Miranda Lambert, Hank Jr., Dwight Yoakam All To Hit Billy Bobs
Who would have guessed that a 40-year-old club in the Stockyards of Fort Worth, Texas would become one of the hottest spots in country music in 2021. But this is how the pandemic has shifted things around. While many clubs are still shuttered, and arena shows are still likely months away even as restrictions ease, the “Biggest Honky Tonk in the World” makes for about the perfect intermediary where they can offer safe and socially distanced shows, yet still accommodate some of the biggest draws in country music who are itching to play in front of a live audience.
By expanding their emphasis on food to officially qualify as a restaurant, and offering a socially-distanced setup of about 1,000 reserved seats and an additional 200 general admission tickets, the 100,000 sq.ft. facility that usually accommodates crowds pushing 6,000 has become the go-to place for performers and fans alike, and all while Billy Bob’s is celebrating its 40th Anniversary.
Bobby Bob’s officially reopened in August, and since then has been facilitating performances from many of the region’s biggest artists such as the Josh Abbott Band, Flatland Cavalry, Robert Earl Keen, Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen, and Casey Donahew. Legends and mainstream names have also gotten in on the action like Easton Corbin, Scotty McCreery, and Sammy Kershaw. Jamey Johnson and Rady Houser played a couple of shows together there. Midland has announced three shows at Billy Bob’s in April.
But now some monster names that usually only play major venues have signed up for the Billy Bob’s roster as well. Dwight Yoakam with opener Tennessee Jet was recently announced for March 19th and 20th, and then a third show on April 15th due to the demand. Hank Williams Jr. only plays about 8 to 10 shows a year, and usually to arenas. But he has signed up to perform on April 2nd and April 3rd—the day after The Gatlin Brothers officially mark Billy Bob’s 40th Anniversary on April 1st.
Now Miranda Lambert has also signed up, first announcing three shows April 22-24, and then adding two more shows due to demand on May 1st and 2nd. Obviously with the limited capacity, shows for bigger names tend to sell out immediately, and offer not just antsy artists an opportunity to play, but fans the opportunity to see some of their favorite artists in a more intimate setting.
We all yearn for the day when we can return to normal in live music. But in the interim, Billy Bob’s has stepped up to offer a healthy alternative, and one now some of the biggest names in country are now taking advantage of. Don’t be surprised if more sign up soon.
Billy Bob’s Texas Calendar:
FEB 19 – Danielle Nicole @ The 81 Club
FEB 19 – Jimmie Allen
FEB 20 – The Cleverlys @ The 81 Club
FEB 20 – Shenandoah & Collin Raye
FEB 26 – Mike & The Moonpies
FEB 27 – Tracy Lawrence
MAR 05 – Shane Smith & The Saints
MAR 06 – Charley Crockett
MAR 12 – Aaron Lewis
MAR 13 – Kip Moore
MAR 14 – Grupo Bryndis
MAR 18 – The Steel Woods
MAR 19 – Dwight Yoakam with Tennessee Jet
MAR 20 – Dwight Yoakam with Tennessee Jet
MAR 26 – Samantha Fish
MAR 27 – Justin Moore
APR 01 – Larry, Steve & Rudy: The Gatlin Brothers
APR 02 – Hank Williams Jr.
APR 03 – Hank Williams Jr.
APR 08 – Midland
APR 09 – Midland
APR 10 – Midland
APR 15 – Dwight Yoakam
APR 22 – Miranda Lambert
APR 23 – Miranda Lambert
APR 24 – Miranda Lambert
MAY 1 – Miranda Lambert
MAY 2 – Miranda Lambert
MAY 28 – Kody West
JUN 05 – Joe Nichols
JUL 30 – Ted Nugent
OCT 09 – Jon Pardi
OCT 10 – Jon Pardi
February 14, 2021 @ 12:05 pm
The Nuge! (Not a political statement, he was just one of sound makers of my youth). Glad to see these shows are happening. I would fly down there for Dwight and Tennessee Jet if I could score a ticket. Dwight still kicks major ass.
