils Band, Jay Boy Adams | 51,000 / 60,000 | $500,000 |
| July 21, 1976 | Duluth | United States | Duluth Arena Auditorium | The J. Geils Band, Jay Boy Adams | — | — |
| July 23, 1976 | Milwaukee | United States | MECCA Arena | The J. Geils Band, Jay Boy Adams | — | — |
| July 25, 1976 | South Bend | United States | Athletic & Convocation Center | The J. Geils Band, Jay Boy Adams | — | — |
| July 26, 1976 | Clarkston | United States | Pine Knob Music Theatre | REO Speedwagon | — | — |
| July 27, 1976 | Clarkston | United States | Pine Knob Music Theatre | REO Speedwagon | — | — |
| August 1, 1976 | Denver | United States | McNichols Sports Arena | Blue Öyster Cult, The Outlaws | 17,102 / 17,102 | $136,816 |
| August 4, 1976 | Albuquerque | United States | Tingley Coliseum | Jay Boy Adams | — | — |
| August 7, 1976 | Anaheim | United States | Anaheim Stadium | Blue Öyster Cult, Johnny & Edgar Winter | 49,169 / 60,000 | $498,040 |
| August 9, 1976 | San Diego | United States | San Diego Stadium | Blue Öyster Cult, Johnny & Edgar Winter | — | — |
| August 10, 1976 | Fresno | United States | Selland Arena | | — | — |
| August 14, 1976 | Daly City | United States | Cow Palace | Ted Nugent | 14,500 / 14,500 | $79,844 |
| Leg 2: arenas and stadiums in the United States |||||||
| September 10, 1976 | Waterloo | United States | McElroy Auditorium | The Boys | 5,000 / 7,000 | $24,900 |
| September 11, 1976 | Bloomington | United States | Metropolitan Sports Center | Pure Prairie League, Jay Boy Adams | — | — |
| September 12, 1976 | Detroit | United States | Cobo Center | | — | — |
| September 17, 1976 | Bismarck | United States | Bismarck Civic Center | REO Speedwagon | 4,200 / 8,000 | — |
| September 18, 1976 | Billings | United States | Yellowstone METRA | REO Speedwagon | 10,086 / 13,000 | — |
| September 19, 1976 | Laramie | United States | War Memorial Fieldhouse | REO Speedwagon | — | — |
| September 21, 1976 | Salt Lake City | United States | Salt Palace | Roadwork | — | — |
| September 22, 1976 | Las Vegas | United States | Las Vegas Convention Center | | — | — |
| September 24, 1976 | Tucson | United States | Tucson Community Center | | — | — |
| September 25, 1976 | Nashville | United States | Tennessee State Fairgrounds | The Band, Cate Brothers | — | $13,744 |
| September 30, 1976 | Lakeland | United States | Lakeland Civic Center | Point Blank | — | — |
| October 2, 1976 | Hollywood | United States | Hollywood Sportatorium | Point Blank | — | — |
| October 9, 1976 | Tallahassee | United States | Doak Campbell Stadium | Wet Willie, Point Blank | 11,600 / 40,500 | $82,000 |
| October 14, 1976 | Dayton | United States | University of Dayton Arena | Wet Willie | — | — |
| October 16, 1976 | Charlotte | United States | Charlotte Coliseum | Styx | 13,500 / 13,500 | — |
| October 17, 1976 | Columbia | United States | Carolina Coliseum | Styx | — | — |
| October 21, 1976 | Portland | United States | Portland Memorial Coliseum | Elvin Bishop | — | — |
| October 22, 1976 | Spokane | United States | Spokane Coliseum | Elvin Bishop | 6,506 / 8,500 | — |
| October 23, 1976 | Seattle | United States | Seattle Center Coliseum | Elvin Bishop | — | — |
| October 28, 1976 | Pocatello | United States | ASISU MiniDome | | 7,368 / 12,000 | — |
| October 31, 1976 | Kansas City | United States | Kansas City Municipal Auditorium | Rory Gallagher | — | — |
| November 2, 1976 | Oklahoma City | United States | Oklahoma State Fair Arena | | — | — |
| November 4, 1976 | Wichita | United States | Levitt Arena | The Fools | — | — |
| November 7, 1976 | Evansville | United States | Roberts Municipal Stadium | The Fools | 8,007 / 12,732 | $51,686 |
| November 9, 1976 | Toledo | United States | Toledo Sports Arena | Montrose | — | — |
| November 11, 1976 | Landover | United States | Capital Centre | Styx, Elvin Bishop | — | — |
| November 25, 1976 | Houston | United States | The Summit | Rory Gallagher | — | — |
| November 26, 1976 | Houston | United States | The Summit | Rory Gallagher | — | — |
| November 27, 1976 | Fort Worth | United States | Tarrant County Convention Center | Rory Gallagher | — | — |
| November 28, 1976 | Fort Worth | United States | Tarrant County Convention Center | Rory Gallagher | — | — |
| November 30, 1976 | Tulsa | United States | Tulsa Assembly Center | Pure Prairie League | — | — |
| Leg 3: arenas and auditoriums in the United States |||||||
| February 16, 1977 | Madison | United States | Dane County Memorial Coliseum | Head East | — | — |
| February 17, 1977 | Indianapolis | United States | Market Square Arena | Elvin Bishop | — | — |
| February 19, 1977 | Chicago | United States | Chicago Stadium | Atlanta Rhythm Section | — | — |
| February 22, 1977 | Fort Wayne | United States | Allen County War Memorial Coliseum | | — | — |
