ZZ Top Tribute Band To Play AT Brown Grand
ZZ Top is coming to Concordia... in the form of ZZ-KC, a tribute band that will perform at the Brown Grand Theatre on November 17 at 7:30 p.m.
ZZ-KC has been performing nationwide for almost 20 years. The group has played some of America's most renowned venues, and have shared the stage with legendary 70s bands like .38 Special, Foghat, Molly Hatchet, and Ted Nugent.
ZZ-KC is the brainchild of Daniel Holloway – a.k.a D. W. D'wood, his onstage persona.
“We've actually been endorsed by Billy Gibbons, which is a huge honor,” said Holloway. “I've met the man, and he picked us as the best tribute band. He's a really good guy.”
For Holloway, the music bug bit early. “I was a kid, and I saw Grand Funk Railroad perform, and it changed my life,” he said. “I lived the life until I was about 25, and then reality set in and I worked a real job. But then when I was 45 I saw Pete Townsend and The Who, and I said: 'That's what I want to do.'”
Holloway joined a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band formed by a cousin of Ronnie Van Zant and toured the country in the early 2000s. “That was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot about the business. But I got a little wore out being on the road all the time, so I came back to Kansas City and started ZZ-KC.”
Holloway – D. W. D'wood – plays guitar and sings about 80% of the songs. Eddie Spencer is on bass and vocals, and Pat Tomek hits the drums. Onstage they assume the personas of ZZ Top, but Holloway, Spencer, and Tomek are all accomplished musicians in their own right. Tomek was inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame in 2019.
“Tribute bands are big business now,” Holloway said. “When we tour and play, we like to bring all the bells and whistles of a ZZ Top show, and that includes the fuzzy guitars.”
And the beards?
“Yes, we have the beards and they're real... real expensive,” Holloway said with a laugh. “Years ago we met a woman who runs the drama department at a college, and she designed the beards. They look great!”
Holloway said that he and the other members of the band are honored to pay tribute to the legendary ZZ Top, and they have no plans to retire anytime soon. “We do about 20 shows a year, all across the country. And I'll tell you why we keep doing it: it's all those 70-year old groupies,” he said with a laugh and then added: “But seriously, we just love it. There's nothing like performing live for an audience.”
Holloway invites everyone to the show whether they're a fan of ZZ Top music or not. “We love doing this, and we're going to put on a great show. That theater (the Brown Grand) looks amazing, and we're really excited to be playing there.”
Visit the Brown Grand Theatre website to purchase tickets.
For more information about ZZ-KC, visit their website zzkansascity.com