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Two of the South’s most distinctive guitar voices come together for The Southern Gentlemen Tour—Louisiana blues master Tab Benoit and Southern rock heir Duane Betts and his band Palmetto Motel. The fourteen-city tour kicks off Friday, February 5 at Tipitina’s in New Orleans (complete Itinerary below).
A multi-Grammy-nominated guitarist, singer Tab Benoit has spent more than three decades carving out his own sound. Louisiana soul and roots music has always been at the heart of Tab Benoit’s catalog. His playing is built on tone, touch and feel. His famously stripped-down approach uses virtually no effects—just guitar, cord and amplifier. As Tab puts it, “The effects that you hear come from my fingers.” Benoit’s legacy includes recordings with Billy Joe Shaver, Junior Wells, James Cotton, and Willie Nelson establishing himself as one of Louisiana’s most important musical exports.
Duane Betts carries a different branch of the Southern guitar tradition. The son of legendary Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts, Duane grew up surrounded by the music that helped define Southern rock. A founding member of The Allman Betts Band, he has forged his own identity as a soulful guitarist and songwriter while carrying forward the melodic, improvisational spirit of his father’s generation. Duane’s philosophy is simple: “It’s really about having a unique voice, trying to take the listener on a journey.”
That is what makes The Southern Gentlemen Tour special. Benoit’s raw Louisiana blues collides with Betts’ melodic Southern sound—two generations, two traditions, and two guitarists who refuse to sound like anyone else.
*****The Southern Gentlemen Tour 2027 Tour Itinerary******
Feb 5 New Orleans LA@Tipitina’s
Feb 6 Hattiesburg MS@Brewsky’s
Feb 10 Birmingham AL@Iron City
Feb 11 Mobile AL@Saenger Theatre
Feb 12 Dothan AL@Dothan Opera House
Feb 13 Chattanooga TN@The Caverns
Feb 18 Athens GA@The Georgia Theatre
Feb 19 Macon GA@Capitol Theatre
Feb 20 Huntsville AL@Mars Music Hall
Feb 21 Huntington TN@Dixie Carter PAC
Feb 24 Memphis TN@Minglewood Hall
Feb 25 Philadelphia MS@Ellis Theatre
