ZZ Top Concerts 1960s

1960s

07/xx/63          Jane Garvin's house, Como, TX

“Actually it was the summer of 1963. Two guys named Dusty Hill and Rocky Hill played at a party at Jane Garvin's house in Como, Texas. Jane threw the party for me cuz I was stuck at my Great Aunt's house for the summer. If I remember correctly, Jane said these guys were her cousins. They played "Chantilly Lace" and "Summertime" among others. It was the first live music (outside of church and Jane's piano boogie) I had ever heard and I was blown away. Dusty, if you are one and the same I'd really like to know. If not for the diligence of my Aunt, you would have been my first. Even if you're not THE Dusty Hill, you guys rock & I'll love you forever!! Betsy”

12/xx/63          Billy forms his first band, The Saints, within a week of getting his guitar.

The Saints were:

Billy Gibbons:              Guitar

Steve Mickley:             Unknown

Phillip Taft:                  Unknown

David Crosswell:         Unknown

xx/xx/64          Dusty Hill was in at least two bands with his brother Rocky in Dallas: The Starliners & The Deadbeats. (DMN, RRP, ZZH2)

xx/xx/64          Frank Beard was in at least two bands in Ft. Worth: The Cellar Dwellers & The Hustlers. (RRP, ZZH2)

07/xx/64          Billy Gibbons formed his second band called Billy G. And The Ten Blue Flames after about six months with The Saints. (BFG)

9/18/64 or 8/19/65     Dusty Hill plays a local gig in Dallas, thereby missing a Beatles concert in Dallas '64 or Houston '65. (per Buddy interview 12/75)

xx/xx/65          Rocky and Dusty Hill form The Warlocks with 'Little﻿ Richard’ Harris, and later draft Frank Beard. Some gigs were played at The Amber Room in Dallas. (DMN, RRP, ZZH2, GHO, LWI)

The Warlocks were:

Rocky Hill:                        Guitar

Dusty Hill:                        Bass

'Little﻿ Richard' Harris:    Drums (earlier)

Frank Beard:                    Drums (later)

Mary Smith:                     Vocals (when appearing as Lady Wilde and the Warlocks)

Rocky and Dusty Hill’s first musical venture was at Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, together with drummer "Little" Richard Harris. Frank Beard came across Dusty and Rocky while playing for The Cellar Dwellers at the Fort Worth Cellar. The three of them, basing themselves in Dallas, Texas formed The Warlocks dying their hair blue…. Later in their brief career they teamed up with English singer Lady Wilde and backed her regularly at Dallas cinemas for British invasion movies like 'Catch Us If You Can' and 'Hard Day's Night'. They also backed her on their final 45 and when she departed for a career on the stage they formed the American Blues. (R6070)

05/xx/65          Lou Ann's Club, Dallas, TX (WWA) [The Chessmen/Lady Wilde and the Warlocks]

In May of 1965, {The Allusions} played a gig at Lou Ann's Club in Dallas. We played on the big stage with The Five Americans, friends of ours from Durant, Oklahoma. They had just recorded "I See the Light," with Dale Hawkins producing. On the little stage there was a band called The Chessmen, playing with a 15-year-old guitar player named Jimmy Vaughn. They were splitting sets with a band called Lady Wilde and the Warlocks, who had a bassist named Dusty Hill. Dusty's brother Rocky played lead guitar, and they had a drummer named Little Richard Harris who twirled his sticks. Our drummer Garland was fascinated by this and studied him all night. All the way back to Ardmore, Garland practiced twirling his sticks. He turned into a great showman, as well as a great drummer. (WWA)

xx/xx/65          The Cellar strip club, Ft. Worth, TX

"Mr. Beard... was landing gigs at the Cellar, the infamous underground strip club-juke joint in Cowtown that later opened a branch in Dallas.  Mr. Hill was making the rounds, too. "One night, I was playing the Cellar with one group and Frank was playing with another," Mr. Hill says. "My brother Rocky saw Frank and says, 'Let's try to steal that drummer for our group.' "The coup was successful, and in 1966, the Hill brothers joined forces with Mr. Beard in a series of Dallas bands, including American Blues – a psychedelic act with a one-of-a-kind shtick: The band members dyed their hair bright blue." (DMN)

xx/xx/65          Billy Gibbons formed (his third) band called The Coachmen. (ZZH, SDM, MCC)

The Coachmen Mark I were:

Billy Gibbons:               Guitar

V.E. Harris:                    Rhythm Guitar (BFG)

Mike Frazier:                Bass

Virgil Harris:                  Drums (alternately, Dan Mitchell on drums) (BFG)

The Coachmen Mark II were:

Billy Gibbons:               Guitar

Bob Braden:                 Rhythm Guitar (SDM, BFG)

Mike Frazier:                Bass

Dan Mitchell:                Drums (SDM, BFG)

The Coachmen Mark III (as of 04/22/66) were:

Billy Gibbons:               Guitar

Bob Bolton:                  Rhythm Guitar (MCC)

Kelly Parker:                 Keyboards (MCC)

Mike Frazier:                Bass

Dan Mitchell:               Drums (SDM, BFG)

You can hear recordings of the third band in the CD box set The Moving Sidewalks - The Complete Collection

Here I must introduce the Steve Ames calendars. These were kindly archived by the Briscoe Center for

American History in Austin, TX as part of the Richard Ames Music Collection. These calendars give us

exceptional detail about the evolution and gig history of the Moving Sidewalks. All listings from this

source appear with the (RAC) designation. It is difficult to know from the available materials when exactly the

band formed, as opposed to when Steve Ames became heavily involved.