February 14, 2021 @ 12:15 pm
Matsfan, I have come around to the idea that nugent’s success was first due in large part to his singer, derek st. holmes, and then to tommy shaw, blades, and cartellone’s input into damn yankees.
February 14, 2021 @ 12:27 pm
No argument about Derek St. Holmes.
February 14, 2021 @ 1:36 pm
Saw The Nuge at Giants Stadium in ’78. It was my second concert. Four acts, with Aerosmith the headliner, followed by the Nuge. What I remember of it was him in a loin cloth and a lot of hyperventilating.
Saw Dwight for the first time in DC about 3 years in a smaller theater (about 1250 capacity). I thought he was great. Played a lot of Merle that night, too.
February 15, 2021 @ 3:21 pm
I actually liked the album with Meatloaf as the singer instead of DSH. I had tix for Ted opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd, basically a double bill at MSG in NYC back in the late 70s. LS cancelled due to their plane crash so Ted headlined. Even at 17 I thought he was over the top and just plain dumb. I don’t think I ever listened to his music ever again. Total meathead rock.
February 16, 2021 @ 9:39 pm
You would think that they would have cancelled or postponed the concert just as a show of respect, however I don’t know the timeline.
February 16, 2021 @ 11:24 pm
After a quick Google: The crash was on October 20, 1977, the show was on November 10th.
Some random fan’s recollection:
“In November 1977 I had orchestra seats to see Lynyrd Skynyrd at Madison Square Garden which was a double bill with Ted Nugent. Of course I never saw that concert due to the tragic plane crash that took the lives of many members of the band. Following the crash the venue decided not to cancel the show, we had to go see Ted Nugent or waste our money by not going at all. Now that’s one event I wish had been cancelled!”
February 14, 2021 @ 8:38 pm
Yeah Ted the Sledge is definitely an outlier in that schedule but I remember playing drunk air guitar to Free for All back in the day. “Got me a rock n roll band it’s a free for all…”
February 14, 2021 @ 1:41 pm
Man, wished I lived close to Billy Bobs. They have a lot of great artists lined up to be able to see in such an intimate setting.
February 14, 2021 @ 1:53 pm
Here in the DC area, my favorite venue The Birchmere opened back up in July 2020 with a limited number of social distance/COVID-19 protocol shows. It’s a 500 seat venue and they’ve only been allowing for 200 tickets max. It has been mostly local bands and maybe regional tribute bands. I’ve been to a few of those. Typically, I don’t go see such acts as these, as I want to use my time to see recording artists that I’m into and I can’t go out to see live music any time I want to, but it was good to be back at my favorite venue hearing live music. The one I remember very fondly was a local hard rockabilly band called Jumpin’ Jupiter, who I hope to check out again sometime. But back in October, I got to see solo shows by Raulo Malo and then Marty Stuart. Then last month, I saw Jorma Kaukonen. All three were so happy to be out “playing music for strangers” again. Jorma facetimed his Hot Tuna bandmate Jack Casady at the beginning of the show to mark the occasion.
February 14, 2021 @ 3:01 pm
Has there been an impact on ticket pricing?
February 14, 2021 @ 6:48 pm
Dwight $80, Miranda $200, Hank $200, probably all cheaper than a floor seat in a large arena.
February 15, 2021 @ 8:02 am
That’ll be the day I drop that type of money..
February 15, 2021 @ 8:49 am
$80 for Dwight seems OK. I think I paid around $75 to see him in 2017 and it was worth it.
February 15, 2021 @ 10:50 am
For Dwight at least, that’s totally in line with tickets last year, depending on the venue. I was watching ticket prices for Dwight about 6 months trying to decide where we were going to go see him. I think they were like $100 to $180 if you went to the residency they did at a big theater in Vegas, and I ended up spending somewhere around $120 to see him at a theater in Bakersfield.
February 15, 2021 @ 10:00 pm
hey Steller…. my band (the north forty) opened that Dwight show in Bakersfield. last minute gig. i hope we entertained you as well….
