CONCERT REVIEW: Grit, Groove, And Guitar Magic: BILLY F. GIBBONS And His Sharp Dressed Band Deliver Blazing Rock & Blues Evening

Billy F. Gibbons And The BFGs started their 2025 tour on January 17th in Honolulu, HI, and will crisscross the U.S., hitting all venues in their path until winding down on February 20th in Bristol, Tennessee.

Like ZZ Top, Billy‘s solo band, the BFGs, is a three-piece featuring Chris “Whipper” Layton on drums and Mike “The Drifter” Flanigin on bass. All sharp-dressed, Billy and Mike wore identical rhinestone embordered bolero jackets and wide-brim cowboy hats, while Chris was dressed in a red jacket and matching red suede shoes.

The show was a glowing testament to their electrifying performance split between ZZ Top hits and blues covers. ZZ Top‘s classic, “Waiting for the Bus,” set the tone for an exhilarating evening of rock n’ roll infused with the blues.

Billy‘s fluid guitar playing was on full display to the audience he cultivated over the last 50 years. His finger effortlessly glided between chords and scales on the fretboard as he transitioned from one phrase of the song to the next; it was as if he was painting a sonic landscape with each song. His signature growling vocals dripped with grit and soul to perfectly complement the music he and the band were laying down.

As you would expect, Billy‘s live guitar tone is equally as rich and dirty as anything on a ZZ Top or solo album. For Billy, it was all about sinking his teeth into the heart of the blues to make those dirty notes vibrate and hum from his gut!

Before the show, I asked Billy how his guitar playing defines who he is and what he does. He replied, “It’s about tone; the dirtier, the grittier, the better! Dirt is its own reward, but you have to go low to get in it.” He went on to explain how much of his tone comes from his hands and how much from his gear, “The touch is pretty constant, and the gear is tweaked to a fare-thee-well, so it’s anybody’s guess. We’d say 60% of one and 40% of the other, but we’re not sure which aspect is the 60% and which is the 40%, and besides, there’s at least another 25% that’s free-floating so now we’re talking about 125%, and that does indeed add up!”

The proof was evident with his screaming hot Magnatone amps and cabinets piled high. On songs like “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” and “Cheap Sunglasses,” he delivered a flurry of notes that made your heart race and your head spin, but he also knew how to slow things down in just the right places during the set with “Blue Jean Blues” and “Francine” with their lofty tone that resonated and swirled.

Billy has an incurable ability to connect emotive melodic guitar phrasing with smoking runs with “La Grange” and “Sharp Dressed Man.” As a bonus, Billy shared the history of some songs and his comedic about everything from footwear fashion, women, friendship with Jimi Hendrix, and the woes of his local dollar store closing.

Chris‘s playing was smooth and controlled, being the heartbeat of the band, while Mike laid down the rumbling bass lines with some Texas swagger, locking in for that unshakeable groove where Billy could work his magic.

Over the course of their 90-minute set, the band tore through 17 songs that showcased their musical expertise and kept the audience enthralled. For many, the blues is just a technical musical exercise, but for Billy, it’s a soulful expression of one’s innermost self. To truly master the blues, one must have lived a life marked by success and difficulty – experiencing the full spectrum of human emotion.

Billy and his band never faltered on that sentiment, marrying it with the perfect combination of emotion, tone, and swagger! It was a masterful performance that left no doubt about Billy‘s status as one of the greatest living rock n’ roll guitar players.

Tickets for Billy F. Gibbons And The BFGs remaining shows can be found here. On the other hand, ZZ Top will launch a 2025 edition of its Elevation Tour, and tickets can be found here.