1965                Ames Productions/The Ames Agency - "Ames Productions was the owner of (the Catacombs) Club and Bob Cope was the General Manager. Richard Ames was the financial backer of Ames Productions and his brother, Steve, was musically inclined.  Steve supported groups...  To make a long story short, Bob Cope was the magic behind it all. Simply, he knew talent and knew how to promote it.  Steve Ames (was the) manager of the Neal Ford and the Fanatics, (the) Moving Sidewalks, Deuces Wild, and The Magic Ring." (an excellent historical overview is here:  http://www.scarletdukes.com/st/tmhou_hammondint.html) (NTM)

Most of the performance contracts for the Moving Sidewalks are signed by Steve Ames. (RAM)

Steve was also the organ player for Neal Ford And The Fanatics for just over a year. (USW, RAW, MCC)

6/25/65           Steve Ames (future manager of the Moving Sidewalks) joins Neal Ford And The Fanatics as the organ player after quitting the band Surfside VI (RAC)

7/10/65           Steve Ames' calendar suggests that he either played a Neal Ford gig with the Coachmen or that he himself performed in a gig with the Coachmen on this night (RAC)

12/15/65         This is the first listing from the modern Moving Sidewalks website. It says “Dan and Don Joins (sic) the Coachmen - As Don Summers & Dan Mitchell joins (sic) the Coachmen with Billy F Gibbons a new band emerges.”  The problem is all other evidence suggests that Don Summers does not replace Mike Frazier until at least after the recordings of 4/22/66. The 2012 box set shows a photo of the band on that April date, and Mike is there and Don is not. (MSW, MCC)

1966                The New Breed – Beaumont, TX (The band Tom Moore was in before joining The Moving Sidewalks.  Bass player Gerald Pierce went on to be managed by Steve Ames in the MS sister band The Magic Ring) (USW)

The New Breed were:

Tom Moore:                 Hammond Organ/vocals

Jeff Strange:                 Guitar/vocals

Gerald Pierce:              Bass/vocals

Jack Grochmal:            Drums/vocals

04/22/66         Gold Star Recording, Houston, TX - Recording session by the Coachmen for 99th Floor & Stay Away as published in MS: The Complete Collection (MCC)

4 or 5/66         "After getting (the recording) home and listening to it a million times... we went to Richard & Steve Ames to see if they wanted to manage and produce us." Dan Mitchell (MCC)

05/19/66         Jones Sound Recording Studio, Houston, TX - Recording session for 99th Floor & Stay Away. This is the first date in all the Steve Ames calendars where the name Moving Sidewalks appears. His calendars begin in January of 1965. On the CD box set "Moving Sidewalks - The Complete Collection" (my reference to this box set is "MCC") the earliest recordings are attributed to The Coachmen from April of 1966. The 4/22 date in the box set is convincingly supported by an invoice from the session. But there is a clear date {5/19} in the calendar for a session with the “Moving Sidewalks” and the songs 99th Floor & Stay Away. Two previously unreleased mixes are attributed to Jones Studios in 4/66. Since most of the other sessions with Steve Ames appear to have been at Jones, I am guessing that this is the first Jones session. Also interesting is the appearance in the calendar of the name "Missing Links," crossed out and Moving Sidewalks written in. Even though the MS name appears in the Steve Ames calendar on this date, recordings from this session are still attributed to The Coachmen in the box set. (RAC, MCC)

06/30/66          Billy Gibbons formed his forth band called The Moving Sidewalks. (BFG)  “Billy coins a new band name after being inspired by actual Moving Sidewalks at Dallas' Love Field airport." This is the date given by the modern website for the formation of the band. (MCC, MSW)

The Moving Sidewalks were:

Billy Gibbons:               Guitar & Vocals

Kelly Parker:                 Keyboards until 10/20/66 (MCC, RAC)

Tom Moore:                 Keyboards

Don F. Summers:         Bass

Dan M. Mitchell:         Drums

Moving Sidewalks History:

07/20/66         Moving Sidewalks begin to visualize their sounds from the influence of Beatles, Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix. (MSW)

08/01/66         Steve Ames has still been gigging on organ with Neal Ford. On this date he quits Neal Ford And The Fanatics as a performer but continues to book their gigs. (RAC)

09/19/66         Moving Sidewalks practice. This is the second date in all the Steve Ames calendars where the name Moving Sidewalks appears. (RAC)

10/04/66         Andrus Recording Studio, Houston, TX - Recording session for 99th Floor with Steve Ames producing. (RAC, MCC)

10/14/66         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX

[Moving Sidewalks/The Inmen/KJBAWB/NFATF/The Outsiders] (DH poster, BFG, RAC)

10/15/66         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX

[Moving Sidewalks/The Inmen/KJBAWB/NFATF/The Outsiders] (DH poster, BFG, RAC)

10/16/66         The Moving Sidewalks audition for Mainstream Records (RAC)

10/17/66         Moving Sidewalks practice. (RAC)

10/20/66         Mainstream Records calls back. Interestingly, there is a note that says "Parker out of Sidewalks." Kelly Parker was a part of the spring recording sessions, and the Complete Collection liner notes verify that he appears on the released 99th Floor single by the Moving Sidewalks. (RAC, MCC)

10/22/66         The band worked on the arrangement of the song "What Are You Going To Do." (RAC)

10/24/66         Andrus Recording Studio, Houston, TX - Recording session.

