FUSE TV - 10 Reasons Why ZZ Top's Bonnaroo 2013 Set Beat Your Favorite Band

Texas blues-rock legends ZZ Top celebrated their 44th (?!) year as a band with a 90-minute, career-spanning set at Bonnaroo 2013. The trio included tracks ranging from their 1971 debut to last year's Rick Rubin-produced La Futura, playing all the major MTV staples ("Legs," "Sharp Dressed Man," "Gimme All Your Lovin'"), early blues tracks ("La Grange," "Certified Blues") and covers (Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady.") Despite their inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to many, they're just "those guys with beards who made a few videos in the 80s." To familiarize (or re-famiiarize) yourself with the iconic band, here are 10 reasons why their set was one of Friday's best.

1. Their Suits Rival Kanye West and Lady Gaga's Wardrobe
Guitarist Billy Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill's symmetrical appearance have caused countless crowd variants of, "So wait, they're brothers, right?" (They're not.) Besides the obvious perfection that is their iconic beards, the duo's extravagant, Mariachi-inspired suits is equal parts regional pride and show business kitsch. See above for Exhibit A.  

2. Drummer Frank Beard's Kit Is the Size of a Small Country
Seriously. Look at this. There are more parts on Beard's drum kit than fans at some Bonnaroo acts. The 25+-piece set includes 10 cymbals, two bass drums with skulls on them and, for some shows (sadly not this one), a gong. A gong. Do you know who uses gongs besides servants for kings in movies? Scary ass Texans who are happy to split your skull in two and use it as a coaster for their Shiner Bock.

3. They Wrote a Song Based on a '90s Houston Crack-Rap Track
"I Gotsta Get Paid," the lead single from La Futura, is a reworked cover of "25 Lighters" by Texas rappers DJ DMD, Lil Keke and MC Fat Pat. "I became fixated with this ‘hypnotic chronicle of the toil of a ghetto hustler'," Gibbons has said, "and I was determined to use it as the basis for something ZZ Top could record." It's doubtful many in the Bonnaroo audience spotted the inspiration, but it's a testament to the group's fearlessness.