| February 23, 1977 | Cincinnati | United States | Riverfront Coliseum | Cate Brothers | 11,951 / 17,556 | $78,764 |
| February 24, 1977 | Detroit | United States | Cobo Center | Atlanta Rhythm Section | — | — |
| March 3, 1977 | Portland | United States | Cumberland County Civic Center | The Blend | 7,489 / 9,500 | — |
| March 8, 1977 | Binghamton | United States | Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena | The Dictators | — | — |
| March 9, 1977 | Springfield | United States | Springfield Civic Center | Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band | — | — |
| March 16, 1977 | Boston | United States | Boston Garden | Santana | — | — |
| March 17, 1977 | Boston | United States | Boston Garden | Santana | — | — |
| March 19, 1977 | Jackson | United States | Mississippi Coliseum | Point Blank | — | — |
| March 23, 1977 | Lake Charles | United States | Lake Charles Civic Center | Point Blank | — | — |
| March 25, 1977 | Springfield | United States | Hammons Center Arena | Point Blank | — | — |
| March 26, 1977 | Lincoln | United States | Pershing Auditorium | Styx | — | — |
| March 27, 1977 | Normal | United States | Horton Fieldhouse | Point Blank | — | — |
| April 1, 1977 | Savannah | United States | Savannah Civic Center | Point Blank | — | — |
| April 2, 1977 | Mobile | United States | Mobile Municipal Auditorium | Point Blank | — | — |
| April 3, 1977 | Birmingham | United States | Birmingham–Jefferson Civic Center | Point Blank | — | — |
| April 7, 1977 | Richmond | United States | Richmond Coliseum | Nils Lofgren | — | — |
| April 8, 1977 | Hampton | United States | Hampton Coliseum | Atlanta Rhythm Section, Nils Lofgren | — | — |
| April 9, 1977 | Greensboro | United States | Greensboro Coliseum | Nils Lofgren | — | — |
| April 10, 1977 | Roanoke | United States | Roanoke Civic Center | The Outlaws | — | — |
| April 13, 1977 | Kalamazoo | United States | Wings Stadium | Rush | — | — |
| April 15, 1977 | Johnson City | United States | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Blackfoot | 5,688 / 8,500 | $39,501 |
| April 16, 1977 | Clemson | United States | Littlejohn Coliseum | | — | — |
| April 18, 1977 | Columbia | United States | Hearnes Center | | — | — |
| April 21, 1977 | Rochester | United States | Rochester Community War Memorial | Pure Prairie League | — | — |
| April 23, 1977 | Manchester | United States | John F. Kennedy Memorial Coliseum | The Dictators | — | — |
| April 24, 1977 | Waterbury | United States | Palace Theater | Piper | 3,800 / 3,800 | $28,500 |
| April 30, 1977 | Providence | United States | Providence Civic Center | Foghat | — | — |
| May 6, 1977 | Hays | United States | Gross Memorial Coliseum | | — | — |
| May 7, 1977 | Lawrence | United States | Allen Fieldhouse | Foreigner | — | — |
| Leg 4: arenas and auditoriums in the United States |||||||
| June 7, 1977 | Albuquerque | United States | Tingley Coliseum | Pure Prairie League, Climax Blues Band | — | — |
| June 8, 1977 | Tucson | United States | Tucson Community Center | Pure Prairie League, Climax Blues Band | — | — |
| June 9, 1977 | Tempe | United States | ASU Activity Center | Pure Prairie League, Climax Blues Band | — | — |
| June 11, 1977 | Inglewood | United States | Inglewood Forum | Elvin Bishop | — | — |
| June 14, 1977 | Bakersfield | United States | Bakersfield Civic Auditorium | Elvin Bishop | — | — |
| June 15, 1977 | San Diego | United States | San Diego Sports Arena | Elvin Bishop | 9,921 / 14,800 | $65,768 |
| June 18, 1977 | El Paso | United States | El Paso County Coliseum | Point Blank | — | — |
| June 21, 1977 | Fresno | United States | Selland Arena | Elvin Bishop | — | — |
| June 22, 1977 | San Bernardino | United States | Swing Auditorium | Elvin Bishop | — | — |
| June 24, 1977 | Daly City | United States | Cow Palace | Elvin Bishop | 9,167 / 14,000 | $62,039 |
| July 1, 1977 | Honolulu | United States | Neal S. Blaisdell Center | Yellow Rose Band | — | — |
| July 2, 1977 | Honolulu | United States | Neal S. Blaisdell Center | Yellow Rose Band | — | — |
| July 9, 1977 | Fargo | United States | North Dakota State University | | — | — |
| July 10, 1977 | Rapid City | United States | Rushmore Plaza Civic Center | Burton Cummings | — | — |
| Leg 5: arenas and auditoriums in the United States |||||||
| December 28, 1977 | Shreveport | United States | Hirsch Memorial Coliseum | Sea Level | — | — |
| December 29, 1977 | Abilene | United States | Taylor County Expo Center | Muddy Waters, Jay Boy Adams | — | — |
| December 30, 1977 | San Antonio | United States | San Antonio Convention Center | Muddy Waters, The Fools | — | — |
| December 31, 1977 | Fort Worth | United States | Tarrant County Convention Center | Muddy Waters | — | — |
| January 1, 1978 | Amarillo | United States | Amarillo Civic Center | Muddy Waters | — | — |