(On this date The Moving Sidewalks also sign an agreement with Mainstream Records granting “sole and exclusive option upon our services as recording artists.”) (RAM, RAC)

10/28/66         Teen Canteen, St. Luke's Methodist Church, Houston, TX (RAC)

11/19/66         Moving Sidewalks play two parties: "TAK Party and Larry Kane Party" (RAC)

12/02/66         The Living Eye, Houston, TX (RAC)

12/09/66         Teen Canteen, St. Luke's Methodist Church, Houston, TX (RAC)

12/10/66         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (Matinee benefit show) (RAC)

12/10/66         The Living Eye, Houston, TX (Evening show) (RAC)

12/16/66         Private Party, location unknown (RAC)

12/21/66         Moving Sidewalks practice? (RAC)

12/22/66         Moving Sidewalks practice? (RAC)

12/23/66         Jones Sound Recording Studio, Houston, TX - Recording session: Every Night A New Surprise & Stay Away (RAC)

12/26/66         Jones Sound Recording Studio, Houston, TX - Recording session: Vocals on Every Night A New Surprise (RAC)

12/28/66         Private Party, location unknown (RAC)

12/30/66         Billy F Gibbons: “3 guys making a bare bones go out it, guitar, bass, drums that was it. A keyboardist with a HAMMOND solidified The Moving Sidewalks”. This quote suggests that the performances between 10/20 & 12/28/66 were done as a trio. On the box set track 7 seems to be the one recorded in December of 1966. It does feature keyboards. Was this Kelly? Tom? Steve Ames? (MCC, MSW)

1967

xx/xx/67          Dusty and Frank change The Warlocks band name to The American Blues, in honor of their blue hair. (ZZH2)

The American Blues were:

Rocky Hill:                      Guitar (Dusty’s brother)

Dusty Hill:                      Bass

Doug Davis:                   Piano on "Mellow"

Richard Harris:              Drums

Frank Beard:                 Drums

Moving Sidewalks History:

01/06/67         The Living Eye, Houston, TX (RAC)

01/19/67         Houston Country Club, Houston, TX (RAC)

01/20/67         Lakewood Yacht Club, Seabrook, TX (RAC)

01/20/67         "Party At Ramada Inn" After Job (RAC)

01/21/67         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX [Moving Sidewalks/NFATF] (RAC)

01/25/67         Jones Sound Recording Studio, Houston, TX - Recording session: Overdubs on Every Night A New Surprise (RAC)

01/27/67         The Living Eye, Houston, TX (RAC)

01/28/67         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX [Moving Sidewalks/Cyrkle/NFATF] (Matinee show: a benefit for a slain police officer) (RAM)

01/28/67         "Lee Formal", presumably Houston, TX evening job (RAC)

02/02/67                     Steve Ames sends a letter to Mainstream Records attempting to get them to release the first single per their agreement.

At this time the tape masters have been delivered to Mainstream in New York City. (RAM)

02/03/67         Waco, TX (RAC)

02/04/67         Moving Sidewalks fan club meeting. (RAC)

02/10/67         Teen Canteen, St. Luke's Methodist Church, Houston, TX (RAC)

02/11/67         Westbury, TX [Moving Sidewalks/NFATF] (RAC)

02/25/67         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX ("and party after" calendar says) (RAC)

03/02/67         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX [Moving Sidewalks/NFATF] (RAC)

03/06/67         Jones Sound Recording Studio, Houston, TX - Remixing

(possibly of Every Night A New Surprise. Also a "45rpm dub", possibly a tape copy of the yet unreleased 99th Floor single) (RAM, MCC)

03/10/67         Mount Carmel (probably Mount Carmel Academy), Houston, TX (RAC)

03/11/67         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX [Moving Sidewalks/The Outsiders] (RAC)

03/14/67         Official release date of the single "99th Floor" b/w "What Are You Goin' To Do" (Tantra T-3101) which receives play on KNUZ today (RAC)

(The MCC booklet suggests the single was released in February, but Steve Ames' calendar explicitly names this date as the "official release.")

03/18/67         The Larry Kane Show, KTRK Channel 13 studios, Houston, TX (Live Saturday afternoon TV appearance) (MCC, RAC)

03/18/67         Sharpstown, Houston, TX [Magic Ring/Moving Sidewalks] (RAC)

03/20/67         NFATF & The Sidewalks on the KHTV Channel 39 Show, Houston, TX (RAC)

03/22/67         Radio Station KNUZ's Good Guy 50 chart for the week 3/15 - 3/22/67 shows "99th Floor" at #41 (RAC)

03/23/67         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX [Magic Ring/Moving Sidewalks/NFATF] (RAC)

03/26/67         Sidewalks On the KHTV Channel 39 Show, Houston, TX (RAC)

03/29/67         Radio Station KNUZ's Good Guy 50 chart for the week 3/22 - 3/29/67 shows "99th Floor" at #36 (RAC)

04/01/67         Moving Sidewalks fan club meeting. (RAC)

04/05/67         99th Floor Ratings: KILT = #15, KNUZ = #24 (the 1st week KILT gave the single airplay) (RAC)

04/07/67         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX [Gripping Force/Moving Sidewalks] (RAC)

04/08/67         Contemporary Arts Ball, Shamrock, TX (RAC)

04/12/67         99th Floor Ratings: KILT = #7, KNUZ = #9 (RAC)

04/14/67         Bellaire, TX (RAC) (possibly with the 13th Floor Elevators)

04/15/67         Waco, TX (RAC)

04/19/67         99th Floor Ratings: KILT = #5, KNUZ = #6 (RAC)

04/19/67         "Evans' Show" (RAC)

04/20/67         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX [Thursday's Children/Moving Sidewalks] (RAC)

04/21/67         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (RAC)

04/22/67         "Dunjan" (RAC)

04/24/67         Ames Productions signs agreements with Scepter Records related to the single "99th Floor" b/w "What Are You Goin' To Do" (RAM)

04/26/67         99th Floor Ratings: KILT = #1, KNUZ = #1 (RAC)

04/28/67         Memorial Drive Country Club, Houston, TX (RAC)

