ZZ Top tickets for new Austin venue go on sale

ZZ Top will play the first concert at Austin's new United Heritage Hall on March 18, 2027. Tickets for the show went on sale on Friday, October 23. The performance marks the opening event for the new music venue.

The band is set to perform at a venue that will host its inaugural concert in roughly five months. The sale of tickets began last week. This event is the first scheduled for the United Heritage Hall.

The Doobie Brothers recently performed in the same city. Patrick Simmons, a founding member of the group, was born on October 19, 1948. He is 78 years old. Simmons has been the band's longest-serving guitarist since 1970. Tom Johnston is the other original member who has remained with the group for the second longest period.

Simmons wrote and sang the song "Black Water" from the 1974 album What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits. The track draws on the band's swamp rock style and references the Mississippi River. The lyrics were likely inspired by Mark Twain's novels, specifically the characters Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer.

The Doobie Brothers also performed "China Grove" on radio airplays. The song appears on the 1973 album The Captain and Me. Tom Johnston wrote the track. He stated that he did not have the real town of China Grove, located just outside San Antonio, in mind when he wrote the lyrics. However, he recalled seeing signs for the location while driving through Texas years before writing the song. He forgot the details until he was interviewed about the song later.

The group also played "Jesus is Just Alright" from the 1972 album Toulouse Street. The song originated with the gospel act The Art Reynolds Singers in 1966. The Byrds covered it in 1969. The Underground Sunshine covered it in 1970. The Doobie Brothers' version reached number 35 on the charts. This was the highest chart position achieved by any version of the song. Simmons added a vocal breakdown in the middle of the track where he preaches the line "Jesus, He's my friend.."

Bob Seger's ninth album, Night Moves, was released in 1976. This month marks the 50th anniversary of that release. The album pushed Seger into nationwide recognition. It was his first album to receive Platinum certification. It eventually went five times platinum. The album also credited his primary backing musicians, the Silver Bullet Band, for the first time. They performed on five of the nine songs on the record. The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section backed the other tracks.

Seger included the title track "Night Moves" on the album. The song reflects on falling in love during adolescence and viewing it in adulthood. He also recorded "Rock and Roll Never Forgets." Seger described that song as an honest appraisal of where he was in life at that moment. The track serves as a message to people approaching middle age to continue enjoying music and life. The album also featured "Mainstreet," a song about Seger's high school years. That track featured the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.

Jimi Hendrix released the single "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" in the United Kingdom in 1970. The release came one month after his death in London. It was his only number one single in the UK. The single was backed by "Hey Joe" and a cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower." Both B-sides were also from the album Electric Ladyland.