Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers Tour
The Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers Tour was a concert tour through North America and Europe, undertaken by American rock band ZZ Top.[1] [2]Arranged in support of their 2003 album Mescalero, the band visited arenas, amphitheaters, and festivals from 2003 to 2004. To match the artistic theme that the group created with Mescalero, the tour was intended to differ from their past and surpass expectations of the band. Contrary to ZZ Top's elaborately staged multimedia events from previous tours, the Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers Tour was a modest stage setup. It utilized minimalism by adorning "Mescalero" themed props on its stage. To escape their reputation for using stage gimmicks, ZZ Top embodied a more staid and focused image on tour. The Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers Tour was central to Mescalero′s success.
World tour by ZZ Top | |
Location | North America, Europe |
---|---|
Associated album | Mescalero |
Start date | April 25, 2003 |
End date | September 25, 2004 |
Legs | 5 |
No. of shows | 137 |
ZZ Top concert chronology |
The tour's concept was inspired by resemblances of Mexico and the American Southwest. The stage featured a plaster model of a cantina doorway that was decorated with glitter and neon finish. Day of the Dead skeletons, sombreros and a toast were incorporated into the shows. On stage, both Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill donned several costumes they designed, including rhinestone-embellished serapes, jackets, and oversized cowboy hats. In contrast to other ZZ Top tours, each of the Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers shows opened with four to ten consecutive older songs before newer material was played.
Consisting of five legs and 137 shows, the tour began in Bossier City, Louisiana on April 25, 2003 and ended in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 25, 2004. The band visited the United States, Europe, and Mexico during the first four legs, before the final leg alternated with visits between the US and Canada. After the first four legs, the tour's itinerary was expanded for fairs, festivals, and casinos during the final leg, which was branded accordingly as a summer excursion. Although the tour provoked a variety of reactions from music critics, it was generally well-received. Along with being one of the top-grossing North American tours of 2003 and 2004, Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers sold over half-a-million tickets over its five legs. The band's compilation albums, Chrome, Smoke & BBQ and Rancho Texicano, were released during breaks in the tour, and most of their songs were incorporated into the main set. Critics held the Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers Tour in high regard—in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Scott McLennan described the show as "a joyride".[3]
Tour dates
Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening Act(s) | Attendance | Revenue |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leg 1: arenas and amphitheaters in the United States[4] | ||||||
April 25, 2003 | Bossier City | United States | CenturyTel Center | Ted Nugent | 6,300 / 7,500 | $248,850 |
April 26, 2003 | Birmingham | Oak Mountain Amphitheatre | Ted Nugent, Gov't Mule | N/A | N/A | |
April 29, 2003 | Selma | Verizon Wireless Amphitheater | Kenny Wayne Shepherd | |||
April 30, 2003 | Laredo | Laredo Entertainment Center | ||||