05/xx/67          Official re-release of the single "99th Floor" b/w "What Are You Goin' To Do" on Wand Records: WND 1156. (MCC)

05/03/67         99th Floor Ratings: KILT = #1, KNUZ = #2 (RAC)

05/05/67         Galveston, TX (RAC)

05/06/67         The Larry Kane Show, KTRK Channel 13 studios, Houston, TX (Live Saturday afternoon TV appearance) (RAC)

05/06/67         Houston Music Theatre, Houston, TX [Moving Sidewalks/NFATF](billed as the "Now Sound Groove In," 3:30pm afternoon show only) (RAM, RAC)

05/07/67         Houston Music Theatre, Houston, TX [Moving Sidewalks/NFATF](billed as the "Now Sound Groove In," 2 shows) (RAM, RAC)

05/10/67         99th Floor Ratings: KILT = #1, KNUZ = #3 (RAC)

05/12/67         Safari Club, Baytown, TX (RAC)

05/13/67         Cleveland, TX (RAC)

05/17/67         99th Floor Ratings: KILT = #1, KNUZ = #2 (RAC)

05/19/67         El Campo, TX (RAC)

05/20/67         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX [Magic Ring/Moving Sidewalks/Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels] (RAC)

05/22/67         Sidewalks on the KHTV Channel 39 Show, Houston, TX (RAC)

05/24/67         99th Floor Ratings: KILT = #1, KNUZ = #2 (RAC) Radio Station KILT's Fourty Star Survey chart reproduced in MCC

05/26/67         Airline Street, Houston, TX (RAC)

05/27/67         "Sylvan" (possibly Sylvan Beach Park, La Porte, TX) (High School Prom, afternoon)

05/27/67         Port Lavaca, TX (evening show) (RAC)

05/31/67         99th Floor Ratings: KILT = #8, KNUZ = #14 (RAC)

06/01/67         Jones Sound Recording Studio, Houston, TX - Recording session: Every Night A New Surprise (RAC, MCC)

06/02/67         Ramada Inn Party

06/03/67         "Dungeon"

06/05/67         Moody Civic Center, Galveston, TX (BCC3, RAC)

[Fever Tree/A-440/Moving Sidewalks/The Sixpentz/The Five Americans/The Music Machine]

06/06/67         Angleton Fairgrounds Auditorium, Angleton, TX (BCC3, RAC)

06/07/67         99th Floor Ratings: KILT = #8, KNUZ = #13 (RAC)

06/07/67         Beaumont, TX (possibly at The Box) (RAC)

06/07/67         Radio Station KNUZ's Good Guy 50 chart for the week 5/31 - 6/7/67 shows "99th Floor" at #2 (MCC)

06/10/67         Dairy Bar, Freeport, TX (BCC3, RAC)

06/14/67         99th Floor Ratings: KILT = #14, KNUZ = #20 (RAC)

06/15/67         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX [Magic Ring/Moving Sidewalks/NFATF] (RAC)

06/20/67         Angleton (possibly Angleton Fair Grounds Auditorium, Angleton, TX) (RAC)

06/21/67         99th Floor Ratings: KILT = #19, KNUZ = #off (RAC)

06/23/67         Location Unknown [Magic Ring/Moving Sidewalks/Brain Job] (RAC)

06/24/67         Austin, TX (RAC)

06/25/67         Galveston, TX (RAC)

06/28/67         99th Floor Ratings: The single is now officially off both local charts (RAC)

06/28/67         Steve Ames departs for Los Angeles, but is apparently unaccompanied by the Sidewalks (RAC)

06/29/67         Telephone Road Twin Drive In Theatre, Houston, TX [Moving Sidewalks/Fever Tree] (Grand Opening) (RAC)

06/30/67         "The Valt" [Magic Ring/Moving Sidewalks] (RAC)

06/30/67         A promotional agreement is struck by Bob Cope for radio promotion on the west coast (LA, SF, Portland & Seattle) by Irwin Zucker.

This includes the Moving Sidewalks, The Magic Ring & Neal Ford.

The four week effort will commence when the new Neal Ford record is released. (RAM)

07/01/67         Gym, Bellaire, TX (RAC) (possibly with the 13th Floor Elevators)

07/01/67         "Sidewalks on TV in San Antonio" (RAC)

07/05/67         Beaumont, TX (possibly at The Box) (RAC)

07/07/67         Lake Charles, LA [Magic Ring/Moving Sidewalks] (RAC)

07/08/67         Orange, TX [Magic Ring/Moving Sidewalks] (RAC)

07/15/67         Galveston, TX (RAC) (MSW suggests they played Lousiana this night)

07/21/67         Nederland, TX (RAC)

08/04/67         Jones Sound Recording Studio, Houston, TX - Recording session: Need Me (RAC)

08/05/67         Bay City, TX [Magic Ring/Moving Sidewalks] (RAC)

08/08/67         Houston Teen-Age Fair 1967 – Moving Sidewalks perform (DH poster, RAC)

08/11/67         Sylvan Beach Pavilion, La Porte, TX (RAM, RAC)

08/12/67         New Orleans, LA (RAC)

08/18/67         Cafetorium, Kirwin High School, Galveston, TX - Hired for a school dance (RAM)

08/19/67         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (also autographs at Craig's) (RAC)

08/25/67         The Attic, Victoria, TX (Located in the old YMCA building in Victoria City Park) (BRT, RAM, RAC)

08/27/67         Galveston, TX [Moving Sidewalks/Sam The Sham] (RAC)

08/30/67         Beaumont, TX (possibly at The Box) (RAC)

09/08/67         Lodge Pokrok, Houston, TX (RAC)

09/09/67         Lafayette, LA (RAM, RAC)

09/15/67         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (RAC)

