ZZ Top Brown Sugar Live 

Saw them early 1971 in Albuquerque, UNM student union ballroom. Maybe 50 -75 people in a small gym (ballroom). We sat on the floor. We had no clue who they were. No Beard, levis and western shirt, I will never forget it.

I saw these guys numerous times over the decades. But best was 1972 at some fair in northern Louisiana when I was a stunt driver for a live show that toured. We actually opened for them, and when we were loading out, I looked at these dudes onstage and thought, man, these dudes are some boogie bad ass shit. Songs like this, pre-beards. Lord have mercy! I was 3 years out of Vietnam and this was what I needed to heal, good damn Texas shit. PJ the Vet

He hasn't played this way in so long that I had forgotten what me made think he was ever good in the first place. Thanks for this refresher, now I remember.

First 4 albums for me. Blue Jean Blues 4ever

saw them in 71 nobody knew who they were...they stunned me.

This is my favourite of all the recordings I’ve ever heard and I’ve listen to lots of ZZ TOP. The enthusiasm is palpable. You can just feel the fun. It’s even a little distorted but better than studio recordings. They where very good live. Saw ZZ in Calgary in 1975. They where at their peak. Having fun and Billy was in his prime.

I saw them in Liberty Hall in 69 sitting about 6 ft. from the stage eating red beans and rice, washing it down with Lonestar Longneck. That's the way to see them.

Thanks for the post. My first concert in '73, was Rory Gallagher (RIP) opening for these guys about 6 months before the Ters Hombres release. Standing 15 feet from Rory and Billy left a lifelong impression. This should be in the dictionary as an illustration of ironic: "In this day of homogenized rock, synthesized music, retakes, overdubbing, multi, multi-tracking, an honest recording by accomplished musicians is a rewarding pleasure. Z Z TOP'S FIRST ALBUM is just such a recording. This is the way blues-rock is meant to be played: openly, honestly, and spontaneously. It takes an experienced sensitive group such as Z Z TOP to capture the abstract blues from within and combine it with the ability to feel and play good hard rock without losing their communication." - Producer Bill Ham on the back of the cover of the 1st LP in 1970.

Peter Green, early Fleetwood Mac, Get it. Gibbons was the baddest Texas had to offer in 70;s. Love the pics, Pre-beards and eventual commercialization, when boogie was just damn boogie for the sake of damn boogie. Best ZZ slide show ever put together! Joe the Vet

I sure enjoyed the photos. I've loved ZZ Top since I was 12 years old living in MO. I moved to Texas in '77 knowing I would get to see those Texas boys live some day. Finally saw them a few years back at the Houston Rodeo. I wasn't disapointed, they are true Texas boys grizzled to the bone.

This is great Joe!! I saw ZZ Top five or six times by 1980. To me, their best music came before that Eliminator crap. They ruled in the mid-'70s!

zz top's first album is one of only a few albums that i can remember right where i was when i first heard it and who i was with. 9th or 10th grade. early zz is monstrous !!........

I wish some old footage of ZZ from the 70s would pop up on YT....they were tighter than a wound-up rubber band then!!

Thanks for posting. I wish some more of this pre-sunglasses stuff would pop up. It's the best Top IMO.

I love the way he makes his guitar chug like a train towards the end the song. What a fun version

Oooh a little cream I’m so glad in the break!!!

I saw ZZ Top in Calgary Canada 1975. They were awesome. This is my favourite version of brown sugar. Better than the album.

I love this band...still feeling sad about Dusty Hill's passing.. I know I always will miss his happy face.. Love him so much...God giveth.. God taketh away..may we meet again..in Jesus name Amen..

Probably the best American Rock N Roll band in all honesty...every album just perfect.. Thank God for ZZ Top!!! ✌🖤🤘😎

Billy G,,, ahhhh that tone and touch! Soooooo sweet, like the rest, wish I could find more vintage live on YT.

these guys have been crankin' it up for oh so long.........and STILL ROCK!!! BOOGIE CHILDREN.........

yeah agree, Gibbons just smokes! Awesome capture. Thanks for uploading.

Their first 5 albums...my favorite Tejas was the only album they ever did that style,just that one album, first tour , and first time I ever saw them....awesome

These guys changed my religion way back in the early 1970's, and I ain't got no regrets, either.

Allentown 1973 ,we thought they were country,naah hell no,they were the warm up band for the warm up band,THE GREATEST Band ever

Back in the day, there weren't many bands in the rock arena that could hang with ZZ Top.

These Texas longhorns were good even before they were famous..They sure entertained the masses still doin it...ZZ Tops....

Just thought I'd mention: first saw ZZ in Harlingen, Texas, Summer, 1970. Tickets were a (then) staggering $5.00. . .Have seen them several times since right here in Austin,TX. . .before and with the beards ! ! !

gasp that was a beautiful presentation well done loved it made my friday night at home

ZZ TOP IN LARGO MD IN 74.. STRAIGHT UP BEST CONCERT IVE EVER BEEN TO....ALAN D.

Goddamn Billy is throwing down on this one. Thanks for posting

Saw them in ‘69 in Groves, Tx at the Towne House…a teen club…1st gig as ZZTop was in Beaumont, Tx …about 15 miles up the road…they came through once a month, sometimes more, building their base…it was a magic time…RIP Dusty Hill…

Been a Top fan for decades. Never seen 90% of these shots. Photos of Billy without a beard are rare. Best live jam too.

Woo Wee... Saw'm at the Charleston Civic Center back in 71-72. Nothin' but fun...

Saw them in Beaumont with Janice Joplin 68 , also Johnny Winters On the bill. Needless say it was incredible.

Thank you for sharing this. It sounds to me like the influence from Jimi was still very fresh at this time. Billy is literally my guitar hero. Thanks again.