May 2, 2003 | Jackson | Mississippi Coliseum | Ted Nugent | |||
May 3, 2003 | Oklahoma City | Ford Center | 7,961 / 10,000 | $314,460 | ||
May 4, 2003 | Memphis | Tom Lee Park | Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Cowboy Mouth | N/A | N/A | |
May 7, 2003 | West Palm Beach | Sound Advice Amphitheatre | Ted Nugent, Kenny Wayne Shepherd | |||
May 9, 2003 | Raleigh | Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek | ||||
May 10, 2003 | Charlotte | Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte | ||||
May 11, 2003 | Virginia Beach | Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater | ||||
May 13, 2003 | Bristow | Nissan Pavilion | ||||
May 14, 2003 | Columbus | Germain Amphitheater | ||||
May 16, 2003 | Pittsburgh | Post Gazette Pavilion | ||||
May 17, 2003 | Noblesville | Verizon Wireless Music Center | 9,594 / 24,790 | |||
May 18, 2003 | Cleveland | Tower City Amphitheater | N/A | |||
May 20, 2003 | Mansfield | Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts | ||||
May 21, 2003 | Camden | Tweeter Center at the Waterfront | ||||
May 23, 2003 | Clarkston | DTE Energy Music Theatre | Kenny Wayne Shepherd | 15,202 / 15,202 | $366,578 | |
May 24, 2003 | Tinley Park | Tweeter Center Chicago | Ted Nugent, Kenny Wayne Shepherd | N/A | N/A | |
May 25, 2003 | East Troy | Alpine Valley Music Theatre | 5,791 / 37,000 | $221,422 | ||
May 28, 2003 | Cincinnati | Riverbend Music Center | N/A | N/A | ||
May 30, 2003 | Nashville | AmSouth Amphitheatre | ||||
May 31, 2003 | Maryland Heights | UMB Bank Pavilion | ||||
June 1, 2003 | Bonner Springs | Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Kansas City | ||||
June 3, 2003 | Albuquerque | Journal Pavilion | ||||
June 4, 2003 | Phoenix | Cricket Wireless Pavilion | ||||
June 6, 2003 | Marysville | Sleep Train Amphitheatre | ||||
June 7, 2003 | Devore | Hyundai Pavilion | ||||
June 8, 2003 | Mountain View | Shoreline Amphitheatre | ||||
June 12, 2003 | Tulsa | Tulsa Convention Center | Kenny Wayne Shepherd | |||
June 13, 2003 | Austin | Frank Erwin Center | ||||
June 14, 2003 | Dallas | American Airlines Center | ||||
June 17, 2003 | New Orleans | UNO Lakefront Arena | Ted Nugent | |||
June 18, 2003 | Pensacola | Pensacola Civic Center | ||||
June 20, 2003 | Orlando | TD Waterhouse Centre | ||||
June 21, 2003 | Duluth | Arena at Gwinnett Center | ||||
Leg 2: arenas and festivals in Europe[4] | ||||||
July 4, 2003 | Sundsvall | Sweden | Stora Scenen | GES, Dilba | N/A | N/A |
July 5, 2003 | Sunne | Rottneros Park | ||||
July 6, 2003 | Oslo | Norway | Rockefeller Music Hall | |||
July 8, 2003 | Schwerin | Germany | Sport- und Kongresshalle | Mike Tramp | ||
July 9, 2003 | Bonn | Museumsplatz | ||||
July 11, 2003 | Weert | Netherlands | Bospop | Gary Moore, Motörhead | ||
July 12, 2003 | Oberkorn | Luxembourg | Centre Sportif de Differdange | Born | ||
July 14, 2003 | Montereau | France | Parc des Noues | Van Wilks, Reverend Blues Gang | 2,700 / 10,000 | |
July 16, 2003 | Helsinki | Finland | Helsinki Olympic Stadium | The Hellacopters | N/A | |
July 18, 2003 | Erfurt | Germany | Messe Erfurt | Mike Tramp | ||
July 20, 2003 | Montreux | Switzerland | Auditorium Stravinski | Krokus | ||
July 21, 2003 | Zürich | Landesmuseum Zürich | Le Vibrazioni | |||
July 23, 2003 | Budapest | Hungary | Petofi Csarnok | |||
July 24, 2003 | Dresden | Germany | Elbe | Mike Tramp | ||
July 25, 2003 | Lauda-Königshofen | Tauber-Franken-Halle | ||||
July 27, 2003 | Birmingham | England | Carling Academy Birmingham | The Vaults | ||