February 15, 2021 @ 9:11 am
Supply and demand. BB have the only supply for a country demanding concerts. With operating around 1/6 of the occupancy, how do you except the venue to pay the artists? I expected these ticket price to be much higher.
February 15, 2021 @ 1:23 pm
I don’t expect anything. I will have to wait for the more affordable club shows to open.. last show I went to a year ago was Flatland Calvary and William Clark Green for 12 bucks.
February 15, 2021 @ 1:37 pm
My last show was Chris Knight for $20. But, I doubt we’ll see those prices again. This article states that 90% of independent clubs will close by the end of the pandemic:
https://www.whiskeyriff.com/2020/06/14/new-survey-says-90-of-independent-music-venues-in-danger-of-closing-permanently/
Those that survive (and the artists) will be making up for years of lose revenue when they reopen at full capacity.
February 16, 2021 @ 8:23 am
Unfortunately many of the smaller bands will either have to hang it up or turn to busking.
February 20, 2021 @ 8:22 pm
Greta Van Zant is 360.00 front row center in TN, if u buy 3 together the price goes up?
February 14, 2021 @ 3:15 pm
We’ve basically had nothing here but mainly Classic Rock and a very few Country cover bands in small mostly suburban bars here since July 1. Whitey came and played an acoustic show in October, Ward Davis is playing here March 11 and Sunny Sweeney in April and that’s it so far. I’m pretty sure both of those will be acoustic as well. I know things will start to pick up a bit but I see full band shows all over Texas……Good for you guys down there! If I lived by Billy Bob’s I’d be there all the time…lol
February 14, 2021 @ 4:06 pm
Gonna try to go to Miranda’s show on may 2. Hope to see y’all there:)
February 14, 2021 @ 9:54 pm
$200 for a maybe 2 hour show? Maybe 30-45 mins more if there is an opening act?
Hmn, yikes.
February 15, 2021 @ 8:07 am
Yeah that ain’t happening
February 15, 2021 @ 7:16 am
its time to get back out and live, to hell with social distancing and limited audience size, you’ve all been punked by a business (the CDC) who own multiple virus patents and make billions a year off these vaccine patents and LIE to you on purpose – you wont see this on CNN MSNBC CBS ABC or any other MainStreamMedia outlet despite the fact this is from a peer reviewed medical board report.
February 15, 2021 @ 9:51 am
This veers into conspiracy theory, and regardless of what you think about the shutdowns, they continue to be an inevitability that the music industry has to deal with. Billy Bob’s is one of the success stories, and a model of how certain venues can move forward and keep both local authorities and the public off their back.
February 15, 2021 @ 11:53 am
Nah, here’s what really happened:
1) We discovered a nasty strain of the cold.
2) Certain scientists grossly over estimated the amount of deaths.
3) Media focused in on that (fear sells), sensualized it to level 10 and magnify every single death.
4) Politicians panicked or felt compelled to do something to appease the people freaking out from reading the news. Lot of people expect government to solve all their problems.
5) We give up liberties for security.
6) We realized the estimated deaths were way, way out but politicians still need to justify their actions so they change the concern from deaths to cases of infections.
7) Now the media and Government has focused in on cases of infections to justify their prolong shutdown and new found powers.
8) Unattended consequences because of government interference in health industry:
The manner in which deaths are recorded from this nasty cold are skewed and result in exaggerated deaths.
E.g. Killed by a shark but had a cough at some point = covid related death, no test necessary.
8) Government having a field day legislating new welfare.
9) Vaccine(s) created but government never relinquishes new power.
10) Scientist discover “new” and more “deadlier” variant of the virus.
11) Media focuses in on new virus strain and sensualizes it to level 10 again.
12) Never ending virus.
In summary, government never lets a good crisis go to waste.
Just like 9/11
Terrorist attack -> Media sensualizes it to lvl10 -> Politicians feel compelled to do something -> Lose liberties for security (patriot act) -> Fight never ending war
February 15, 2021 @ 12:04 pm
Yeah, remember when it is just shut down for 15 days? 11 months later…
That is how they get you. The old boiling the frog method.
