ZZ Top returned to the stage on Saturday at Austin, Texas’ ACL Live at the Moody Theater, marking their first show since the death of longtime drummer Frank Beard on Monday.
You can see the band’s full set list and video from the performance below.
It was, perhaps unsurprisingly, an unsentimental show. Although ZZ Top did not explicitly address Beard’s death, singer-guitarist and lone surviving classic member Billy Gibbons did mention their “dear drummer” while introducing his replacement, Michael Monahan.
READ MORE: Why Frank Beard Didn’t Have a Beard
“I guess some of you probably know there’s a new man in town,” Gibbons told the audience after the band’s opening song, “Got Me Under Pressure.” “In fact, it all started a little while back. Elwood [Francis, bassist] and I got an unexpected call from our dear Frank Beard, our dear drummer for 50 years. I’ve never heard him admit, he said, ‘My bass drum foot’s a little weak. Can you get my man to take over?’ I said, ‘Oh yeah, yeah, he’s been doing pretty good.’ Frank said, ‘Yeah, that’s what worries me.'”
Gibbons emphasized this was not the time for tears or maudlin reminiscences. (He did, however, salute his “great friend and collaborator” in a statement on Tuesday.) “We’re all here for a celebration,” he said to a wave of applause. “So y’all have a good time!”
Watch Billy Gibbons Discuss Frank Beard and Introduce Michael Monahan
And with that, ZZ Top got back to business, slinging greasy riffs, Texas-sized grooves and singalong hooks that had the Moody Theater crowd on its feet all night.
The trio alternated between gritty blues-rock classics and sleek, futuristic super-hits, following up the Tres Hombres one-two punch of “Waitin’ for the Bus” and “Jesus Just Left Chicago” with the Eliminator smash “Gimme All Your Lovin’.” Gibbons and bassist Elwood Francis (who replaced Dusty Hill after the stalwart bassist and vocalist’s death in 2021) swiveled their hips and stomped their feet in lockstep, reminding fans that their inimitable Texas shuffle is equal parts swagger and fun.
Francis injected plenty of energy and wry humor into the night, taking the stage with his mammoth, canary-yellow 17-string bass. (It was one of many eye-popping stringed instruments in rotation, along with Francis and Gibbons’ matching fur-covered axes and a Gibbons guitar emblazoned with the word “BEER” on the back.) Gibbons later introduced the bassist by deadpanning, “This is a special night. He just got out of prison,” which segued neatly into “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide.”
The band also played Gibbons’ new solo tune “Brown Paper Bag,” and the frontman made vague mention of a new album. But he didn’t dwell on it, instead moving on to more classics such as “Cheap Sunglasses,” “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs.”
The evening ended with the requisite “La Grange,” after which the Gibbons, Francis and Monahan took a bow and hurried off the stage. They’ll be back at the Moody Theater on Sunday, and their current tour is set to run through late November. Knowing Gibbons and Co., they’ll likely stay on the road indefinitely as long as their bodies permit them.
One can’t help but think it’s what Beard would have wanted.
Watch ZZ Top Play ‘La Grange’ in Austin on Aug. 22, 2026
ZZ Top – Aug. 22, 2026, Austin Set List
1. “Got Me Under Pressure”
2. “Waitin’ for the Bus”
3. “Jesus Just Left Chicago”
4. “Gimme All Your Lovin'”
5. “Pearl Necklace”
6. “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide”
7. “I Gotsta Get Paid”
8. “My Head’s in Mississippi”
9. “Brown Paper Bag” (Billy Gibbons song)
10. “Cheap Sunglasses”
11. Just Got Paid”
12. “Sharp Dressed Man”
13. “Legs”
Encore
14. “Brown Sugar”
15. “Tube Snake Boogie”
16. “Thunderbird”
17. “La Grange”
Ranking Every ZZ Top Album
From the first album to ‘La Futura,’ we check out the Little ‘ol Band From Texas’ studio records.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
