‘Louisiana’s living Legend,’ Bayou Blues guitarist-vocalist Tab Benoit has embarked on his 2026 year-long “Soul Of The Swamp” Tour, with a local performance in Atlantic City at Tony Mart AC Mardi Gras On The Boardwalk, Kennedy Plaza, 2498 Boardwalk, Wednesday, July 8. Show: 7:00PM. Free (all ages). Info: (609) 653-6069 or visit www.tonymart.com.
The last time the Houma, Louisiana-based Benoit performed in the Southern New Jersey area was in May of 2022, at the Exit Zero Jazz Fesatiival vn Cape May.
Opening for Benoit on this leg of the tour: Sgt. Splendor, conisisting of road-tested rockers Kate Vargas and Eric McFaddeen.
Here’s What A Tab Benoit Live Show is Like…
“You could certainly feel (Tab’s) ’72 Telecaster, plugged straight into his amp, scream, cry, laugh, and love from the first note,” writes Atlanta Concert Reviews‘ Andrew Argresta in a mid-April 2026 review. (Benoit’s) entire performance was driven by feel. No setlist, no rules, just what felt right. “The way he plays is encompassing, and being in the room felt therapeutic.” As for the band, Agresta enthused, “they were completely locked in. It was hard to believe that wall of sound was coming from just three musicians.”
I Hear Thunder marked Benoit’s triumphant return to releasing new albums, charting #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart during September 2024. The following year, 2025, saw the Bayou Blues guitarist win four Blues Blast Music Awards: “Rock Blues Album;’ (I Hear Thunder); “Blues Band;” “Male Blues Artist;” and Electric Guitarist of the Year.” The victories was real acknowledgement by Tab’s peers for a much-deserving longtime musician.
Benoit’s journey began in 1992 with a radio hit from his debut record *Nice and Warm*. Since then, he has received multiple Blues Music Awards and four Grammy nominations. Beyond the music, Benoit is celebrated for his years of activism, particularly concerning the Louisiana Wetlands and coastal erosion. He seamlessly intertwines his artistic brilliance with a profound commitment to environmental advocacy, ensuring his legacy extends beyond the stage into the heart of the land that inspires his bluesy soul. Benoit does more than play the blues; he defines its future while paying homage to its rich past.
I Hear Thunder was released in 2024 via Benoit’s imprint, Whiskey Bayou Records, formed in 2017 with Tab’s partner and manager, Rueben Williams. Since its inception, the label has released albums by established artists such as Eric McFadden, Damon Fowler, Eric Johanson, Jeff McCarty, and Dash Rip Rock. Tab also proudly features his touring band on the record, with bassist Corey Duplechin and drummer Terence Higgins solidifying the powerhouse lineup.
July 2 Laconia NH@Colonial Theater**
July 3 Fall River MA@Narrows Center**
July 4 Brownfield ME@Stone Mountain Arts Center**
July 5 Truro MA@Payomet PAC**
July 8 Atlantic City NJ@AC Mardi Gras Concerts on the Boardwalk**
July 9 Newton, NJ@Newton Theatre**
July 10 Sellersville PA@Sellersville Theater**
July 11 Nescopek PA@Briggs Farm Blues Festival
July 12 Great Barrington MA@The Mahaiwe PAC**
July 16 Wyandotte MI@District 142******
July 17 Paw Paw MI@Warner Vineyards**
July 18 McHenry IL@The Vixen*****
July 19 Hobart IN@Art Theater**
July 22 Bloomington IL@The Castle Theatre**
July 23 Iowa City IA@The Englert Theatre**
July 24 Kansas City MO@Knuckleheads**
July 25 Kansas City MO@Knuckleheads**
July 26 Columbia MO@The Blue Note******
Aug 21 Tucson AZ@Fox Theatre*
Aug 22 Phoenix AZ@MIM*
Aug 23 Phoenix AZ@MIM*
Aug 25 Pioneertown CA@Pappy & Harriet’s*
Aug 27 Solana Beach CA@Belly Up Tavern*
Aug 28 San Juan Capistrano CA@Belly Up Tavern*
Aug 29 Bakersfield CA@World Records*
Aug 30 Venice CA@Venice West*
Sept 3 Berkeley CA@Cornerstone*
Sept 4 Sacramento CA@Quarry Park Amphitheatre*
Sept 5 Napa CA@Uptown Theatre*
Sept 6 Lake Tahoe CA@The Hangar*
Sept 10-13 Las Vegas NV@Big Blues Bender
Sept 17 Englewood CO@The Gothic*
Sept 19/20 Telluride CO@Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
Oct 1 Minneapolis MN@Pantages Theater*****
Oct 2 Green Bay WI@Green Bay Event Center*****
Oct 8 Columbus OH@Lincoln Theatre*
Oct 9 Cincinnati OH@Taft Theatre*
Oct 10 Wabash IN@Eagles Theatre*
Oct 11 Cleveland OH@House of Blues*
Oct 14 Warrendale PA@Jergels Rhythm Grille*
Oct 15 Buffalo NY@Town Ballroom*
Oct 16 Homer NY@Center for the Arts of Homer*
Oct 17 Kingston NY@Assembly Kingston*
Oct 18 Northampton MA@ACademy of Music*****
Oct 21 Red Bank NJ@The Vogal*
Oct 24 Lebanon NH@Lebanon Opera House*
Oct 25 Groton MA@Groton Hill Music Center*
Nov 5 Charlotte NC@Neighborhood Theatre****
Nov 8 Charleston SC@Charleston Music Hall*****
Nov 11 Atlanta GA@Variety Playhouse*****
Nov 12 Foley AL@Owa Theatre*****
Nov 18 Houston TX@The Heights Theater*****
Nov 19 Dallas TX@Longhorn Ballroom*****
Nov 20 New Braunfels TX@Gruene Hall*****
*w/ Zac Schulze Gang ** w/ Sgt. Spendor featuring Eric McFadden, Kate Vargas
***w/ The Cold Stares ****w/ Jesse Dayton *****w/ Ghalia Volt
******w/ Damon Fowler
(Atlantic City NJ) – dougdeutschPR