It is damn obvious then and even more obvious now.
“You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.”
― Rahm Emanuel
But hey people are fools and they will gladly trade away hard-earned liberties for false security.
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
February 15, 2021 @ 12:07 pm
And we know from studies that lockdowns don’t work.
Oh well, trust the science they say until it contradicts their power grab so the tactics shift to shaming. “Don’t you care about grandma?!”
February 15, 2021 @ 3:28 pm
Please take your warped political views somewhere else. You sound dumb and misinformed. I’m guessing you would feel differently if you had lost someone close to you or if you knew someone overwhelmed working long hours at a hospital having to deal with this virus for almost a year now.
February 15, 2021 @ 3:53 pm
I have both lost someone and have someone working long hours at a hospital in my life
Take your emotionally driven “logic” elsewhere. Sick and tired of those weak points. Emotional rants are sound and fury signifying nothing.
February 15, 2021 @ 4:25 pm
If that were true you would not have started out your nonsensical list with “1) We discovered a nasty strain of the cold.” COVID 19 is hardly a cold. Anyone with half a brain knows this. This is as music site. Try sticking to music. Maybe you have a clue about that subject as you have none about this virus how deaths are reported or the media or the govt.
February 15, 2021 @ 4:45 pm
Well, you must not know how to differentiate considering none of my posts on this topic started with that phrase.
Try again. I am not Whiskey Pete.
February 15, 2021 @ 4:50 pm
This string of comments is the exact reason I have been generally avoiding covering live events, venues, festivals, etc. over the last six months, because the comments section devolving into back and forths and conspiracy theories directly drives away readers to this site. As the economy slowly beings to open back up, it is going to be imperative that we support the live music space that has been decimated by the pandemic. I understand some feel like the shutdowns were unnecessary from the beginning. I know some others may feel they didn’t go far enough. But all of us as music fans need to appreciate how important it is to support the safe return to normal for live music, and not make this a battle ground.
February 15, 2021 @ 7:25 am
Trig, can you please delete this bullshit? We don’t need anymore false information and conspiracy theories.
February 15, 2021 @ 8:30 am
What am I supposed to delete? That a honky tonk figured out how to circumvent both local restrictions and social norms so it could offer a space for musicians to perform?
February 15, 2021 @ 9:43 am
I apologize. I didn’t mean the article, which was enjoyable to read by the way. I meant Dylan Rimbaud’s comment above mine.
February 15, 2021 @ 9:52 am
Ah, yes, definitely veers well into conspiracy theory. I don’t like to delete comments unless I have to, but I did answer it.
February 15, 2021 @ 12:05 pm
Oh no, an opinion I disagree with!
Must have it deleted! Must have it deleted!
February 15, 2021 @ 8:00 am
Trig, why did you remove my comment?
February 15, 2021 @ 8:28 am
I didn’t. It was waiting for moderation. And believe it or not, I do require sleep upon occasion.
February 15, 2021 @ 9:07 am
I often wondered when you sleep? Or take a vacation?
February 15, 2021 @ 12:17 pm
Well, and today in Texas, we’re experiencing rolling blackouts and other catastrophic issues due to the extreme cold, so I may lose power and/or internet for extended period, and not be able to approve comments in a timely manner.
February 15, 2021 @ 12:19 pm
Trigger,
You Texas lads are experiencing why we Yankees deal with every winter. No wonder my fellow varmints are heading South and devastating a proud region with their tomfoolery.
February 15, 2021 @ 1:35 pm
Slightly different because the infrastructure down here is not built for it because it never happens. Used to live in Northern New Mexico at 7,000 feet where the average low at night was 0, and it would commonly get down to -20. I’ve never seen anything like this in Texas.
February 15, 2021 @ 12:27 pm
Going to go out on a limb and predict a few more babies than normal will be born this Fall
February 15, 2021 @ 2:23 pm
My daughter is a traveling nurse and just moved to Austin last week. Crazy weather
February 15, 2021 @ 9:28 am
Oh how I wish I was from Texas.
