The Variety Playhouse in Atlanta’s eclectic Little Five Points neighborhood played host to the final stop on Billy F Gibbons (of Grammy-nominated ZZ Top fame) and the BFG Band’s winter tour on Saturday. Established in 1940, this converted World War II-era movie theater is one of the city’s most beloved mid-size concert destinations. With a capacity of roughly 1,000 people, the venue footprint combines theater-style seating with a lowered front pit for general admission standing, while a balcony and tiered mezzanines offer viewpoints that keep patrons close to the stage no matter your vantage point.
Few guitarists can walk onstage, hit a single note, and instantly bend the room to their will, but Billy Gibbons has been doing exactly that for more than five decades. Backed by his BFG Band consisting of Mike “The Drifter” Flanigin on bass and Chris “Whipper” Layton on drums, Gibbons delivered a nearly two-hour, swagger-heavy set that felt loose, loud, and deeply rooted in the blues, kicking off the night with “Waitin’ for the Bus” and “Jesus Just Left Chicago,” both from ZZ Top’s third studio album, Tres Hombres (1973).
From the jump shortly after 8:00 p.m., the BFG Band locked into a thick, greasy pocket, giving the 76-year-old Gibbons plenty of room to roam. His guitar tone — snarling, fuzzy, and unmistakably his — cut through the mix with ease, while his economy of playing continued to prove that he can say more with a bent note and a well-timed pause than most players manage in a full solo. Every riff landed with intention; every lick served the song…