On Wednesday, September 24, Albany’s Palace Theater hosted a night destined for the Rock and Roll history books. ZZ Top – that Little ol’ Band from Texas – returned 50 years later to the Palace stage they first played on September 27, 1975, nearly to the day, their third ever show in Albany, returning louder, flashier, and tougher. It was a reminder to everyone in attendance that time may change the world around us, but their groove, grit, and swagger remain unshakable.
Before rock royalty, Knoxville, Tennessee’s The Sedonas opened the evening with a set that felt both fresh and familiar. From the moment they hit their first chord, the band caught your attention. Rooted in Americana and blues but spiked with psychedelic edges, their songs carried an energy that filled the hall with promise. They didn’t sound like an opener; they sounded like a band on the rise, intent on leaving their stamp. Tracks like “Livin’ Fastly”, “It’s Bad” and “Happens Right” showcased their knack for mixing soulful harmonies with jagged intensity.
Midway through the set, frontman James Connor Wike grabbed a megaphone and began singing through it, throwing his voice like a rock ’n’ roll ventriloquist. It was a striking, unexpected touch, a throwback to the 1990s. Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots had pulled the same move in the height of the grunge era. For a moment, The Sedonas bridged generations of rock, proving bold gestures still land in 2025.
Their ability to shift gears, from stripped-down intimacy one song to full-band fire the next, kept the crowd locked in. By the time they left the stage, the cheers were real, not polite. They didn’t just open for ZZ Top; they primed the room for what was to come.
The house lights dropped, amps glowed, sequined jackets sparkled, and the beards strode out like kings returning to their throne. The first guitar hit, the bass rattled ribcages, and in that instant fifty years evaporated. ZZ Top had arrived, not to remind us of who they were, but to show us who they are.
Frank Beard was back behind the kit. Beard, the only member of the band without a beard, had missed portions of the 2025 Elevation Tour due to medical issues, with drum tech John Douglas stepping in. But in Albany, Beard was back where he belonged, driving the engine of the band he’s anchored for more than half a century, a reassuring heartbeat for ZZ Top.
The set exploded with hits that refused to age: “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Tush,” “Just Got Paid,” and of course, the swaggering “La Grange.” Each song felt brand new, sharpened for 2025 but carrying the same DNA that built them into legends. Gibbons’ guitar work was a masterclass in impact, bending notes into corners, holding chords until they ached, then slicing through the silence with slide riffs that cut to the bone. His voice, that gravel-toned growl, rang out with authority, proof that some things only get better with age…