July 28, 2003 | Newcastle | Telewest Arena | ||||
July 29, 2003 | Liverpool | Liverpool Summer Pops | ||||
July 30, 2003 | London | Carling Academy Brixton | ||||
August 1, 2003 | Xanten | Germany | Amphithéâtre de Xanten | Mike Tramp | ||
August 5, 2003 | Hannover | Gilde Parkbühne | ||||
August 6, 2003 | Hamburg | Hamburg Stadtpark | ||||
August 7, 2003 | Skanderborg | Denmark | Smukfest | Kashmir, Robert Plant | ||
August 9, 2003 | Liège | Belgium | Plaine des Templiers | Mass Hysteria, Machiavel | ||
August 11, 2003 | Colmar | France | Théâtre de Plein Air de Colmar | |||
Leg 3: arenas and amphitheaters in the United States[4] | ||||||
August 20, 2003 | Las Vegas | United States | Mandalay Bay Events Center | Franky Perez | N/A | N/A |
August 22, 2003 | Kelseyville | Konocti Field Amphitheatre | ||||
August 23, 2003 | Stateline | Harveys Outdoor Arena | ||||
August 24, 2003 | Lancaster | Antelope Valley Fair | ||||
August 26, 2003 | Englewood | Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre | Jimmie Vaughan | |||
August 27, 2003 | Lincoln | Bob Devaney Sports Center | Franky Perez | |||
August 29, 2003 | Grand Rapids | Van Andel Arena | Ted Nugent | |||
August 31, 2003 | Brookfield | Yankee Lake | Ted Nugent, Left End | |||
September 3, 2003 | Portland | Cumberland County Civic Center | Ted Nugent | |||
September 5, 2003 | Gilford | Meadowbrook Musical Arts Center | ||||
September 6, 2003 | Big Flats | Summer Stage at Tags | ||||
September 7, 2003 | Hershey | Giant Center | David Lee Roth | |||
September 12, 2003 | Green Bay | Resch Center | Ted Nugent | |||
September 13, 2003 | Somerset | Float Rite Park Amphitheatre | ||||
September 17, 2003 | West Valley City | USANA Amphitheatre | ||||
September 19, 2003 | Ridgefield | Clark County Amphitheater | ||||
September 20, 2003 | George | Gorge Amphitheatre | 8,610 / 13,500 | $423,518 | ||
Leg 4: arenas and amphitheaters in North America[4] | ||||||
November 5, 2003 | Coarsegold | United States | Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino | N/A | N/A | |
November 7, 2003 | Bakersfield | Bakersfield Centennial Garden | Franky Perez | |||
November 8, 2003 | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara Bowl | ||||
November 9, 2003 | Castaic | Castaic Lake State Recreation Area | Lee Rocker | |||
November 14, 2003 | Mexico City | Mexico | Palacio de los Deportes | Tex Tex | ||
November 20, 2003 | Knoxville | United States | Knoxville Civic Coliseum | Cross Canadian Ragweed | ||
November 21, 2003 | Gulfport | Grand Casino Tunica | ||||
November 22, 2003 | Houston | Compaq Center | Los Lobos, Cross Canadian Ragweed | |||
Leg 5: arenas and amphitheaters in North America ("El Cabron Tour")[5] | ||||||
June 25, 2004 | Wichita Falls | United States | Kay Yeager Coliseum | The Fabulous Thunderbirds | N/A | N/A |
June 26, 2004 | Beaumont | Ford Park | Hank Williams Jr., Chris LeBlanc Band | 14,272 / 14,272 | $131,919 | |
June 28, 2004 | Hidalgo | Dodge Arena | Reckless Kelly | 6,578 / 6,578 | N/A | |
July 1, 2004 | Mount Pleasant | Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort | N/A | |||
July 3, 2004 | Muskegon | Heritage Landing | Landing Strip | 17,000 / 17,000 | ||
July 4, 2004 | Tinley Park | Tweeter Center Chicago | The Doors of the 21st Century, Tesla | N/A | ||
July 5, 2004 | Lansing | Common Ground Music Festival | Gunner Ross and TNT | |||
July 8, 2004 | Kelowna | Canada | Westside Bluff | Phat Betty, Mocking Shadows | ||
