ZZ Top's First Show Since Frank Beard's Death

Guitarist and frontman Billy Gibbons addressed the loss from the stage before the band launched into its set: "We're all here for a celebration."

Gibbons also introduced the drummer who took over behind the kit, Michael Monahan, recounting a dry joke Beard had made about handing off the job: "My bass drum foot's a little weak. Can you get my man to take over?" Monahan had already been filling in for Beard during recent shows as the drummer dealt with health issues that had sidelined him from touring.

In a statement issued after Beard's death, Gibbons paid tribute to his longtime bandmate: "Today, Elwood and I lost a great friend and collaborator, and the world lost one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas," referring to bassist Elwood Francis by his nickname.

The Austin performance leaned on the catalog most associated with Beard's steady groove, with the band running through staples including "La Grange," "Cheap Sunglasses," "Jesus Just Left Chicago" and "Got Me Under Pressure," described as a full-length performance consistent with a typical ZZ Top concert.

Beard co-founded ZZ Top in 1969 alongside Gibbons and Dusty Hill and remained the band's drummer for the entirety of its five-decade run. He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Hill, the band's longtime bassist, died in 2021.

Gibbons did not suggest during the performance that the show represented an ending point for ZZ Top, and outlets reported the band intends to continue touring with Monahan on drums.