February 15, 2021 @ 10:56 am
For those who don’t live in the country music promised land, Texas- do you have any suggestions on venues that are livestreaming or running online-only shows, or artists who are regularly streaming from home still?? I watch Dale’s Hernando’s Hideaway TV on YouTube. I keep hearing about other online livestreamed concerts a day or three too late and the actual in-real-time chats for them can be pretty fun.
Is there a good listing somewhere that’s keeping up with all the different social media posts on country livestream shows?
February 15, 2021 @ 12:06 pm
Stellar,
I haven’t found any one place to list them. But, I’m keeping my eyes open. On You Tube, in addition to Dale Watson, both Junior Brown and Michael Martin Murphy have regular broadcasts. Junior is playing twice a week and Murphys doing it monthly. Check their channels out. Also, Chris Scruggs is doing a semi-regular You tube broadcast of himself playing solo acoustic. Its pretty great.
February 15, 2021 @ 12:07 pm
Yeah, I totally second the junior Brown live stream. He plays with his spectacular guitar playing wife and they do a very entertaining, interactive, good show very regularly.
February 15, 2021 @ 3:44 pm
HOORAY for Billy Bob’s. Wish I lived in Texas to see these shows.
There is no evidence whatsoever that lockdowns and masks have had any positive effects.
Get out there and support live music.
February 15, 2021 @ 3:55 pm
Corncaster,
I bet you would think differently than relying on the factual data if you know someone who died or someone who works at a hospital! /s
Emotional weeping>facts for those kinds of people
February 15, 2021 @ 4:12 pm
That is akin to playing the: “My neighbors cousin was killed by a drunk driver” card.
February 15, 2021 @ 4:28 pm
I do.
Both, actually, and not just one of each. I’m sympathetic to those most at risk, which includes my own parents. I’m concerned about the Pfizer vaccine, too, and regard what’s going on right now as a huge clinical trial, not a confident, well-tested rollout. Two issues are ADE and Th2 immunopathology.
It’s very difficult to tell who died of what these days. Influenza deaths and actual Covid cases are now rolled together in the stats, so good luck with that. Anything to pursue Our Glorious Future. The Great Reset will be just wonderful for working musicians. A hologram is just as “live” as a body, you ignorant old fart! etc.
What’s the mortality rate for Covid these days? Massive new infections, right? Must wear TWO masks now! Fauci’s outfit totally didn’t fund research in Wuhan, and any skepticism and digging has to be countered with accusations of being a conspiracy theorist.
Worst political class in human history.
February 15, 2021 @ 4:43 pm
Agree with every word.
Glad to see that not everyone has submitted to hysteria.
February 15, 2021 @ 6:17 pm
Would love to resubmit my March 11th information.
But people are too lazy, and too happy to remain ignorant, to deal with cold hard facts.
Hey, how is that shutting down good ‘ol American fossil fuels working out for our friends in Texas.
Bunch of dumb fucks.
Maybe freezing your asses off for a couple hours, will be cause for pause, and actual thought
February 15, 2021 @ 8:37 pm
…..”any skepticism and digging has to be countered with accusations of being a conspiracy theorist”…….
That’s got to be one of the most frustrating aspects of this, doesn’t it? There are folks in this country who will go along with anything, and I do mean anything and everything they hear on the news.
To see even Trigger calling folks conspiracy theorists, without any evidence or explanation why, is disheartening as heck, as it relates to this nation’s future.
Basically it’s:
“That sounds pretty sinister, and it contradicts what I heard on the news, so it must be a conspiracy theory. I have no evidence for what I believe, but what you believe would mean that I can’t trust the national media, or the government, and that’s unconscionable to me, so you’re a conspiracy theorist.”
February 15, 2021 @ 8:51 pm
I need to back peddle a little bit. Calling the CDC a business, and saying that it makes billions off of vaccine patents isn’t conspiracy theory, it’s false information. You want to tell me the CDC is both corrupt and incompetent, I’m all ears. I think once the pandemic is over there’s a lot of people that are going to have a lot of explaining to do. But this is a country music blog. You want to rage at the CDC, go right ahead. Just find a better venue for it. People come here to get away from that shit.