Thats taking the roof off of that place!!!!!

Got him to play this in Madison, Wisconsin in '75 came up from Navy ET 'A' school drunken sailor right down front......

This is simply Bad Ass Billy... Love this!

Billy got his hats at Gary's Hats in Houston on Louisiana St., they're not there any more, they're now The Hat Store at 5587 Richmond Ave.

One of the biggest mysteries of all time... Where are the official ZZ Top live albums from the early 70's through 1977? At least give us the rest of the Warehouse show(s) from 1974!!!

This is my favourite recording of brown sugar. Better than the LP.

I love the Duane Allman groove the last thirty seconds

Man, they were on fire back then! This is how this band REALLY should be remembered, and not by the nonsence they came up with in the eighties and later.

Saw them in Calgary Alberta 1977. We knew who they were by then. Really fun part of my life.

thank you Mr Joe thank you thankyou thankyou thankyou!!

This was special thankyou ZZ top and Billy are magic

70'S WAREHOUSE NEW ORLEANS AND ALSO CITY PARK STADIUM WHERE THE BEATLES PLAYED ZZ TOP GREAT BACK THEN

Awesome song and great pics..thanks for sharing..ZZ Top kicks ASS!!

Love My Brothers For Sure , Listened & Heard all in Nam , My Brothers Love You !!!

I love this recording, listening to it regularly for quite awhile. I think you also put up little sister from same era. Wonderful time for Billy and ZZ. I love the Train Trill in the later part of the music. Amazing guy. I recently read at Chicago Music that Bill didn't use Pearly gates live, only replicas. Pearly was used in studio. The guy at Chicago plays one of the 500 replica Gibbon 59 Strats that Gibson produced. Check it out. Thanks for posting all the photo's too. your friend Dave.

"My friends all told me"... When I first heard this song way back in '71 I thought ole Billy was singing, "My grandma told me..." Either way, this song still rocks...HARD!

One of my favorites. I love this version . Thanks ....Cisco

You said if you're a guitar player..well I'm not but you couldn't find anyone that appreciates good guitar playing more than me..I felt reborn :-)

9:07 Billy playing the Riff that later became Rough Boy...

I'm so glad caught me immediately. I'm 28. Thanks for making me feel young guys. ; )

Like how Billy goes into I'm So Glad by Cream

Thanks for posting this! From a huge Billy G and Greeny fan.

can't thank you enough for this version joe... thank you :))

How cool would have been if this was filmed.Amazing perfomance!!!

If you could do that why would you ever change? Hearing Fandango when I was a kid was a life changing event. Thanks for the music & pictures, made my night.

Cool old pics. Thanks

Very nice intro... Reverend Willie G is one of the most talented blues players of all time. I've seen that lil ol band from Texas 6 times... Early 70's first time. Love em. Great vid toejamm

Great song by them who I saw live

Such great talent.

wow cool old photos of the band

I LOVE THESE GUYS ^ ^.

love that ending

Fort Worth Feb 1972, one of my fav zz bootlegs ever

This just kills

ZZ Is Always Great, But This Is Some ZZ At There Best.... Great Photos..... Thanks For Posting.....

great pictures thank you!!!

Damn why couldn't I be born 40 years earlier? I want the old ZZ Top.

Ya thanks for uploading, that’s some great old pics of them too wow those guys were cool. Shit, still are...

who caes they still rock

This is serious kick ass ZZ. Blow your top!

That riff at 6:04 is sublime.

7:51,, Hey Peter, you know that new sound you was looking for? Well listen to this.

TO WHOMEVER POSTED THIS!!! THANK YOU! PLAIN AND SIMPLE!!

this is about the sickest Marshall Super Lead tone ever.

Joe the pic make it a great piece of rock history >\......

Good stuff! Happy Birthday Billy!

Great pics, thanks for posting

In case no one had noticed, They go into Cream's version of "I'm So Glad" at about 6:00 even.

Oh how I wish he still played like this. Now we get solos with those annoying syncopated picked harmonics. That early sound was magic. I saw them in '80 and they still had it. The sound was huge - Gibsons and Marshalls - "the" combobination.

incredible playing..thanks for posting it!.peace,J

The Venue of this performance is unknown? ZZ came to San Antonio late summer of 1972 after their first american tour... They Killed as usual!! Very exciting show when I was 16. with Michael Hermanson

Thanks Joe for posting this early Top! I believe we traded some killer photos for some copies of your boots several years ago. If I recall you lived in the Panhandle or Georgia at the time. I’d never knew any early ZZ Top existed until that time. Thanks again I hope you remember this as well!

Great collection of photos!!!

Listened to this at least 10 times . Got to find a way to hook up my PC to a PA system or some killer Bose speakers. Actually a PA would be the way!

Wow! This really is awesome.Billy Fuggin' Gibbons! Hendrix was right about him!

It's a crime that Billy doesn't play this way anymore...

There's a bit of 'I'm So Glad' by Cream woven in just before the 7 minute mark. Would love to have seen ZZ in those days...have only caught them once, in London about six or seven years ago, and it was the best thing I've ever seen. Three guys, a drum riser, some instruments, a couple of hats. Not a lot else. Hope the new album is the return to the old stuff Billy's been hinting at.

vintage and awesome

Love the chugalugging around 6:50 mark. Just gets better right to the end.

Rest In Peace and Love Dusty.

Wish there was video of this tour and especially this song from that tour

4 greasy fingers and a pick. Preachin'........

one of the best bands to come out of the States...love 'em to death, beards or no beards...

In hindsight, it's ridiculous that it's 'Sleeping Bag' that eventually brought me here. There will still be people who don't realise what sheer master musicians Billy, Frank and Dusty were from the offset.