If you’ve never seen Reverend Horton Heat live, April 18 is your chance to fix that. The Dallas-based psychobilly legend rolls into Higher Ground in South Burlington, VT for an 8:00 PM show — and if history is any guide, he’ll leave the room in a state of beautiful wreckage.
Jim Heath, the man behind the reverend collar and the Gretsch guitar, has been at this since the late 1980s. That’s nearly four decades of relentless touring, cult-favorite albums, and a live show that refuses to slow down. His brand of high-octane rockabilly — part twang, part punk, all throttle — has earned him a devoted underground following that spans generations of rock fans who like their music fast, loud, and a little dangerous.
Albums like Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em and Liquor in the Front built the mythology. The live show is what keeps it alive. Heath’s guitar work is the centerpiece — precise and ferocious at the same time, the kind of playing that makes you wonder how a human hand moves that fast. The rhythm section locks in and doesn’t let go. The whole thing runs like a locomotive that knows exactly where it’s going and doesn’t care who’s in the way.
Higher Ground is the right room for this. The South Burlington venue has a track record of booking artists who mean business, and Reverend Horton Heat is exactly that kind of act — no opener needed to warm you up, no slow build. You walk in, the band hits the stage, and that’s it.
This is a show for anyone who got into rockabilly through a back door — maybe it was a soundtrack, a friend’s recommendation, a late-night rabbit hole on YouTube. Heath has a way of converting the curious into the converted, and one live set is usually all it takes.
Tickets are on sale now. Higher Ground shows at this level sell out, so don’t sit on it.
Reverend Horton Heat performs at Higher Ground, 1214 Williston Road, South Burlington, VT on Saturday, April 18, 2026. Doors at 7:00 PM, show at 8:00 PM. Get tickets at Higher Ground’s website.