09/16/67         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX [Magic Ring/Moving Sidewalks] (RAC)

09/23/67         Bay City, TX (RAC)

09/27/67         Official release date of the single "Need Me" b/w "Every Night a New Surprise" (Wand WND 1167) (RAC)

09/30/67         The Box, Beaumont, TX (Steve Ames turns 20 years old today!) (RAM, RAC)

10/07/67         Kirwin High School, Galveston, TX (RAC)

10/11/67         "Need Me" Ratings: KILT = #16, KNUZ = #41 (RAC)

10/11/67         Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX [Moving Sidewalks/NFATF/Animals] (SAPL, BRT, RAC)

[The Band Ayd/The Moving Sidewalks/The Kaleidoscope/ NFATF/Eric Burdon & the Animals]

10/14/67         "Marian" (possibly Marion, TX) (RAC)

10/18/67         "Need Me" Ratings: KILT = #9, KNUZ = #16 (RAC)

10/18/67         Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, TX

[Magic Ring/Chessmen/Moving Sidewalks/NFATF/Eric Burdon & the Animals] (DH poster, RAC, NFA, WPA)

10/21/67         The Attic, Victoria, TX (BRT, RAC)

10/25/67         "Need Me" Ratings: KILT = #4, KNUZ = #8 (RAC)

10/26/67         Westbury, Houston, TX (RAC)

10/27/67         Brenham, TX (RAC)

10/28/67         "Dungeon" (RAC)

11/03/67         The Box, Beaumont, TX (the calendar says "Rose Room but elsewhere it says The Box) (RAM, RAC)

11/04/67         Beaumont, TX (possibly The Box or the Rose Room) (RAC)

11/08/67         "Need Me" Ratings: KILT = #7, KNUZ = #6 (RAC)

11/10/67         Teen Canteen, St. Luke's Methodist Church, Houston, TX (RAC)

11/11/67         "Need Me" Rating: KFMK = #2

11/11/67         Victoria (possibly The Attic, Victoria, TX) (RAC)

11/11/67         "Memorial City" (shows both this and Victoria on the same day - possibly an afternoon gig at Memorial City Mall in Houston???)

11/15/67         "Need Me" Ratings: KILT = #8, KNUZ = #7 (RAC)

11/17/67         Austin, TX (RAC)

11/18/67         Moody Center, Galveston, TX (RAM, RAC)

11/22/67         "Need Me" Ratings: KILT = #9, KNUZ = #8 (RAC)

11/25/67         Triangle Club, Bryan, TX (RAM, RAC)

11/29/67         "Need Me" Ratings: KILT = #26, KNUZ = #27 (RAC)

12/01/67         American Legion Hall, Alvin, TX (RAM, RAC)

12/02/67         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX [Magic Ring/Moving Sidewalks] (RAC)

12/06/67         "Need Me" Ratings: KILT = #30, KNUZ = Off (RAC)

12/09/67         Riverside Hall, East Bernard, TX (RAM, RAC)

12/15/67         Jones Sound Recording Studio, Houston, TX - Recording session: I Want Your Soul, Scoun Da Be, Flashback (RAC)

12/16/67         Billy Gibbons turns 18 on this date! Not a bad year for a 17 year old...

12/19/67         Jones Sound Recording Studio, Houston, TX - Recording session: Overdubs on Flashback (RAC)

12/21/67         Location Unknown [Magic Ring/Moving Sidewalks/Last Word/Young Rascals] (RAC)

12/22/67         Rose Room, Hotel Beaumont, Beaumont, TX (signed contact, but nothing on the calendar) (RAM)

12/28/67         Jr. League Building, Houston, TX (calendar: "Sidewalks for D. Party") (RAM, RAC)

12/31/67         Hotel Browntowner, Brownwood, TX (MS headline with one other opening act) (RAM, RAC)

1968

01/05/68         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (RAC)

01/06/68         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (RAC)

01/20/68         Cancelled Appearance - Austin, TX (RAC)

01/20/68         The Larry Kane Show, KTRK Channel 13 studios, Houston, TX (Live Saturday afternoon TV appearance) (RAC)

01/20/68         Cancelled Appearance - Austin, TX (RAC)

01/25/68         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (Benefit for Teens Against Dystrophy - MS play one set from 10:00 - 10:45pm, so others must have appeared) (RAM)

01/27/68         Jones Sound Recording Studio, Houston, TX - Recording session: Pluto - Sept 31st, Crimson Witch (RAC)

02/03/68         City Auditorium, Beaumont, TX (the band appear from 2:00pm to 4:00pm, leaving time for an evening show 85 miles away) (BFG, RAM, RAC)

02/03/68         Waltrip Auditorium, Waltrip High School, Houston, TX (8:00pm showtime) (RAM, RAC)

02/10/68         The Larry Kane Show, KTRK Channel 13 studios, Houston, TX (Live Saturday afternoon TV appearance) (RAC)

02/10/68         Cafeteria, Westbury High School, Houston, TX ("Sweetheart Dance") (RAM)

02/16/68         Groves, TX (possibly at the Town House) (RAC)

(The writing on the calendar is sloppy, but this does suggest the Sidewalks did not play the Dallas Hendrix show this night.)

(Also, The Chessmen are noted as having played Dallas with Hendrix.) (RAC, TCM)

The Hendrix Tour (Some 1968 Hendrix info comes from Univibes, the best Hendrix Fanzine - univibes.com)

The Moving Sidewalks warm up for Jimi Hendrix on some of the dates listed below. There has been controversy as to exactly which dates were played by the Sidewalks. This should now be accurate.