February 16, 2021 @ 9:25 am
I don’t have a beef with Trigger on these subjects, but if I read things correctly, the CDC has intellectual property claims in the development of some of these vaccines. And of course Fauci was involved at some level in funding research tied to that Wuhan lab.
The main thing is that country musicians have been decimated by this Great Reset bullsh*t. It is not a conspiracy theory to observe that lots of people try to make hay out of whatever crisis comes down the pike. They serve their self-interests, the interests of their special little Davos club, and their Master of the Universe fantasies. They don’t know how to fix anything, let alone hunt, fish, and help their neighbor.
The Davos types would like nothing more than to kill off the kind of people in Hank Jr’s video for “Country Boys Can Survive.”
And that makes them the enemy of country music.
February 16, 2021 @ 9:32 am
Triggaro,
Forget about the CDC; I’m not necessarily aligned with Dylan. My point isn’t specifically about what he said, or about the CDC.
My point is that you and others dismiss people like Dylan, without evidence or explanation why. Maybe what Dylan said is conspiratorial, or simply false information, but a lot of people, myself included, know that something real effing fishy is going on, and aren’t completely sure how to explain it all, so if you’re going to jump on the bandwagon of dismissing folks like Dylan, you’d be doing yourself a big favor by explaining why. The 2020 election is another example of what I’m talking about. Saying the election wasn’t stolen, is not the same as explaining why you believe none of the sh!t-ton of evidence holds any water.
Basically, either be able to explain your position, and do so, or don’t take a position. What you tend to do, is give your opinion on something controversial, with a brief explanation full of holes, and it’s just enough to work everybody on here up into full debate mode. Then, when folks start trying to hash it out, you shut the conversation down.
For the record, I tend to line up more with the Whiskey Pete version of events on Covid, though like I said, I don’t think anybody is 100% correct on what’s going on.
On this site, I really would prefer not to rage about anything, but crappy music. But as long as you write articles that can be tied to something political, you’re going to end up with political comments, and you know that. Heck, we can all see how many comments each article gets. It’s pretty obvious that you do better on the controversial articles that are political or cultural in nature.
February 16, 2021 @ 10:06 am
“Basically, either be able to explain your position, and do so, or don’t take a position.”
My position is that I’m trying to support live music, venues, and artists as best I can under the current conditions, of which I cannot control. At some point we MUST look back on how this pandemic was handled from a number of aspects, and learn from it. And make no mistake, I think many things have been mishandled here. But there is absolutely no public will either to bring back regular club shows or stadium events at the moment, and raging for it is not going to change that.
My other position is that this is a country music website, and going back and forth about COVID-19 is not going to convince anyone of anything. All it’s going to do is to convince people to stop reading this website because they come here to discuss music.
February 16, 2021 @ 9:46 am
Corncaster,
Your response to me is spot on. Something fishy is going on. We don’t know all the details of what is going on, but we know it’s hurt a lot more people, in more permanent ways, and will continue to, than Covid ever has or will. And it’s not helpful to dismiss people as conspiracy theorists when they offer up explanations.
I think we all should be trying to figure why our government is okay with destroying our economy. To say it’s because of Covid used to make me laugh; now it just makes me hate people.
February 15, 2021 @ 9:58 pm
Well, it’s too far out of my area code, and the tickets are kinda pricey, too. Maybe they’ll do a little more profiteering, and we’ll get some more “Live at Billy Bob’s” out of these gigs. They usually sound pretty good.
February 16, 2021 @ 11:04 am
Possibly what is happening, is that you have people commenting on this site who care enough about what you are doing, in trying to actually preserve some integrity in country music, that we have no qualms in bringing your butt back to center. The word center, indicating honesty.
Right now we care enough to keep dragging you back.
Trying to keep you from going the way of rs.
February 18, 2021 @ 10:01 am
I don’t live terribly far from Fort Worth (under 5 hours), but I wish I was a bit closer though. You bet your ass I’d be there every weekend.