ZZ Top returning to Venetian in December; new album this week

ZZ Top has a new album out, and will rock again on the Strip alongside the National Finals Rodeo.

The legendary trio fronted by Billy F. Gibbons has announced five shows at The Venetian Theatre running Dec. 3-10. (tickets run $55-$299.95, not including fees, onsale 10 a.m. Friday). The band’s current lineup is Gibbons; co-founder Frank Beard on drums; and Elwood Francis, the veteran (and bearded) guitar tech who has replaced original bassist, Dusty Hill.

Gibbons initially confirmed the dates in late-May, when he jammed with Franky Perez and his FXP band at the opening of Sand Dollar Downtown at the Plaza.

The series is booked alongside the National Finals Rodeo at Thomas & Mack Center on Dec. 1-10. Gibbons’ team and rodeo officials have talked of him contributing to the event, but nothing has yet been decided.

The new ZZ Top album, “Raw,” dropped Friday. The live show was recorded during an impromptu performance as the band was setting up a photo shoot at the famous Gruene Hall in Texas in 2019. The session was to promote “That Little Ol’ Band From Texas” Netflix documentary. Early releases “Brown Sugar,” “La Grange,” and “Tube Snake Boogie” are available now for download.

“This wasn’t intended to be a recording session. We show up at Gruene Hall, which has been open since like 1900, and I expected we were going to take a couple of snapshots and leave,” Gibbons said in May. “But the wires got crossed, and the whole stage, the whole ZZ Top show, was set up. Then there was a camera jam — the infamous camera jam! — and 10 minutes turned into 30. I looked at Frank and Dusty and said, ‘We might as well crank it up.’ ”

Yee-haw alert

Check out this early entertainment move by new Cosmopolitan operators MGM Resorts International: “Wild West Wednesdays” premieres Wednesday night at The Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails.

The hidden speakeasy (which everyone knows about) features a country-themed night, leading with the country-rock band Mach Five taking the stage at 10 p.m. No cover in this very chic music-club experience.

We won’t “Cool Hang Alert” this night until we actually take part, but it seems in play. Also, know this about Barbershop, it has drawn an array of celebs including Machine Gun Kelly, Macy Gray, DJ Ashba, Zac Brown, Gavin DeGraw, Blanco Brown, Mikkey Dee and Dustin Lynch. All have performed surprise sets.

Cool Hang Alert

Superb vocalist and showman Lou Gazzara headlines Italian American Showroom at 6:30 p.m. (show) and 8 p.m. (dinner) Wednesday. Gazzara is an “American Idol” finalist and former “Vegas! The Show” cast member who has range for days. Last Sunday night, Gazzara dueted with Elisa Furr, who plays Celine Dion in “Legendary Divas” at the Tropicana, on the Andrea Bocelli-Dion version of “The Prayer.” Nicolas Cole on keys. This was in the lounge, folks, and it was fantastic-o.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.