Updated

Updated · Ultimate Classic Rock · Aug 23

ZZ Top Returns With Michael Monahan for First Post-Beard Show, Playing 17 Songs in Austin

Updated

Updated · Ultimate Classic Rock · Aug 23

ZZ Top Returns With Michael Monahan for First Post-Beard Show, Playing 17 Songs in Austin

Q: After canceling major shows for Frank Beard's hospice care, will ZZ Top's teased new album feature the legendary drummer's final secret recordings?

There is no public evidence yet that ZZ Top’s teased new album will include undisclosed final recordings by Frank Beard. What is known is that Billy Gibbons hinted at new music during the Austin comeback show, but neither he nor the band has said whether any album has been recorded, how far along it is, or who played drums on it. The available reporting only confirms that Beard had stepped away from touring because of serious health problems, entered hospice care at his Texas ranch, and died at 77 after the band canceled dates including Salt Lake City, Colorado Springs and the Hollywood Bowl. Beard’s importance to any future ZZ Top release is clear: he played on every ZZ Top studio album from 1971’s *First Album* through 2012’s *La Futura*. But the current tour lineup now features Michael Monahan on drums, and there has been no announcement that Beard completed late-session material before his death. So the most accurate answer is that it remains possible, but unconfirmed. If ZZ Top had tracked songs before Beard’s decline, those performances could appear on a future release. If not, the project may instead reflect the post-Beard touring incarnation led by Gibbons and Elwood Francis. Until the band formally announces recording details, any claim of “secret final recordings” is speculation, not fact.

3 articles · Updated · Ultimate Classic Rock · Aug 23

ACL Live in Austin hosted ZZ Top's first concert since drummer Frank Beard died Monday, with Michael Monahan stepping in for a 17-song set that ended with "La Grange."
Billy Gibbons briefly acknowledged Beard after the opener, saying the longtime drummer had earlier asked that "my man" take over, then told the crowd the night was "for a celebration."
The band kept the show largely unsentimental, running through staples including "Gimme All Your Lovin'," "Cheap Sunglasses," "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs," while also adding Gibbons' solo song "Brown Paper Bag."
ZZ Top returns to the Moody Theater again Sunday, and the current tour is scheduled to continue through late November.