El Camino Ocho Tour
| Concert by ZZ Top | |
 | |
| Location | North America, Europe |
|---|---|
| Start date | May 2, 2008 |
| End date | September 9, 2008 |
| Legs | 3 |
| No. of shows | 62 |
| ZZ Top concert chronology | |
The El Camino Ocho Tour was a concert tour by 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 62 shows. Some of the tour was depicted in the concert film Double Down Live.
Concert overview
Out of the 62 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
The 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
The 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
A 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
Despite 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
Double Down Live
The 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
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening Act(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leg 1: arenas and amphitheaters in North America | ||||
| May 2, 2008 | Bossier City | United States | Horseshoe Riverdome | |
| May 7, 2008 | Tucson | AVA Amphitheater | ||
| May 9, 2008 | Dixon | Dixon May Fair | Houston Jones | |
| May 10, 2008 | Valley Center | Harrah's Rincon | ||
| May 15, 2008 | Austin | The Backyard | ||
| May 16, 2008 | Corpus Christi | American Bank Center | Sun Salutation | |
| May 22, 2008 | St. Augustine | St. Augustine Amphitheatre | Blackberry Smoke | |
| May 23, 2008 | Orange Beach | Amphitheater at the Wharf | 38 Special | |
| May 24, 2008 | Robinsonville | Grand Casino Event Center | ||
| May 25, 2008 | Little Rock | North Shore Riverwalk (Riverfest) |
38 Special Bucket of Blues | |
| May 29, 2008 | Pelham | Verizon Wireless Music Center | Zac Brown Band | |
| May 30, 2008 | Johnson City | Freedom Hall Civic Center | ||
| 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 | Main stage (BamaJam Music & Arts Festival) |
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 | ||
| June 13, 2008 | Jackson | Golden Moon Casino Stage (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 Pavilion | ||
| June 20, 2008 | Wallingford | Chevrolet Theatre | ||
| June 21, 2008 | Rutland | Vermont State Fairgrounds (Summer Extravaganza) | ||
| June 22, 2008 | Aberdeen | Aberdeen Proving Ground | ||
| Leg 2: arenas and festivals in Europe | ||||
| July 4, 2008 | Oporto | Portugal | Parque da Cidade (Super Bock Super Rock) |
Love and Rockets David Fonseca |
| July 6, 2008 | Bilbao | Spain | Kobetamendi (Bilbao BBK Live) |
Riders on the Storm The Blues Brothers |
| July 7, 2008 | Carcassonne | France | Théâtre Jean-Deschamps (Festival des 2 Cités) | |
| July 8, 2008 | Lyon | Halle Tony Garnier | ||
| July 10, 2008 | Paris | Le Zénith | ||
| July 11, 2008 | Bonn | Germany | Museumsplatz | |
| July 12, 2008 | Potsdam | Lustgarten (Stadtwerke Festival) |
Thin Lizzy Free | |
| July 13, 2008 | Weert | Netherlands | Sportpark Boshoven (Bospop) |
Europe Ted Nugent |
| July 15, 2008 | Differdange | Luxembourg | Aréna du Centenaire | |
| July 16, 2008 | Singen | Germany | Hohentwiel Festival | |
| July 18, 2008 | Carhaix | France | Vieilles Charrues Festival | Christophe Maé |
| July 20, 2008 | Six-Fours-les-Plages | Voix du Gaou | Steve Lukather | |
| July 21, 2008 | Monte Carlo | Monaco | Salle des Étoiles (Sporting Summer Festival) | |
| Leg 3: arenas and amphitheaters in North America | ||||
| August 1, 2008 | Albuquerque | United States | ABQ 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 | Rodney Atkins | |
| August 15, 2008 | Springfield | Illinois State Fair | Brooks & Dunn | |
| August 16, 2008 | Omaha | Qwest Center | Brooks & Dunn, Justin Moore | |
| August 17, 2008 | Oklahoma City | Ford Center | Brooks & Dunn, Rodney Atkins | |
| August 23, 2008 | Clarkston | DTE Energy Music Theatre | Rodney Atkins | |
| August 24, 2008 | Toronto | Canada | Molson Amphitheatre | Brooks & Dunn, Rodney Atkins |
| August 25, 2008 | Syracuse | United States | Great New York State Fair | |
| August 26, 2008 | Allentown | Allentown Fairgrounds (Great Allentown Fair) |
Brooks & Dunn James Otto | |
| August 29, 2008 | Milwaukee | Summerfest Grounds (Harley-Davidson 105th Anniversary Celebration) |
Gary Allan Fisher Stevenson Amanda Overmyer | |
| 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 | Walnut Creek Amphitheatre | Brooks & Dunn, Rodney Atkins | |
| September 7, 2008 | Charlottesville | John Paul Jones Arena | Rodney Atkins | |
| September 9, 2008 | York | York Fair | ||
| Leg 4: small theaters in North America ("In Your Face") | ||||
| September 26, 2008 | Wichita | United States | Century II Convention 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 | Indianapolis | Orpheum Theatre | Blackberry Smoke | |
| October 18, 2008 | Grand Forks | Chester Fritz Auditorium | ||
| October 19, 2008 | Sioux Falls | Washington Pavilion | ||
| October 22, 2008 | Portland | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall | ||
| October 23, 2008 | Pullman | Beasley Coliseum | ||
| October 30, 2008 | Colorado Springs | Pikes Peak Center | ||
| October 31, 2008 | Denver | Paramount Theatre | ||
| November 1, 2008 | Amarillo | Amarillo Civic Center Auditorium | ||
References
- 1 2 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.
- 1 2 Stevenson, Jane (August 25, 2008). "ZZ Top going strong". Toronto Sun. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