02/15/68         Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX (Two shows) (RAC, NFA)

[NFATF/Soft Machine/Jimi Hendrix Experience] (possibly also The Chessmen)

(Tom Moore says they did not open this date.  Dan Mitchell does serve as an "advance man" on this show and meets everyone in the Hendrix band.) (MCC)

02/16/68         Fair Park Music Hall, Dallas, TX (Two shows) (DMN, BFG, RAC, NFA)

[The Chessmen/NFATF/Soft Machine/Jimi Hendrix Experience] (TCM)

(Tom Moore says they did not open this date)

(BFG specifically says they did play this one, but the RAC calendar notes suggest otherwise)

02/17/68         Will Rogers Auditorium, Ft. Worth, TX (Two shows) (WPA, eBay, NFA)

[Moving Sidewalks/Soft Machine/Jimi Hendrix Experience]

(Jimi & Billy jammed backstage at the Ft. Worth show.  A photo of Jimi and Billy

is from this night. During Jimi's set, before Hey Joe, Hendrix asks the audience "How about that group named The Sidewalks?”)

02/18/68         Music Hall, Houston, TX (Two shows) (RAC, NFA)

[Magic Ring/Moving Sidewalks/Soft Machine/Jimi Hendrix Experience]

(Gerald Pierce says his band, Magic Ring, opened this show too; calendar verifies) (USW, RAC)

(Dan Mitchell: "Jimi, Mitch & Noel actually stood beind the wing curtains during our entire set to listen.") (MCC)

02/19/68?       There is a great story in Billy’s book about painting with Hendrix one night after the show. You can find it on page 20 of Billy’s book: Rock+Roll Gearhead.

More Moving Sidewalks Gigs:

02/23/68         Moody Civic Center, Galveston, TX (Kirwin High School Junior Ball) (BRT, RAC)

02/24/68         Beaumont, TX (possibly The Box or the Rose Room) (RAC)

03/02/68         Jones Sound Recording Studio, Houston, TX - Recording session: Unknown tracks (RAC)

03/08/68         Port Lavaca, TX (RAC)

03/14/68         Music Hall, Houston, TX [Moving Sidewalks/Heir Apparent/Eric Burdon & the Animals] (DH, SL, RAC)

03/23/68         Cancelled Show - V.I.P. (RAC)

03/29/68         V.I.P, Beaumont, TX (RAC)

03/30/68         Alvin, TX (possibly the American Legion Hall) (RAC)

03/31/68         Music Hall, Houston, TX [Moving Sidewalks/Vanilla Fudge/Cream] (RAC, JBW)

04/13/68         Kirwin High School, Galveston, TX - Hired for a school dance (RAM, RAC)

04/20/68         Victoria Country Club, Victoria, TX - Hired for a Senior Class Party (BRT, blog, RAC)

04/27/68         Our Lady of Fatima School, Texas City, TX (RAC)

04/28/68         Cancelled Show - Conroe, TX (RAC)

05/03/68         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (RAC)

05/04/68         Shreveport, LA [Magic Ring/Moving Sidewalks] (RAC)

05/11/68         Victoria, TX (possibly The Attic) (RAC)

05/18/68         Spring Branch Senior High School, Spring Valley Village, Houston, Texas (School Prom) (RAC)

05/24/68         Houston Club, Houston, TX (Memorial High School {west side of Houston} Senior Prom - MS headline with one other opening act) (RAM, RAC)

05/31/68         Angleton Fairgrounds Auditorium, Angleton, TX (not listed on the calendar) (RAM, SL, BRT)

06/04/68         Beaumont, TX (possibly The Box, Rose Room or VIP)(RAC)

06/14/68         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (RAC)

06/22/68         Lake Charles, LA (RAC)

07/05/68         Taylor, TX (RAC)

07/09/68         Dallas Memorial Auditorium, Dallas, TX (BCC1, SAPL, SL, RAC)

[Match Box/Moving Sidewalks/The Doors]

07/10/68         Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, TX (BCC1, SAPL, HRW, RAC)

[Match Box/Moving Sidewalks/The Doors]

(Moving Sidewalks opened for The Doors and John Mayall. If I'm not mistaken, The

Doors concert was the first time Bill Ham saw Billy Gibbons play. Then Billy jammed with

John Mayall and Ham saw him again. I think that's when he approached him.) (DBI)(also

HRW, D Pattison stub)

“The Doors show in Houston was a "happening," said bassist Summers. "It one of those shows that you had to be there to believe or experience. It was in front of our hometown audience where we were well-known and had a single that stayed on the charts for five weeks (99th Floor).  The Sidewalks ended their set, as they usually did, with I'm a Man." The song went kind of like this: As it started, a fog machine and strobe came on. Toward the end, Gibbons got feedback going on his guitar, leaned it against the amp and left the stage. Organist Moore stuck matchbook covers between the keys of his Hammond B-3 so that an E chord would continue to play as he left the stage. Mitchell continued to (wail) away on the drums and Summers, with a few seconds left, started spinning his Flying V bass in the strobe-lit fog. Right at the end, shrouded by fog, Summers and Mitchell slipped off the stage. With feedback, lights, fog, and the organ blasting, the roadies fired the bombs and pulled the plug to the equipment," Moore said. The audience exploded.” (BCC1)

07/26/68         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (RAC)

07/27/68         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (RAC)

08/02/68         The Box, Fort Worth, TX (RAC)

08/03/68         The Box, Fort Worth, TX (some of the band's equipment was stolen on this date) (RAC)

08/09/68         El Campo, TX (RAC)

08/16/68         Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine, TX (RAC, LOV) (Houston or San Antonio)

08/17/68         Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine, TX (RAC, LOV) (Houston or San Antonio)

Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine: In the Steve Ames calendar there are only a few gigs listed for Love Street. The problem is there were three possible loactions. From the LOV source, we know: “Love Street attempted to expand and opened a club in Corpus Christi (very short lived {circa May 1969}) and another club in San Antonio (also short lived).”  Because of this, the location of the August and October 1968 Love Street Sidewalks shows are not certain, because the calendar just says “Love Street.”

