Little Feat, “your favorite band’s favorite band,” are preparing to take a long bow. The group, who’ve been on the road in one form or another since 1969, have announced The Last Farewell Tour, a tongue-in-cheek nod to their album The Last Record Album.
The first leg begins April 2026 with stops in Austin, Orlando, New Orleans, Kansas City, and more. Tickets go on sale November 7, with pre-sale beginning November 5. Details can be found here.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, founding keyboardist Bill Payne admitted the idea of a farewell didn’t come easy. “Everybody and their brother is retiring now,” he said. “But I’ll be honest, I resisted it at first. I’ll be 77 in March, and [guitarist] Fred Tackett is 80 and [bassist] Kenny [Gradney] will be 76 next year. But what’s the rush on farewelling this thing?”
Payne made clear this isn’t a hard stop, confirming the final global tour will take several years. “When I really thought about it, if you play a venue, you just knock it off your list and don’t have to jump on a bus and go places every night, which is probably not a bad thing. And you can do residencies, if they’re available, or play music with other people or do special events.”
Alongside the tour news, Little Feat released “Feathers and a Smile,” a newly unearthed song written by late co-founder Lowell George. Originally part of an unreleased section from the Crazy Captain Gunboat Willie Suite dating back to the band’s 1971 debut sessions, the track features Bill Payne on piano and vocals, Scott Sharrard on Dobro, Fred Tackett on mandolin, and Lowell’s daughter Inara George on vocals.
Discussing the new single, Inara told Rolling Stone, “There’s a sweetness to it, an innocence, that feels like it’s indicative of an earlier time,” she says. “The imagery is a little more sixties. Part of my dad’s storytelling is that he used words that were not always expected, which is something I admire.”
Little Feat may be winding down life on the road, but their music remains as restless and inventive as ever. Fresh off a GRAMMY nod for Sam’s Place, the band’s latest album, Strike Up the Band, proves that decades of experience haven’t dulled their adventurous edge. With Vance Powell at the helm and contributions from Charlie Starr and Robert Hunter, the record swings between funk, rock, and lyrical storytelling. Bill Payne, Fred Tackett, Kenny Gradney, Sam Clayton, Scott Sharrard, and Tony Leone make up a lineup that sounds both seasoned and newly inspired.
In a statement, Little Feat stated: “Playing is the joy and satisfaction of touring, but it comes with the hard part — travel, the endless miles on a bus. There’s no dodging the wear and tear, and Little Feat has been playing for quite a while.”
Little Feat began in 1969 when Frank Zappa told Lowell George he should start his own band. As Lowell happened to have a pretty small shoe size, the name became obvious. He found a partner/keyboard player in Bill Payne and a drummer in Richie Hayward. After a few transitions, they added Kenny Gradney (bass), Sam Clayton (percussion), Paul Barrere (guitar) and eventually Fred Tackett (guitar), and began a now 56-year journey that has produced classics like “Dixie Chicken.”
THE LAST FAREWELL TOUR DATES:
Jan 11-18 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Sandy Beaches Cruise 2026
Jan 18-25 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – The Big Easy Cruise 2026
Apr 10 Fri – Orlando, FL – The Plaza Live
Apr 11 Sat – Miramar Beach, FL – Joe Bonamassa’s Sound Wave Beach Weekend 2026
Apr 13 Mon – Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre
Apr 14 Tue – Roanoke, VA – Jefferson Center
Apr 16 Thu – Chattanooga, TN – Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium
Apr 17 Fri – Montgomery, AL – Montgomery Performing Arts Center
Apr 19 Sun – Dallas, TX – Majestic Theatre
Apr 20 Mon – Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre
May 3 Sun – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
May 5 Tue – Eureka Springs, AR – City Auditorium
May 6 Wed – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
May 8 Fri – Iowa City, IA – Englert Theatre
May 9 Sat – St. Charles, IL – Arcada Theatre
May 24 Sun – Thornville, OH – Dark Star Jubilee
