The El Camino Ocho Tour was a concert tour through North America and Europe, undertaken by American rock band ZZ Top. The tour's concerts were performed in casinos and fairs from May through September 2008. Band members Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill dressed in black biker jackets, along with baseball caps and boots. The El Camino Ocho Tour consisted of three legs and 60 shows. Some of the tour was depicted in the concert film Double Down Live.
| Tour by ZZ Top | |
 | |
| Location |
|
|---|---|
| Start date | May 2, 2008 |
| End date | September 9, 2008 |
| Legs | 3 |
| No. of shows | 60 |
| ZZ Top concert chronology | |
Concert overview
editOut of the 60 shows performed, each had a similar set list, with 16–21 songs performed. The concerts usually began with techno music played through the PA system, during which the band would walk on stage and begin the show.
Main set
editThe first leg of the tour opened with "Gimme All Your Lovin'", while the second and third legs opened with "Got Me Under Pressure". Following the opener, the band performed "Waitin' for the Bus", "Jesus Just Left Chicago", "Chevrolet", and "Pincushion". Every show featured "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide", along with "Heard It on the X", "Just Got Paid", "I Need You Tonight", "Cheap Sunglasses", and "Planet of Women". "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs" were also included.
Encores
editThe encores typically started with "Tube Snake Boogie". This segued into a medley of "La Grange", "Sloppy Drunk Blues", and "Bar-B-Q". The encores usually closed out with "Tush". "Jailhouse Rock" was also occasionally performed.
Additional songs
editA total of 24 different songs were played throughout the tour. "My Head's In Mississippi" was featured as a snippet for a few shows. "I Thank You" was played for the first nine concerts. "It's Only Love" from the Tejas album was eventually dropped from the main set due to technical errors.[1]
Reception
editDespite the fact that the band didn't have a new album to tour with, El Camino Ocho received generally positive reviews. Many reviews did state Gibbons' voice as being "gruff"[2] or "throaty-sounding",[3] and compared to "road gravel".[1] His guitar playing, however, was well received by audiences. The Toronto Sun gave a rating of 4 out of 5 for the concert on August 24, 2008.[3]
Post-tour
editDouble Down Live
editThe tour was filmed for future DVD release by Jamie Burton Chamberlin. In October 2009, Eagle Vision released Double Down Live, which combined footage from the tour, and featured 4 of the 11 songs being filmed during the tour. An interview was included in the DVD, filmed before the concert at Zénith de Paris.
Tour dates
edit| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening act(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leg 1: North America | ||||
| May 2, 2008 | Bossier City | United States | Horseshoe Bossier City | |
| May 7, 2008 | Tucson | AVA Amphitheater | Rosie Flores | |
| May 9, 2008 | Dixon | Dixon May Fair | ||
| May 10, 2008 | Valley Center | Harrah's Rincon | ||
| May 15, 2008 | Austin | The Backyard | Rosie Flores | |
| May 16, 2008 | Corpus Christi | American Bank Center Arena | Sun Salutation | |
| May 22, 2008 | St. Augustine | St. Augustine Amphitheatre | Blackberry Smoke | |
| May 23, 2008 | Orange Beach | The Amphitheater at the Wharf | 38 Special | |
| May 24, 2008 | Robinsonville | Harrah's Casino Tunica | ||
| May 25, 2008 | Little Rock | RiverFest | 38 Special, Bucket of Blues | |
| May 29, 2008 | Pelham | Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre | Zac Brown Band | |
| May 30, 2008 | Johnson City | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Joe Diffie | |
| May 31, 2008 | Fort Knox | Godman Army Airfield | Blackberry Smoke | |
| June 3, 2008 | Knoxville | Tennessee Theatre | ||
| June 5, 2008 | Marksville | Paragon Casino Resort | ||
| June 6, 2008 | Enterprise | BamaJam | Trace Adkins, Tracy Lawrence | |
| June 7, 2008 | Atlanta | Chastain Park Amphitheatre | Zac Brown Band | |
| June 8, 2008 | North Charleston | North Charleston Coliseum | Blackberry Smoke | |
| June 12, 2008 | Chattanooga | Riverbend Festival | Steel Mill | |
| June 13, 2008 | Jackson | Jubilee! Jam | Blind Melon, Eric Church | |
| June 14, 2008 | Valdosta | Wild Adventures | Blackberry Smoke | |
| June 17, 2008 | Solomons | Calvert Marine Museum | ||
| June 19, 2008 | Gilford | Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion | ||
| June 20, 2008 | Wallingford | Chevrolet Theatre | ||
| June 21, 2008 | Rutland | Vermont State Fairgrounds | ||
| June 22, 2008 | Aberdeen | Aberdeen Proving Ground | ||