One poster from Love Street in San Antonio also references HEMISFAIR 1968. The dates of his event were between April 6 - October 6, 1968. This suggests that some or all of the venue’s short life was in the summer of 1968. This is important to the following listing:

08/16/68         13th Floor Elevators Gig:  I am posting this listing verbatim as a way to seek clarification. It is widely reported that the Moving Sidewalks opened for the 13th Floor Elevators. I have been unable to nail down the exact date (or dates). A suggested date is 8/15/69, however by then the band would have been ZZ Top. Also, the report suggests that the Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine was the venue in San Antonio where the billing took place. This venue did have a short lived location at 345 East Commerce Street in San Antonio. (DH: http://www.scarletdukes.com/st/tmhou_venues2.html)  So here is the listing:

The Moving Sidewalks opened for the legendary Texas psychedelic group 13th Floor Elevators at the San Antonio Texas psychedelic venue Love Street Emporium located on Commerce Street on the edge of downtown San Antonio. The Elevators set was stopped after only a few songs by the San Antonio police department who arrested the band's lead singer Roky Erickson. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_Sidewalks). Note that the WIKI listing has been changed.

The more I read about the Elevators, the more unlikely either of the August dates (‘68 or ‘69) seem. If anyone has correct information about this event, please send it to the email at the start of this document. For that matter, ANY ZZ/MS performance listings not shown in these pages are welcomed!

More Moving Sidewalks Gigs:

08/23/68         The Web, Corpus Christi, TX [The Purple Haze/The Moving Sidewalks] (the calendar shows 8/23, an ad says 8/24) (BRT, RAC)

08/29/68         Gibbons, Mitchell and Summers drive to California without Moore (who refused to get out of bed). (RAC)

08/31/68         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (billed, but the Moving Sidewalks did not play this gig!) (BCC2)

(See: http://blogs.chron.com/40yearsafter/moving_sidewalks/ for details) billing was:

[Moving Sidewalks/Match Box/NFATF/Canned Heat/Mothers Of Invention] (DH poster)

09/xx/68          The Galaxy, 8923 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA – playing as a trio without Moore

09/xx/68          Gazzarri’s, 9039 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA – playing as a trio without Moore

09/05/68         Gibbons, Mitchell and Summers return from California (RAC)

09/06/68         Lodge Pokrok, Houston, TX (RAC)

09/07/68         Safari Club, Baytown, TX (BRT, RAC) (definitely played this!)

09/13/68         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (RAC)

09/14/68         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (RAC)

09/18/68         New Orleans, LA (Frat party) (RAC)

09/19/68         New Orleans, LA (Frat party) (RAC)

09/20/68         Conroe, TX (RAC)

09/21/68         Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, TX [Moving Sidewalks/Young Rascals] (HRW, RAC)

10/04/68         Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine, Houston, TX (RAC) (Possibly San Antonio)

10/05/68         Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine, Houston, TX (RAC) (Possibly San Antonio)

10/12/68         Dallas, TX [Moving Sidewalks/Steppenwolf/Stevie Wonder] (RAC)

10/19/68         Bryan, TX (possibly Triangle Club) (RAC)

11/02/68         "Memorial DRO" (RAC)

11/08/68         Music Hall, Houston, TX [Pendragon/Moving Sidewalks/Jeff Beck Group] (DH poster, RAC)

11/15/68         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (RAC)

12/06/68         Corpus Christi, TX (possibly The Web) (RAC)

12/07/68         Galveston, TX (RAC)

12/13/68         League City, TX (RAC)

12/14/68         Oklahoma City, OK (RAC)

12/20/68         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (RAC)

12/21/68         Jr. League Building, Houston, TX (RAC)

12/23/68         Catacombs Club, Houston, TX (noted as "Joske's Show") (RAC)

12/27/68         "Junior Achievement" (not sure what this was...) (RAC)

12/31/68         Dallas, TX (RAC)

1969

01/01/69         Sadly there is no Steve Ames calendar for 1969, so the 1969 details are still sketchy.

xx/xx/69          The American Blues break up, and Frank Beard moves to Houston.

xx/xx/69          Unknown venue, TX [Moving Sidewalks/John Mayall] (2nd meeting with Bill Ham) (DBI)

xx/xx/69          Houston Music Theatre, Houston, TX (opening for Steppenwolf)

01/18/69         Brazoria County Fairgrounds, Angleton, TX (BRT)

03/01/69         National Guard Armory, Victoria, TX (BRT, TVA)

03/15/69         Safari Club, Baytown, TX [9th Street Bridge/The Moving Sidewalks] (BRT)

05/10/69         Teen Canteen, San Antonio, TX [The Drift Wood Valley/Moving Sidewalks] (SAPL, BRT)

(Laurent Perron & Marius made a reel to reel recording of the Sidewalks, possibly from this location and date.)

(mikesbandarchive.com)

05/xx/69          Spring Branch Senior High School, Spring Valley Village, Houston, Texas (School Prom)

(It is suggested on a website that this was their last official gig, but further research suggests the June Love Street gigs were the last) (MSR)

05/xx/69          The Moving Sidewalks part ways with Steve Ames. (MCC)

06/06/69         Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine, Houston, TX [Moving Sidewalks/Fat Emma]

(MCC says that this was the venue of the final MS shows) (MCC, SCN)

06/06/69         Hendrix Concert: The modern Moving Sidewalks website reports that the band opened for Jimi Hendrix on this date. Hendrix is in Hollywood on this date, and no such performance took place.

