Article Contributed by Doug Deutsch
Published on 2026-06-23
“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, on Wednesday, July 8. Show time is 7:00 p.m. The concert is free and all ages. For more information, call (609) 653-6069 or visit [www.tonymart.com](http://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 Festival in Cape May.
Opening for Benoit on this leg of the tour is Sgt. Splendor, consisting of road-tested rockers Kate Vargas and Eric McFadden.
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 Agresta 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 No. 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 for I Hear Thunder, Blues Band, Male Blues Artist, and Electric Guitarist of the Year. The victories were 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.
Tab Benoit Tour Dates
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 ******
August 21 - Tucson, AZ - Fox Theatre *
August 22 - Phoenix, AZ - MIM *
August 23 - Phoenix, AZ - MIM *
August 25 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Harriet's *
August 27 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern *
August 28 - San Juan Capistrano, CA - Belly Up Tavern *
August 29 - Bakersfield, CA - World Records *
August 30 - Venice, CA - Venice West *
September 3 - Berkeley, CA - Cornerstone *
September 4 - Sacramento, CA - Quarry Park Amphitheatre *
September 5 - Napa, CA - Uptown Theatre *
September 6 - Lake Tahoe, CA - The Hangar *
September 10-13 - Las Vegas, NV - Big Blues Bender
September 17 - Englewood, CO - The Gothic *
September 19-20 - Telluride, CO - Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
October 1 - Minneapolis, MN - Pantages Theater *****
October 2 - Green Bay, WI - Green Bay Event Center *****
October 8 - Columbus, OH - Lincoln Theatre *
October 9 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre *
October 10 - Wabash, IN - Eagles Theatre *
October 11 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues *
October 14 - Warrendale, PA - Jergels Rhythm Grille *
October 15 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom *
October 16 - Homer, NY - Center for the Arts of Homer *
October 17 - Kingston, NY - Assembly Kingston *
October 18 - Northampton, MA - Academy of Music *****
October 21 - Red Bank, NJ - The Vogel *
October 24 - Lebanon, NH - Lebanon Opera House *
October 25 - Groton, MA - Groton Hill Music Center *
November 5 - Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theatre ****
November 8 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Music Hall *****
November 11 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse *****
November 12 - Foley, AL - Owa Theatre *****
November 18 - Houston, TX - The Heights Theater *****
November 19 - Dallas, TX - Longhorn Ballroom *****
November 20 - New Braunfels, TX - Gruene Hall *****
* With Zac Schulze Gang
** With Sgt. Splendor featuring Eric McFadden and Kate Vargas
*** With The Cold Stares
**** With Jesse Dayton
***** With Ghalia Volt
****** With Damon Fowler
