BIKEFEST: Eliminator to give bikers ZZ Top experience Friday at The Toad
By Randall Yelverton

Published: Friday, September 18, 2009 8:19 AM CDT

Dan Holloway and the other members of Eliminator aren't trying to break new ground. They offer fans the purest ZZ Top sound around.

“Our obligation is to stay very true to the music and look,” says Holloway. “We try to copy everything note for note and make people laugh and reminisce.”

As part of this weekend's BikeFest, the tribute band will perform Friday, Sept 18, at the Horny Toad Entertainment Complex. They will also share the stage that evening with Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band The Edge of Forever.

Holloway and company have enlisted the help of professional wig makers and costumers in order to get the long-bearded, sharp-dressed look of ZZ Top just right to satisfy the group's ardent fans. Before starting the band in 2005, Holloway locked himself away in a cabin in Laurie, Mo., to work on the signature blues rock licks of the group and to perfect a singing voice identical to his inspiration, lead vocalist and guitarist Billy Gibbons. In order to maintain the authenticity of their recreation, the group also uses all the same instruments and equipment as ZZ Top. “The beautiful thing about our band is that we have a great deal of respect [for ZZ Top]” says Holloway.

Eliminator takes its name from the best selling ZZ Top album of the same name that included some of the groups biggest hits like “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Gimme All Your Lovin'” and “Legs.” Attendees of the Eliminator can expect to hear these songs and more at Friday's show. Of Eliminator's show, Holloway said, “what we like to do is take fans on a four-decade ride.” The show consists of the band's top 40 hits and b-sides. Though ZZ Top states that “Legs” is the group's most popular song, Holloway finds that Eliminator gets the best response from the one-two punch of “Waiting for the Bus” followed immediately by “Jesus Just Left Chicago.”

In recreating ZZ Top's sound, Eliminator has tried to fashion the music more in the style of the group's albums than live performances. Holloway says that at times they, “sound more like ZZ Top than ZZ Top [does].” Dan Holloway finds that their crowds range from the group's original fans to younger folks who have more recently discovered the blues-inspired rockers. Holloway is a Kansas City native joined on the stage by Bobby K recreating the bass and vocals of Top member Dusty Hill. Kris Naz is on drums, vocals, and sequencer. The band will follow their show at the Horny Toad with an Oct. 9 performance at Grand River Autumn Rally in Urich, MO.

Eliminator will be joined on Friday evening by Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band Edge of Forever who take their name from the eponymous Skynyrd album. According to the band's website, “The name Edge of Forever was chosen due to the band not only playing the classics, but also keeping current with the newly reformed Lynyrd Skynyrd band and their music as well. These guys eat, sleep, and drink Lynyrd Skynyrd.”

The groups will perform free shows Friday evening, Sept. 18, at the Horny Toad Entertainment Complex as part of this weekend's Lake of the Ozark Bikefest. For more information, call 573-365-5620.

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