Billy Gibbons and The BFG Band @ Avalon Theatre (Inside the Fallsview Casino), Niagara Falls, Ontario 2-4-26

As a brutal winter has hit most of the US and Canada over the last several weeks, one tour that has been heating things is up the Billy Gibbons and The BFG Band. Gibbons, has been known for fronting ZZ Top over the last 57 years. On occasion, he steers away from his main project to do some solo things. His new side project includes the legendary Chris Layton on drums and Mike “The Drifter” Flanagan on bass & Hammond B3 Organ. The Billy Gibbons and The BFG Band current tour spans 26 cities and this is the only Canadian date on the schedule.

The 3 piece band took to the stage wearing identical outfits which included Gibbons and Flanagan wearing cherry-red bolero jackets, burgundy pants and wide-brim hats. It was a nice added flare to the bands 18 song setlist. Of course, the set consisted mostly of ZZ Top classics. It was nice to hear some deeper ZZ Top tracks like “Blue Jean Blues” off of the 1975 album ‘Fandango’ and “Francine” off of the 1972 ‘Rio Grande Mud.’ I felt that those songs went off just as well as the classics. Gibbons joked around talking about he had his barrel ready when he was going to visit the falls but it was so cold and icy that he will have to save it for the next time he plays the area. Gibbons also talked about a new solo album forthcoming and played a track called off of it called “Brown Paper Bag.” The song definitely has a hard bite to it. If the new album is anything like this track, then longtime fans of Gibbons will be pleased. Flanagan showed his versality behind the Hammond on songs “I Got Love If You Want It” and “Q-Vo.” Gibbons talked about opening up for The Jimi Hendrix Experience back in 1968 with his earlier band called the Moving Sidewalks. In tribute to him, they played “Foxy Lady.” They closed the set with one of everyone’s favorite ZZ Top song in “La Grange.” They came back to do a few encores “Sharp Dressed Man” and closed with “Thunderbird” (which he incited the audience to sing along: “Get high, everybody, get high.”)

Overall, Gibbons mastery on guitar is still evident after all of these years. What surprised me was his voice still remains raspy and poignant after all of these years. Both Layton and Flanagan are seasoned pros and were able to fill in the sound around Gibbons with ease. I have to say it was nice seeing Gibbons’ Band as my first show review of 2026.What a great way to kick things off for the year !

Setlist:

Waitin’ for the Bus (ZZ Top song)

Jesus Left Chicago (ZZ Top song)

Gimme All Your Lovin’ (ZZ Top song)

Cheap Sunglasses (ZZ Top song)

I Got Love If You Want It (ZZ Top song)

Q-Vo

Blue Jeans Blues (ZZ Top song)

Foxy Lady (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)

Brown Paper Bag

Francine (ZZ Top song)

Just Got Paid (ZZ Top song)