Honky tonk news
Billy Bob's in Fort Worth makes much-needed upgrades to sound system
Billy Bob's will soon sound better.
The world’s largest honky tonk is in renovation mode: Billy Bob’s Texas, the Fort Worth country music venue, is deploying a set of improvements to its sound system, part of a welcome ongoing upgrade the Fort Worth country music venue has undertaken in recent years.
As many who’ve line danced in its halls know, Billy Bob's does not have the best acoustics for concerts.
“One of the biggest things we’ve always dealt with is doing live sound in a building that’s made for livestock,” says production manager John Zaskoda. “That’s often really difficult.”
The space has always been notoriously warren-like, with separate spaces and different floor levels that have made it a challenging place to see live music.
The sound updates are a follow-up to recent upgrades in the layout, which they initiated in 2022 with the removal of columns in front of its stage that obstructed views. They're currently removing two more columns that continued to block the view for some audience members, resulting in a showroom that will feel larger and more open.
“There really won’t be any bad seats anymore,” Zaskoda says.
In addition to improving sound quality, they're working to make the system more appealing to engineers who travel with touring bands, to guarantee they're a favored destination for big-name acts.
“That’ll improve the experience for everyone," Zaskoda says. "Artists, crew, and folks behind the scenes."
He says Billy Bob’s is “dedicated to spending millions on making things better.”
The renovations will shut down the main stage for a few weeks; some shows will be held on the Honky Tonk stage.
“We’ll still be the world’s largest honky tonk, we’ll still be that place that you can come take a beer and a shot of whiskey and roll around in the dirt on the dance floor if you want to,” he says. “But you’re going to hear a much better sound.”
