Aggies who were dejected to learn this past week that the Gridiron Bash and accompanying ZZ Top concert had been cancelled have been given a ray of hope. They may still have a chance to turn the volume to eleven and be witness to the mind-boggling experience that is rock.
Athletic Director Bill Byrne confirmed Wednesday the rumor that an attempt to move the ZZ Top concert to Reed Arena was underway.
“We are trying to have the ZZ Top concert as part of our spring football weekend,” Byrne said. “We still want to have ZZ Top perform in Aggieland. We have Reed Arena reserved for the show, but we’ve not heard back from ZZ Top’s management.”
The point man on the project of bringing ZZ Top to Reed Arena is Phillip Ray, director of Reed Arena.
“We were starting to hear rumors that the Gridiron Bash event was potentially going to be revised [over the weekend,]” Ray said. “We were hearing the word cancelled, and then all the press releases started coming out, and the rumors started floating Saturday afternoon that it had been cancelled.”
Ray volunteered Reed Arena as a potential location for a moved ZZ Top concert.
“The CEO of MSL productions [the organizers of Gridiron Bash] called me late Monday afternoon and he had his team of lawyers with him,” Ray said. “He was very careful to deem the Gridiron Bash situation as a postponement rather than a cancellation. His legal team was very careful to word it in such a manner.
“I said Texas A&M will likely go after ZZ Top on our own on behalf of our fans. He said he was not comfortable with that, and he had hoped we would not do that.”
Knowing now that the Gridiron Bash had officially been postponed, Ray continued to attempt contact with ZZ Top with the prospect of a Reed Arena produced concert independent of Gridiron Bash.
“Later Monday night, I heard back from our contact with ZZ Top,” Ray said. “He said he was very interested, that he had to make some calls and could hopefully do [the concert] April 18 or a later time. He called me back the next morning and said he had spoken to the MSL legal team and they were very adamant about [Texas A&M] not hosting ZZ Top due to some legalities.
“I think it has to do with the way it’s deemed, a postponement or a cancellation, and the fees that go with it. MSL paid some big deposits to secure these talents. They have a lot riding on it. There are some contractual issues. It’s very complex, especially when the lawyers get involved.”
As of right now, ZZ Top has yet to contact Texas A&M about definite plans to host a concert April 18.
“ZZ Top has not yet given a final definite that they can not be here on the 18th, but realistically the window of opportunity is basically closed,” Ray said.