| Leg 2: Europe | ||||
| July 4, 2008 | Porto | Portugal | Parque da Cidade | Love and Rockets, David Fonseca |
| July 6, 2008 | Bilbao | Spain | Bilbao BBK Live | Riders on the Storm, The Blues Brothers |
| July 7, 2008 | Carcassonne | France | Théâtre Jean-Deschamps | |
| July 8, 2008 | Lyon | Halle Tony Garnier | ||
| July 10, 2008 | Paris | Zénith de Paris | ||
| July 11, 2008 | Bonn | Germany | Museumsmeile | |
| July 12, 2008 | Potsdam | Lustwiese | Thin Lizzy, Free | |
| July 13, 2008 | Weert | Netherlands | Bospop | Europe, Ted Nugent |
| July 15, 2008 | Differdange | Luxembourg | Aréna du Centenaire | Lance Lopez |
| July 16, 2008 | Singen | Germany | Hohentwielfestival | |
| July 18, 2008 | Carhaix | France | Vieilles Charrues Festival | Christophe Maé, Yael Naim |
| July 20, 2008 | Six-Fours-les-Plages | Festival Les Voix du Gaou | Steve Lukather | |
| July 21, 2008 | Monte Carlo | Monaco | Sporting Summer Festival | |
| Leg 3: North America | ||||
| August 1, 2008 | Albuquerque | United States | Journal Pavilion | Brooks & Dunn, Rodney Atkins |
| August 2, 2008 | Phoenix | Cricket Wireless Pavilion | ||
| August 3, 2008 | San Bernardino | San Manuel Amphitheater | ||
| August 5, 2008 | Nampa | Idaho Center Amphitheater | Steve Richard | |
| August 7, 2008 | Sturgis | Buffalo Chip Campground | Sugarland | |
| August 8, 2008 | Vancouver | Canada | General Motors Place | Rodney Atkins |
| August 9, 2008 | Auburn | United States | White River Amphitheatre | Brooks & Dunn, Rodney Atkins |
| August 14, 2008 | Louisville | Freedom Hall | ||
| August 15, 2008 | Springfield | Illinois State Fairgrounds Grandstand | Brooks & Dunn, Heidi Newfield | |
| August 16, 2008 | Omaha | Qwest Center Omaha | Brooks & Dunn, Justin Moore | |
| August 17, 2008 | Oklahoma City | Ford Center | Brooks & Dunn, Rodney Atkins | |
| August 23, 2008 | Clarkston | DTE Energy Music Theatre | ||
| August 24, 2008 | Toronto | Canada | Molson Canadian Amphitheatre | |
| August 25, 2008 | Syracuse | United States | Mohegan Sun Grandstand | Brooks & Dunn, James Otto |
| August 26, 2008 | Allentown | Allentown Fairgrounds | ||
| August 29, 2008 | Milwaukee | Henry Maier Festival Park | Gary Allan, Fisher Stevenson | |
| August 31, 2008 | Fort Leonard Wood | Fort Leonard Wood | Bowling for Soup | |
| September 5, 2008 | Charlotte | Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre | Rodney Atkins | |
| September 6, 2008 | Raleigh | Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion | Brooks & Dunn, Rodney Atkins | |
| September 7, 2008 | Charlottesville | John Paul Jones Arena | Rodney Atkins | |
| September 9, 2008 | York | York Fairgrounds | ||
| Leg 4: North America ("In Your Face") | ||||
| September 26, 2008 | Wichita | United States | Century II Concert Hall | Blackberry Smoke |
| September 27, 2008 | Fort Smith | Fort Smith Convention Center | ||
| September 28, 2008 | Tulsa | SpiritBank Event Center | ||
| September 30, 2008 | St. Louis | Fox Theatre | ||
| October 1, 2008 | Kansas City | Midland Theatre | ||
| October 3, 2008 | Nashville | Ryman Auditorium | ||
| October 4, 2008 | Huntington | Keith-Albee Theatre | ||
| October 5, 2008 | Cleveland | Allen Theatre | ||
| October 10, 2008 | Columbus | Palace Theatre | ||
| October 11, 2008 | Indianapolis | Murat Theatre | ||
| October 12, 2008 | Milwaukee | Riverside Theater | ||
| October 15, 2008 | Pittsburgh | Post-Gazette Pavilion | Brooks & Dunn, Rodney Atkins | |
| October 16, 2008 | Tinley Park | First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre | ||
| October 17, 2008 | Minneapolis | Orpheum Theatre | Blackberry Smoke | |
| October 18, 2008 | Grand Forks | Chester Fritz Auditorium | ||
| October 19, 2008 | Sioux Falls | Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science | ||
| October 22, 2008 | Portland | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall | ||
| October 23, 2008 | Pullman | Beasley Coliseum | ||
| October 26, 2008 | Pomona | Fairplex | The Tubes, Georgia Satellites | |
| October 30, 2008 | Colorado Springs | Pikes Peak Center | Blackberry Smoke | |
| October 31, 2008 | Denver | Paramount Theatre | ||
| November 1, 2008 | Amarillo | Amarillo Civic Center Auditorium | ||
References
edit- ^ a b Beets, Greg (May 23, 2008). "Texas Platters – ZZ Top: Backyard, May 15". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
- ^ Grant, Devin (June 12, 2008). "ZZ Top blows the roof off the PAC". The Post and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
- ^ a b Stevenson, Jane (August 25, 2008). "ZZ Top going strong". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
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