A sell-out, standing room only crowd was on hand to watch Billy F Gibbons and his BFG band blow the roof off the historic 100-year-old Arcada Theater in St. Charles, Illinois.
Although I was relegated to the back row in the balcony, this 76-year-old blues rock icon put on a powerful performance that proved why he is worthy of once being voted the 32nd Best Guitarist by Rolling Stone magazine. Whether it was the familiar opening chords from “Waiting for the Bus” to a mesmerizing cover of Jimi Hendrix’s’ “Foxy Lady,” Gibbons’ guitar mastery and incredible stage presence resonated with everyone from the front row seats to the SRO section.
The former ZZ Top frontman also brought on the heavy artillery by way of his BFG cohorts who boast impressive credentials of their own. Drummer Chris “Whipper” Layton played with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble and has toured with Kenny Wayne Shepard and other musical heavyweights. Rounding out the powerhouse trio was bassist/keyboardist Mike “The Drifter” Flanigin, whose resume includes stints in Antone’s house band, where he backed up a slew of blues legends including Junior Wells and Earl King.
The Arcada Theater is no stranger to legends either. During its 100-year-old history, the iconic theater has played host to everyone from Olivia DeHavilland and Edgar Bergen to George Burns and Gracie Allen. The property was acquired by impresario Ron Onesti in 2005, when it underwent an extensive renovation before it was revitalized and returned to its “Gem of the Fox Valley” status.
Onesti came out before Gibbons and the BFG band took the stage to thank everyone for being there and to acknowledge the veterans, first-responders, teachers and health care workers in attendance. He also alluded to the advancing ages of some audience members when he made a nod to the show’s 5pm start time. This comment was met with an enthusiastic response from the approximately 900 fans who packed the place.
Jaik Willis, aka “The One-Man Band” set the evening in motion with a set that included his own composition about a “drunken ex-girlfriend” and the revelation that the ex is “cool and does my taxes now.” Willis also served up solid covers of everything from Otis Rush’s “All Your Love” and Stevie Wonder’s “All I Do” to a spirited version of “Thank You for Letting Me Be Myself,” complete with his own sound effects.
Besides adding some vocal “pop” to this Sly and the Family Stone classic, Willis also showcased his versatility on the harp, guitar, bass and an 11-piece drum set that he played with his feet. With all this frenetic musicianship, it’s easy to see why Willis has been lauded as a “fire-breathing freakshow.”
Then, it was time for the legendary Gibbons to take the stage, and it was apparent that his look really hasn’t changed since his ZZ Top days. Gibbons continues to sport his signature beard, sunglasses, cowboy hat and wore a resplendent red suit. Flanigan mirrored Gibbons’ sartorial splendor, right down to their matching floral-bedecked axes.
Although Gibbons has been a rock icon for over a half century, he came across as soft-spoken and self-effacing. The only downside was it was hard to hear many of his stories from the back row of the balcony, so I was only able to pick up bits and pieces of some of his monologues.
After talking about standing in the cold, Gibbons and his BFG band launched into “Waiting for the Bus” followed by “Jesus Just Left Chicago.” This classic one-two intro had the crowd hungry for more ZZ Top hits and Gibbons and company did not disappoint. Their set-list included everything from “Just Got Paid,” “Gimme All Your Loving” and “La Grange” to “Manic Mechanic” and “Cheap Sunglasses,” which was prefaced by Gibbons’ lament about a local dollar store closing.
Besides these ZZ Top classics, the band broke out a few well-received covers including an Afro-Caribbean take on Slim Harpo’s “Got Love it You Want It,” which debuted on his 2015 Perfectamundo release.
After telling a few tales about his friendship with Jimi Hendrix, Gibbons and the BFGs did a fabulous rendition of “Foxy Lady.” Gibbons and his former band, The Moving Sidewalks, performed this song when they opened for Hendrix in 1968, with the guitar legend famously telling Gibbons “I like you. You’ve got a lot of nerve.” Hendrix also praised Gibbons as “America’s best young guitar player.”
Of course, no Gibbons show would be complete without breaking into “Sharp Dressed Man,” which saw him and Flanigan recreating the iconic moves that made this song an MTV video staple in the eighties.
Although the show was heavy on ZZ Top hits, many dating back to the seventies, Billy F Gibbons and the BFGs are no nostalgia act. As their tour continues to roll across the U.S, this high-octane Texas trio will continue to flex its musical muscles and put on a masterclass of blues-rock virtuosity.
