When I saw earlier this year that the Poupet Festival was bringing in ZZ Top, I was overjoyed because,
to be honest, I didn't think I’d ever see them again. I saw the band back in the 90s and later at Hellfest;
for me, they’ve had a flawless career. I admit I love their 70s era and albums like *Tres Hombres*.
Of course, their look—specifically those beards—made them instantly recognizable.

The band suffered a major loss with the 2021 death of bassist and vocalist Dusty Hill,
and now drummer Frank Beard is ill. Billy Gibbons is one of my favorite guitarists. What’s more,
back in the 70s, ZZ Top shared a manager—Mr. Bill Ham—with another band called Point Blank.
Point Blank is my all-time favorite group; as their guitarist-vocalist Rusty Burns used to say,
they played "Texas Southern Rock."

It was a deeply moving experience to see ZZ Top again, and I want to thank the entire festival team
for continuing to give us moments like this.

Philippe Archambeau