‘Experience Hendrix’ Announces Guitar Slingers

Buddy Guy, Zakk Wylde, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Johnson and Dweezil Zappa are among the axemen assembling for evenings of guitar brilliance in 2016. Destinations for the “Experience Hendrix Tour” include Atlanta, San Antonio, Cincinnati, Chicago, Atlantic City and New Orleans.

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In its second decade, the “Experience Hendrix Tour” is as much a celebration of Jimi Hendrix as it is an exploration of the guitar with the musicians performing their takes on classic numbers such as “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” and “Purple Haze.”

Heading up the rhythm section will be Billy Cox, who played bass for the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Band of Gypsys.

But Cox won’t be the only musician in the room with a direct connection to Hendrix. Buddy Guy, who served as an inspiration to Hendrix, was also a personal friend of the guitarist who defined electric guitar in the late ’60s-early ’70s and inspired just about every axeman that followed.

The tour sees its fair share of musicians returning for more action. Dweezil Zappa is returning for his third Experience Hendrix road trip and Guy climbing onboard the ol’ tour bus for his sixth adventure. Then there’s Kenny Wayne Shepherd who has been on every Experience Hendrix Tour since it began in 2004.

“As far back as I can remember, I’ve been listening to Jimi Hendrix,” Shepherd said. “He has had an enormous influence on me as both a guitar player and a songwriter. He was always trying new things and pushing musical boundaries, which enabled and encouraged me to push the boundaries in my music. The Experience Hendrix Tour is an amazing tribute to the greatest guitar player of all time, featuring some of the greatest musicians in the world today.”

Photo: Richie Downs for I.M.P. at Lincoln Theatre, Washington, DC

"Experience Hendrix," Lincoln Theatre, Washington, D.C.

The tour also features guitarist Mato Nanji of Indigenous, vocalists Henri Brown and Noah Hunt, and drummer Chris Layton, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble. The tour’s special guest list includes Keb’ Mo’, Doyle Bramhall II, Ana Popovic, and The Slide Brothers appearing on select dates.

Here’s the tour:

Feb. 24 – Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Live
Feb. 25 – Clearwater, Fla., Ruth Eckerd Hall
Feb. 26 – Jacksonville, Fla., Florida Theatre
Feb. 27 – Atlanta, Ga., Fox Theatre
Feb. 28 – Charleston, S.C., Charleston Gaillard Center
Feb. 29 – Nashville, Tenn., Schermerhorn Symphony Center
March 2 – Tulsa, Okla., Brady Theater
March 3 – Grand Prairie, Texas, Verizon Theatre At Grand Prairie
March 4 – San Antonio, Texas, Majestic Theatre
March 5 – Houston, Texas, Revention Music Center
March 6 – New Orleans, La., Saenger Theatre
March 8 – St. Louis, Mo., Fabulous Fox Theatre
March 9 – Milwaukee, Wis., Riverside Theatre
March 10 – Milwaukee, Wis., Riverside Theatre
March 11 – Detroit, Mich., Fox Theatre
March 12 – Chicago, Ill., Chicago Theatre
March 13 – Cincinnati, Ohio, Taft Theatre
March 15 – Cleveland, Ohio, Hard Rock Cafe At Hard Rock Rocksino
March 16 – Syracuse, N.Y., Landmark Theatre
March 17 – Wallingford, Conn., Toyota Oakdale Theatre
March 18 – Brooklyn, N.Y., Kings Theatre
March 19 – Atlantic City, N.J., Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa / Event Ctr.
March 20 – Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Mid-Hudson Civic Center
March 22 – Red Bank, N.J., Count Basie Theatre
March 23 – Worcester, Mass., Hanover Theatre For Perf. Arts
March 24 – New Bedford, Mass., Zeiterion Performing Arts Center
March 25 – Hampton Beach, N.H., Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom

Presales for many shows begin Oct. 28 with general onsales starting Oct. 30. Click here for more info.