06/07/69         Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine, Houston, TX [Moving Sidewalks/Fat Emma]

(MCC says that this was the venue of the final MS shows – this date appears to be the final show until 2013) (MCC, SCN)

“It wasn't too long after the trip to California (9/5/68) that the Sidewalks began to break up, thanks to Uncle Sam, who decided he needed Moore and Summers more than the Sidewalks did. Moore was the first to go, leaving the band as a trio. The Sidewalks played for a while as a trio. Then bassist Don Summers was called to military duty and Gibbons and Mitchell were left at least one person short of a full band. Lanier Greig, who had been part of Neal Ford and the Fanatics, was brought in to replace both. Greig played organ and used the foot pedals for bass. The trio, then managed by Bill Ham, released one single: Salt Lick b/w Millers Farm.”  http://blogs.chron.com/40yearsafter/moving_sidewalks/

06/20/69         ZZ Top is formed; the name ZZ Top was registered on this date at Harris County Courthouse (SDM)

According to Gibbons, their odd name came from a row of posters he had, and his combination of the names Z.Z. Hill and BB King, which started out as ZZ King. Thinking this to be too close to BB King, he thought, well, BB is on Top, so we can be ZZ Top. (BFG)

ZZ Top - The 1st Band were:

Billy Gibbons:               Lead guitar and vocals

Lanier Greig:                 Organ, bass pedals (one-time organ player for Neal Ford And The Fanatics) (USW)

Dan Mitchell:                Drums

07/04/69         Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine, Houston, TX [New Atlantis/ZZ Top] (DH poster, SCN)

(The 1st gig with the ZZ Top name)

“Soon after the recording of Salt Lick, songwriter Jeff Barry asked Lanier (Greig) to New York to try out a part in a new show called The Cowboys. He went, and got the job, although (it was) short-lived. By the time he arrived back in Texas, Gibbons had fired him.... He was replaced by Bill Ethridge. Dan Mitchell was then replaced by Frank Beard while Dusty Hill subsequently joined in place of Ethridge. Beard and Hill had played together in the Dallas band American Blues, along with Dusty's brother Rocky.” (ZZH2)

Stick Pierce: "During one of our breaks from the Cellar in 1969, Billy Gibbons, who I met through my association with “The Magic Ring,” asked me to join his new band, “ZZ Top”. Their organ player, Lanier Greig (formerly of “Neal Ford and the Fanatics”), had recently left the newly formed group and Billy wanted to use a bass player as the third piece. I met one evening with Billy, former “Moving Sidewalks” drummer Dan Mitchell and their manager, Bill Ham, and we ran over a few songs, including a couple or so of Billy's originals. I was (and still am) flattered that I was offered the gig, but it just wasn't what I wanted to do musically. Billy found exactly what he needed a short while later when he teamed up with Dusty and Frank (also former Cellar players). The rest is history and neither I nor ZZ Top would want it any other way." (USW)

ZZ Top - The 2nd Band were:

Billy Gibbons:               Lead guitar and vocals

Bill Ethridge:                 Bass guitar (apparently after Stick Pierce had turned down the job)

Dan Mitchell:                Drums

08/28/69         Space City News, Houston TX - The first ad for the release of the LP Flash by the Moving Sidewalks appears, ironically almost three months after their last gig.

ZZ Top - The 3rd Band were:

Billy Gibbons:               Lead guitar and vocals

Bill Ethridge:                 Bass guitar

Frank Beard:                 Drums

10/17/69         Gregory Gymnasium, University of Texas, Austin, TX

(verified Janis Joplin gig, possible ZZ Top warmup - unverified)

10/18/69         Convention Center Arena, San Antonio, TX [ZZ Top/Janis Joplin] (BRT, VH1)

(Billy mentions this gig on VH1 Storytellers, ZZ Top’s set cut short due to language)

10/19/69         Houston, TX [ZZ Top/Bubble Puppy/Janis Joplin] (LAS, SL, verified by tape)

(SDM verifies that Bill played bass and Frank on drums at this show)

(I think whoever was doing the Janis Joplin show might've liked Billy in his Moving Sidewalks band. It could've been a Bill Ham deal. I don't know. They opened up for Janis. They opened up for Grand Funk in the Coliseum.) (DBI)

10/31/69         Dusty Hill moves to Houston, where he will reconnect with Beard. (DMN)

10/31/69         Houston Music Hall, Houston, TX [ZZ Top/Bubble Puppy/Grand Funk Railroad] (BRT)

11/01/69         Community Center, Victoria, TX (BRT, SL) (noted as “formerly Moving Sidewalks”)

[Gregg Cheser/Mother Goose/ Congress/Joy/Gene Coleman/Ginger Valley/ZZ Top]

12/xx/69          Panther Hall, Ft. Worth, TX (Dusty’s band The Warlocks) (DMN)

Billy Gibbons first saw bassist Dusty Hill perform when the Warlocks

played The Cowtown Jamboree TV show here in the late '60s.

12/14/69         House Party, Austin, Texas (jam with Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac) (Date approximate) (DDB)

12/23/69         Houston Music Theatre, Houston, TX [ZZ Top/Bo Diddley/Chuck Berry] (eBay, BFG)

(ZZ Top opened the show with two 45 minute sets, then also played as Chuck Berry’s

backing band for two 45 minute sets!)

12/xx/69          National Guard Armory, Alvin, TX (BFG, SDM) (Billed as “Bizzy Top from Salt Lake”)

(Played a gig to one paying customer – bought him a coke at the set break)

12/xx/69          Joske’s Department Store, Houston, TX (SDM) (possibly Austin in 1971)

(The band performed at the grand opening of this store)