July 10, 2004 | Craven | Qu'Appelle Valley | Nazareth, Spin Doctors | |||
July 11, 2004 | Camrose | Camrose Exhibition Grounds | Sum 41, The Tea Party | |||
July 14, 2004 | Walker | United States | Moondance Jam | Chris Robinson, Randall Zwarte Band | ||
July 16, 2004 | Sarnia | Canada | Sarnia Bayfest | 9 House, The 88's | ||
July 17, 2004 | St. Clairsville | United States | Jamboree in the Hills | Chris LeDoux, Jo Dee Messina | 21,624 / 35,000 | $651,083 |
July 23, 2004 | Minot | North Dakota State Fair | N/A | N/A | ||
July 24, 2004 | Cheyenne | Cheyenne Frontier Days | Marshall Tucker Band | |||
July 25, 2004 | Winter Park | Winter Park Resort | War, Dave Mason | |||
July 28, 2004 | Pala | Pala Casino Resort and Spa | ||||
July 30, 2004 | Kelseyville | Konocti Field Amphitheatre | Cross Canadian Ragweed | |||
July 31, 2004 | Paso Robles | Mid-State Fairgrounds Grandstand | Reckless Kelly | |||
August 1, 2004 | Costa Mesa | Pacific Amphitheatre | ||||
August 3, 2004 | Kennewick | Three Rivers Coliseum | Cross Canadian Ragweed | |||
August 5, 2004 | Deer Island | Columbia Meadows | ||||
August 6, 2004 | Spokane | Riverfront Park | ||||
August 7, 2004 | Great Falls | Four Seasons Arena | 4,079 / 5,870 | $155,002 | ||
August 9, 2004 | Sturgis | Buffalo Chip Campground | N/A | N/A | ||
August 10, 2004 | Sioux Falls | Sioux Empire Fair | ||||
August 11, 2004 | Hayward | LCO Casino Lodge & Convention Center | ||||
August 13, 2004 | Sedalia | Missouri State Fair | Franky Perez | |||
August 14, 2004 | Oklahoma City | Zoo Amphitheatre | Cardboard Vampyres | |||
August 16, 2004 | Atlanta | Chastain Park Amphitheatre | ||||
August 20, 2004 | Louisville | Freedom Hall | Saliva | |||
August 21, 2004 | Lima | Allen County Fair | ||||
August 24, 2004 | Pueblo | Colorado State Fair | ||||
August 26, 2004 | Green Bay | Oneida Casino Pavilion | ||||
August 27, 2004 | St. Paul | Minnesota State Fair | Silvertide | |||
September 1, 2004 | Syracuse | New York State Fair | Cross Canadian Ragweed | 5,828 / 16,000 | ||
September 2, 2004 | Allentown | Allentown Fairgrounds | Reckless Kelly | 5,440 / 10,440 | $212,160 | |
September 3, 2004 | Essex Junction | Champlain Valley Fairgrounds Grandstand | N/A | N/A | ||
September 10, 2004 | Blackfoot | Eastern Idaho State Fair | ||||
September 11, 2004 | Grand Junction | Country Jam Ranch | Dickey Betts, Eddie Money | |||
September 12, 2004 | Albuquerque | Sandia Casino Amphitheater | ||||
September 16, 2004 | Puyallup | Puyallup Fair | ||||
September 17, 2004 | Bend | Les Schwab Amphitheater | Eric Sardinas | |||
September 18, 2004 | Reno | Reno Hilton Amphitheater | Cowboy Mouth | |||
September 20, 2004 | Laughlin | Flamingo Outdoor Amphitheater | ||||
September 21, 2004 | ||||||
September 23, 2004 | Alpine | Viejas Casino | ||||
September 24, 2004 | Las Vegas | Las Vegas Hilton | ||||
September 25, 2004 | ||||||
See also
References
Footnotes
- "ZZ Top, Nugent Crack Open A Cold One". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-02-14.
- Daniels, Neil (2014-01-01). Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers: A ZZ Top Guide. Soundcheck Books. ISBN 9780957144279.
- McLennan, Scott (May 21, 2003). "ZZ Top hits the spot with fans at Tweeter - Craftsmanship, sheer music chemistry a joy". Worcester Telegram & Gazette. p. C5.
- Zurich, Peter. "Past ZZ Top Concerts". Little ol' Web Page from Texas. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
- Zurich, Peter. "Past ZZ Top Concerts". Little ol' Web Page from Texas. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2017.