Red Bank Theater Watch: Rock Out All Week

This week, Count Basie, along with the rest of Red Bank, regroups after essentially shutting down due to Hurricane Irene. 

This week, ZZ Top will bring the house down on Wednesday, August 31st, and Rockit! A Tribute to Woodstock will take the stage on Thursday, September 1st, rescheduled from its original date of August 27th.

ZZ Top is a legendary rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. Their unique style incorporates elements of blues and southern style rock. Their 1973 album Tres Hombres established their star status when it leaped to number eight on the Billboard Top 200.

There was no stopping after that. In 1975, the band released the album Fandango, followed by a tour which broke concert record attendance records previously set by Elvis and Led Zeppelin. In 1977 they released Tejas, an album which paid tribute to their roots and included a Texas shaped stage for their live performances.

It was their 1983 album, Eliminator, however, that would go down in rock and roll history. The album included the memorable hits Legs, Gimme All Your Lovin’, and Sharp Dressed Man. These hits also brought ZZ Top mainstream success, helping them sell more than 10 million records and putting their videos in heavy rotation on MTV.

Following this success, ZZ Top enjoyed fame as a legendary rock group, earning three MTV Awards throughout their career, and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

The band continues to tour and wow audiences with their energetic live performances. They are currently working on a new album, due for release sometime in 2012.

On Thursday, September 1st, hop in the time machine and take a trip back to 1969 with Rockit! A Tribute to Woodstock. This performance was originally scheduled for Saturday, August 27th, but had to be rescheduled due to the untimely arrival of Hurricane Irene.

The Rockit! Summer Concert is the culminating event of a six-week rock band program offered by the Count Basie Theatre Performing Arts Academy, and Rockit!, directed by Bruce Gallipani.

The goal of Rockit! Is to help new, young musicians learn and grow through music and performance. The program gives them an opportunity to learn teamwork, enhance their musical skills and perfect their performance technique. 

Admission to the program is by admission only, and the program culminates in a live performance at Count Basie.

Schedule:

• Wednesday, August 31st, 2011: ZZ Top, 8pm
• Thursday, September 1st, 2011: Rockit! A Tribute to Woodstock, 7pm