ZZ Top returned to the stage in Austin, Texas, on Aug. 22 for the band’s first concert since the death of longtime drummer Frank Beard. The performance came five days after Beard died at age 77 and followed the cancellation of shows in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs.
During the Austin concert, guitarist Billy Gibbons briefly acknowledged Beard before introducing drummer Michael Monahan. Monahan had already been performing with the group while Beard was away from touring because of health issues.
The show at the Moody Theater continued with a set built around ZZ Top’s best-known songs, including Sharp Dressed Man, Legs and La Grange. Rather than turning the evening into an extended memorial, the band kept the focus on the music and the tour.
Beard had been part of ZZ Top since 1969, joining Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill in the lineup that became closely identified with the Texas rock band. Hill died in 2021.
ZZ Top is expected to continue its scheduled performances, carrying on with Monahan behind the drums.
