ZZ top guitarist’s trio the BFGs bringing ‘the whole enchilada’ back to Lexington

When you spot a guitarist masked by shades, chest-length whiskers and hipster attire laying down lines of blues and boogie with touches of border radio panache and electronic mischief, you know who you’re dealing with.

It’s Billy F. Gibbons, chieftain of the Lone Star rock ‘n’ roll trio ZZ Top since its formation over 55 years ago.

But the long proclaimed “little ol’ band from Texas” is not the sole vehicle for Gibbons’ mash-up of greasy guitar romps and modern beats and grooves. He is an epic enough artist not to hole up with just one band, even one as celebrated as ZZ Top.

For over a decade, he has moonlighted with various lineups of another outfit of his own design — one untethered to the hits and traditions fueling the group that has kept him on the radio, onstage and, for a generous part of the 1980s, on MTV.

Welcome to the world of the BFGs. Gibbons introduced the outfit to Lexington audiences in 2016. But this week, a trio-sized rewiring of the troupe sporting a pair of equally wily Texas all-stars is heading to the Kentucky Theatre.

“With ZZ, there’s a sense of continuing a tradition, being true to an assembly of creativeness developed over the course of six decades,” Gibbons said. “The BFGs’ context is a rash more exploratory. Anything and everything has opened for us and we charge large to that unknown line looming toward the mirage. ZZ is the tried and true. Both are psychically and spiritually rewarding.”

When Gibbons stepped onto the Lexington Opera House stage nearly a decade ago, his first solo album, “Perfectamundo,” had just been released. The record spiced Gibbons’ blues-stewed guitar runs with layers of electro-percussive grooves, the odd piano/keyboard accent (a major switch from the largely key-less ZZ Top) and the occasional slice of Mexicali ambiance.

Two more solo works followed, 2018’s “The Big Bad Blues” and 2021’s “Hardware.” All three albums have been issued since the last full recording of new ZZ Top music (“La Futura” in 2012.) So what dictates if an original tune Gibbons cooks up or a tasty cover he has devised of a roots-savvy classic is better off in ZZ or BFG territory?

“That touches upon that elusive element of exactitude when working out songs,” Gibbons said. “The BFGs step alongside material much like ZZ Top, yet tend toward experimenting with deepening the studio experience. ZZ Top, after all this while, is a known quantity. The obvious aim that’s collectively embraced is igniting the best time possible all way around.”

The first blast of 2025 Gibbons music is a just-released single titled “Livin’ It Up Down in Texas.” It comes steeped in an electro-fusion of deep-dish percussive beats and a guitar sound that blends stuttering, staccato rhythms with the kind of high, blues-rich wail that has come to define Gibbons’ playing in and out of ZZ Top. But instead the BFGs, the single boasts yet another set of collaborators: filmmaker/actor/part-time rock star Billy Bob Thornton and veteran country artist/occasional actor Mark Collie.

“This is one of those instances where the title, conceived by us three, invited a thought —provoking creation to bring a composition to life. This particular studio excursion, dealing with the track’s tone and sonic approach, stands as one fine, truly enjoyable work. Mark is a great lyricist and, as you know, BBT is drummer deluxe, so the overall collaboration became the thing. It’s a cool confab for sure. Great guys to work with and a great song at the end of the day.”

The BFG lineup Gibson will perform with in Lexington this week is, like ZZ Top, a power trio, but with a key difference. Instead of guitar/bass guitar/drums instrumentation, the BFGs have switched bass duties over to B3 organ. Executing the game plan are a pair of veteran Texas greats that will be playing at Gibbons’ side. Drummer Chris “Whipper” Layton is known most readily for his work with Steve Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. On the B3 will be Mike Flanigin, an ally of many Lone Star guitar-slingers, including the late Vaughan’s elder brother, Jimmie Vaughan.

“Our hometown bandmate and new guitarist with the ZZ outfit, Mr. Elwood Francis (the Kentucky artist who joined ZZ Top following the 2021 death of longtime bassist Dusty Hill) anticipates a fine night inviting the BFG band into Lexington. It promises to bring a showtime gathering with guys delivering talents that are simply stunning to design and work with,” Gibbons said. “The BFG trio have something of a track record together which celebrates decades of valuable exchanges of sonic bonding.

“‘Whipper’ Chris Layton has offered his friendship since his days with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble and is, in a word, indefatigable. He’s got energy to spare, so we think of him as the human charging station. Mike, a/k/a ‘The Drifter,’ Flanigin came to Austin as a guitar player and evolved into one of the most innovative B3 keyboard cats the world has ever seen, putting new meaning in ‘putting the pedal to the metal.’ We have some respected, long-standing history and stepping out on stage together is something of a homecoming.”

Gibbons said a fourth solo album, which augments the BFGs with “a remarkable addition of fellow artists, a host of hard-working sideline singers, blazing sound designers and top drawing engineers, all making waves like never before” is nearly completion and may surface as early as this summer.

The BFGs and solo projects represent avenues of growth for Gibbons. Even with a guitar sound so familiar in tone and temperament, new styles and ideas await discovery.

“There’s always something to learn. We dug deep into the music de la ‘Ranchera’ of late. That’s, for the most part, uncharted territory, so it’s truly the example of the learning experience. Don’t look for me to come out on a horse and make like (Mexican singer, actor, film producer and frequently titled “King of Ranchera Music”) Vicente Fernández anytime soon, yet there’s a genuine and sincere appreciation where that kind of thing comes from.

“Hey, doing this is what we do. I guess it’s a kind of undeniable dynastic fulfillment. We figured it out, folks seemed to like it, so we did it some more. It’s rewarding to light things up for our friends, fans and followers with the whole enchilada.”

Billy F. Gibbons and the BFGs

When: Feb. 6, at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Kentucky Theatre, 214 E. Main

Tickets: $75.50-$275 through kentuckytheatre.org/troubadour.

This story was originally published February 3, 2025 at 4:55 AM.