ZZ Top’s two-night stand at ACL Live August 22-23 became something much bigger than a couple of rock shows. Austin welcomed the band back to the road, and over two nights, the crowd gave Billy Gibbons and the boys all their lovin’! It was a cathartic experience that seemed just as uplifting for the band as for the audience.
Of course, the circumstances surrounding these shows were impossible to ignore. After the passing of original drummer Frank Beard earlier in the week, ZZ Top made the conscious decision to return to the stage at ACL Live.
Night 1 gave the band an opportunity to acknowledge Frank and the enormity of the moment. But by Night 2, something had shifted. The second show was noticeably more rocking, more celebratory, less about looking back and more about making it clear that ZZ Top intends to keep moving forward. Billy Gibbons once famously described ZZ Top as “the same three guys, bashing out the same three chords.”
Now, it’s the same three chords, but only one original guy.
Billy Gibbons, bassist Elwood Francis, and drummer Michael Monahan turned up the Texas boogie, leaning into the riffs, swagger, and attitude that have defined that Little Ol’ Band from Texas for more than five decades. And these Austin shows proved that they are still loud, still loose, and still ready to bring the boogie.
Wishing Billy and the boys a safe rest of the tour! The Top Rolls On.
Recap by Sheehan Perera
