Little Feat 2021: Sam Clayton, Scott Sharrard, Bill Payne, Tony Leone, Fred Tackett and Kenny Gradney (l-r): photo by Hank Randall

Columbus, OH was a fitting locale for Little Feat to open a spring tour that will celebrate of the 45th anniversary of the group’s acclaimed live album Waiting for Columbus. During these shows the band will perform the album in its entirety every night. On March 16 and 17 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Little Feat will invite a number of guests musicians to the stage and film the shows for future release.

Waiting for Columbus was originally recorded during seven live nights in 1977 when the band brought a recording team to four shows in London and three in Washington D.C.

Little Feat’s current roster features Bill Payne (keyboard, vocals), Kenny Gradney (bass), Sam Clayton (percussion, vocals), Fred Tackett (guitar, vocals), Scott Sharrard (guitar, vocals) and Tony Leone (drums). 

In celebration of the tour, Little Feat has shared a version of “Dixie Chicken/Tripe Face Boogie” recorded on November 16, 2021 at The Egg in Albany, NY.

Bill Payne reflected on all these events in a statement he shares with Relix:

Songs collide, stars align, windows and door fly open to let in the sunshine. In 1972 such an occurrence took place at the Fox Theatre in Long Beach, CA. Little Feat had just completed playing the first Diamond Head Crater Festival on Oahu. The Fox was our first gig on the mainland. I was upstairs lying on a hardwood bench going over the set in my mind. “Dixie Chicken” and “Tripe Face Boogie” were played together, but I wanted a longer jam section. In my sleep deprived exhaustion, I heard the changes, got up and relayed them to our drummer Richie Hayward, who was down the hall.

When we get to the instrumental everyone will drop out but us.” I asked him to bring the volume down and we would wind our way through the jam to another break. It was a keyboard lick that would bring everyone back into Lowell’s slide solo.

Voila!

50 years later in 2022 we are still playing a version of that arrangement. Feat will bring “Waiting For Columbus” to your city this year. The energy is there in abundance thanks to the timeless music and the inclusion of our newest members, Scott Sharrard on guitars and vocals, and Tony Leone on drums and vocals, along with Kenny Gradney on bass, Sam Clayton on percussion and vocals, Fred Tackett on guitar, mandolin and trumpet. I’ll hold down the keyboards and vocals.

We will be filming this concert with an array of guests at the Ryman Auditorium March 16 & 17.

The winds are favorable and the sailing is smooth. See you on the proud highway.

Bring your Sailin’ Shoes!

Waiting For Columbus – Spring Tour
3/4 – Columbus, OH – Southern Theatre
3/5 – Kalamazoo, MI – Kalamazoo State Theatre
3/7 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater
3/8 – Des Moines, IA – Hoyt Sherman Place
3/10 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
3/11 – Chesterfield, MO – Factory at the District
3/13 – Nashville, IN – Brown County Music Center
3/14 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
3/16 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
3/17 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
3/19 – Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre
3/20 – Birmingham, AL – Alabama Theatre
3/22 – Atlanta, GA – Atlanta Symphony Concert Hall
3/23 – Mobile, AL – Saenger Theatre Mobile
3/25 – New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre
3/26 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
3/27 – Dallas, TX – Majestic Theater
4/9 – Akron, OH – Akron Civic Theatre
4/10 – Rochester, NY – Kodak Center
4/12 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
4/13 – Collingswood, NJ – Scottish Rite Auditorium
4/15 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts
4/16 – Washington, D.C. – DAR Constitution Hall
4/19 – Richmond, VA – Dominion Energy Center
4/20 – Virginia Beach, VA – Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
4/21 – Durham, NC – The Carolina Theatre
4/23 – Savannah, GA – Johnny Mercer Theatre
4/25 – Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre
4/26 – Augusta, GA – Miller Theatre
5/26 – Asheville, NC – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium at Harrah’s Cherokee Center
5/27 – Martinsville, VA – Rooster Walk Festival
5/29 – Chillicothe, IL – Summer Camp Music Festival

Waiting for Columbus – Summer Tour
7/26 – Springfield, MO – The Historic Gillioz Theatre
7/27 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
7/29 – Denver, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
8/1 – Salt Lake City, UT – Sandy Amphitheater
8/3 – Bozeman, MT – The Elm
8/4 – Missoula, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater
8/6 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre
8/7 – Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
8/9 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
8/10 – Sacramento, CA – Crest Theatre
8/12 – Los Angeles, CA – Theatre at Ace Hotel
8/14 – San Diego, CA – Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay
8/15 – Phoenix, AZ – Celebrity Theatre
8/26 Las Vegas, NV – Big Blues Bender
9/16 – Charlotte, NC – Knight Theater