Back in the early 1990s, two brothers from London, Ontario acted on their shared love of the blues, performing and recording with a number of blues, R&B, and pop music acts.
They learned well, sharing the stage with the likes of Buddy Guy, BB King, the late Jeff Healey, and the Downchild Blues Band, to mention but a few.
1994 brought the question ‘Can two talented real-life brothers, both singers and multi-instrumentalists, do justice to the sound and unique persona of the late John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd — The Blues Brothers — and make a living from the venture?’
Chris and Geoff Dahl could and did, subsequently taking their Soul Brothers show on the road, headlining at festivals and arenas around the world and, in 2005, teaming up with producer Bernhard Kurz to create and perform as part of the the R&B tribute musical comedy I’m A Soul Man.
But another question arose — if it worked once, why not again?
On Saturday (August 12) at Del Crary Park, the answer will be clear as the Dahl brothers, joined by drummer Perry Weido, perform as the ZZ Top tribute act Fandango. Admission to the 8 p.m. Peterborough Musicfest concert is free.
Sporting the trademark full beards, sunglasses and costumes so closely identified with ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill, the Dahl brothers actually launched their tribute to the Texas trio about the same time as their Blues Brother tribute.
VIDEO: Chris & Geoff Dahl performing as the ‘Soul Brothers’ Blues Brothers tribute
As Fandango, they joined the cast of Legends Alive, a touring rock and pop music concert production that played before audiences across Canada and the United States. They also enjoyed short residencies in Las Vegas and Myrtle Beach.
While the brothers put most of their energy into their Soul Brothers show, Fandango was never out of the picture, ready to be repurposed and revived as circumstances dictated. Fandango (the band’s name is a nod to ZZ Top’s 1975 album of the same name) is now back in earnest, playing venues, casinos and festivals across North America.
Audiences are treated to ZZ Top’s blues-infused hits and captivating stage presence, reminding them why ‘that little band from Texas’ was widely heralded as the coolest band in the world.
Formed in 1969 in Houston by guitarist Billy Gibbons, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard came into the picture a year later.
Over the next 50 years, the trio remained intact, with Hill’s death in 2021 ending that remarkable run. By that time, ZZ Top had earned the distinction of being the longest-running band with an unchanged lineup in the history of popular music.
Starting in 1971 with ZZ Top’s First Album, the trio recorded and released 15 albums, selling an estimated 50 million albums worldwide. In 2004, ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while Gibbons, in 2015, was named the 32nd greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.
VIDEO: “Gimme All Your Lovin” – ZZ Top
VIDEO: “Sharp Dressed Man” – ZZ Top
VIDEO: “La Grange” – ZZ Top
VIDEO: “Tush” – ZZ Top
Although ZZ Top’s albums Tres Hombres (1973) and Fandango! (1975) produced the singles “La Grange” and “Tush”, which gained extensive radio airplay, the band enjoyed its greatest commercial success after Gibbons and Hill rebranded ZZ Top in 1979 with a new musical direction and image, featuring sunglasses and matching chest-length beards.
They established a more mainstream sound and rose to international stardom with their records Eliminator (1983) and Afterburner (1985), producing music videos for their hits “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” and “Legs” that gave them mass exposure on television channel MTV.
But for all their talent as musicians, ZZ Top was, and remains, a band that is meant to be experienced live. Showmen in every respect, Gibbons and Hill were in perfect sync with one another and their music. Now Hill’s big shoes are being filled by longtime band guitar tech Elwood Francis and ZZ Top is still touring, co-headlining this summer with Lynyrd Skynyrd on The Sharp Dressed Man Simple Man Tour.
Overseen by general manager Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission remains “to provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert and the entire 2023 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a headline sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest’s 2023 season.
