Gibbons is joined by Chris Layton & Austin Flanigin
ZZ Top frontman Billy F Gibbons has set a string of new tour dates in the first quarter of 2026 for his ongoing solo project, Billy F Gibbons and the BFG Band. With Billy on guitar and vocals, the group also includes fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Chris “Whipper” Layton (Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble) on drums and Austin legend Mike “The Drifter” Flanigin on Hammond organ, bass and backing vocals.
The tour, the third in-person solo endeavor by Gibbons, kicks off January 20th at the Uptown Theatre in Napa, California followed by a string of California dates with appearances thereafter in Santa Fe and Denver. An especially significant tour stop is set for January 31st at the legendary Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, the site of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper’s final performance about 67 years earlier. February dates will see Billy and the BFGs in the Midwest, New England, New York, and the middle Atlantic region, with the tour concluding February 28th at Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse, for 28 dates over six weeks.
“I’m joined with Whipper and The Drifter, in our collective Texas collective blues tradition,” Gibbons says. “There’s a bond that speaks volumes about our sonic skew,” adding “one might hear a surf tune or some other detour of loudness as what we do is looser than our collective background might suggest. We predict good times as we always say, “Ya’ can’t lose with the blues.”
Gibbons has released three solo albums, including the Afro-Cuban flavored Perfectamundo, the self-explanatory follow-up The Big Bad Blues, and, most recently, Hardware. When not on the road, Gibbons has been recording a fourth as-yet-untitled album for Concord Records, to be released early in 2026. A new track, “Brown Paper Bag,” is expected to be released concurrent with the kickoff of the new tour. Another track from Billy Gibbons, “Livin’ It Up Down In Texas,” was released earlier and is the centerpiece of the recently issued MCA Nashville album Landman [Songs From and Inspired by the Paramount+ Original Series (Volume 1)].
Chris “Whipper” Layton has long been close to Billy Gibbons and part of The Jungle Show, a confluence of great players who for many years have performed at Antone’s in Austin between Christmas and New Year. Following the tragic death of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Layton joined forces with his former Double Trouble bandmate Tommy Shannon, along with Doyle Bramhall II and Charlie Sexton, to form Arc Angels. In recent years, he’s been the primary drummer on the Experience Hendrix Tour, backing top-flight players ranging from Taj Mahal and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram to Eric Johnson and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
Mike ‘The Drifter’ Flanigin is a shining light of the Texas blues scene and a master of the Hammond B3 organ, known for his collaborations with Gibbons on The Jungle Show as well as with Jimmie Vaughan. He’s recorded several well-received solo albums and joined forces with ZZ Top at the Montreux Jazz Festival. A musical jack of all trades, he most recently recorded a bluegrass single in Nashville of his composition “When My Baby Plays The Cannonball” with bluegrass greats Rob and Ronnie McCoury.
Billy F Gibbons and the BFG Band Tour 2026 Dates:
Jan 20 – Napa, CA @ Uptown Theatre
Jan 21 – Monterey, CA @ Golden State Theatre
Jan 23 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
Jan 24 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Lobero Theatre
Jan 25 – Anaheim, CA @ Grove of Anaheim
Jan 28 – Santa Fe, NM @ Lensic Performing Arts Center
Jan 29 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
Jan 31 – Clear Lake, IA @ Surf Ballroom
Feb 1 – St. Charles, IL @ The Arcada Theatre
Feb 3 – Columbus, OH @ Southern Theatre
Feb 4 – Niagara Falls, ON @ Fallsview Casino Resort
Feb 6 – Wilmington, DE @ Grand Opera House
Feb 7 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
Feb 10 – Derry, NH @ Tupelo Music Hall
Feb 11 – Plymouth, MA @ Plymouth Memorial Hall
Feb 13 – Rutland, VT @ Paramount Theatre
Feb 14 – Patchogue, NY @ Patchogue Theatre
Feb 16 – New York, NY @ City Winery New York
Feb 17 – New York, NY @ City Winery New York
Feb 19 – Wilkes Barre, PA @ F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts
Feb 20 – Mashantucket, CT @ Foxwoods Resort Casino
Feb 21 – Tarrytown, NY @ Tarrytown Music Hall
Feb 23 – Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere
Feb 24 – Frederick, MD @ Weinberg Center for the Arts
Feb 26 – Rocky Mount, VA @ Harvester Performance Center
Feb 27 – Bristol, TN @ Paramount Bristol
Feb 28 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
