Remembering Frank Beard With ZZ Top’s “Waitin’ for the Bus” Live in Chicago
In honor of Frank Beard who passed away on August 17, 2026, we are looking back at this killer performance from ZZ Top’s classic lineup.
The clip comes from Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival on June 26, 2010, just outside of Chicago. Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Beard opened their set with “Waitin’ for the Bus” and “Jesus Just Left Chicago,” the two songs that also open their 1973 album, Tres Hombres.
Dusty is playing his blonde Bolin Precision style bass known as “Old Faithful.” It has that great early P Bass look and Hill was certainly no stranger to old Precisions. This particular bass became one of his frequently used live instruments. More than anything, it is just great to watch Dusty and Frank together again. Dusty keeps things simple, heavy, and Frank provides the pocket that helped define ZZ Top for more than five decades.
What a rhythm section.
No Treble CEO Jody Miller is a Chicago-based bassist, guitarist, engineer, and producer best known for his bass gear demo videos and as the co-host of The Bass Nerds podcast.
