war against drugs band tour

The War on Drugs Verified

Concerts and tour dates.

Live Photos of The War on Drugs

Fan Reviews

Fans Also Follow

About the war on drugs.

The War On Drugs

All upcoming events.

Place Bell | Laval, QC

The national and the war on drugs with special guest lucius, budweiser stage | toronto, on.

• Lawn Chair Rental - The National - NOT A CONCERT TICKET
• The National Soundcheck Upgrade (Ticket Not Included)

Blossom Music Center | Cuyahoga Falls, OH

• The Huntington Club - The National (NOT A CONCERT TICKET)
• Green Room Access: The National (NOT A CONCERT TICKET)
• Circle K Fast Lane: The National (NOT A CONCERT TICKET)
• Live Nation Blanket: The National (NOT A CONCERT TICKET)

Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo Center | Louisville, KY

Bourbon & beyond, united center | chicago, il.

• United Center Parking- The National and The War On Drugs

Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill | Sterling Heights, MI

• Premium Parking Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre: The National

Breese Stevens Field | Madison, WI

Climate pledge arena | seattle, wa, rogers arena | vancouver, bc, moda center | portland, or.

• East / West Garage Parking for The National & The War On Drugs

Blue Note Summer Sessions | Napa, CA

The national and the war on drugs: zen diagram tour, greek theatre-u.c. berkeley | berkeley, ca, hollywood bowl | hollywood, ca.

• HOLLYWOOD BOWL SHUTTLE: LOS ANGELES ZOO LOT - National / War on Drugs
• HOLLYWOOD BOWL PARK AND RIDE: TORRANCE LINE -The National/War on Drugs
• HOLLYWOOD BOWL SHUTTLE: VENTURA LOT - The National& War on Drugs
• HOLLYWOOD BOWL PARK AND RIDE: PASADENA LINE -The National/War on Drugs
• HOLLYWOOD BOWL PARK AND RIDE: LAKEWOOD LINE -The National/War on Drugs
• HOLLYWOOD BOWL PARK AND RIDE: CULVER CITY - The National/ War on Drugs
• HOLLYWOOD BOWL PARK AND RIDE: CHATSWORTH LINE - National/War on Drugs
• HOLLYWOOD BOWL SHUTTLE / BURBANK SHUTTLE LOT - National/War on Drugs

Latest Setlist

The war on drugs on september 17, 2024.

Zen Diagram Tour

TD Pavilion at the Mann, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Articles Featuring The War On Drugs

New Music Vol. 192 feat. FINNEAS, Katy Perry, The Weeknd & more!

New Music Vol. 191 feat. Fred again.., Halsey, Megan Thee Stallion & more!

The National and The War On Drugs to Co-Headline 2024 Zen Diagram Tour

• By Larisha Paul

Larisha Paul

The first co-headlining tour from the National and the War on Drugs is heading to North America. The two bands will head out on the road for the 2024 Zen Diagram tour starting in September.

The Zen Diagram kicks off on Sept. 12 in Gilford, New Hampshire, and will wrap on Oct. 10 in Mexico City, Mexico. The National and the War on Drugs will perform in 19 cities across the tour, including New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Vancouver, Portland, Los Angeles, and more.

The bands will be joined by Lucius, who will open as a special guest on all dates except for the closing show in Mexico City. General sale will begin on Friday, March 1, at 10 a.m. local time.

Judge Who Tossed Trump’s Docs Case Repeatedly Violated Disclosure Rule: Report

J.d. souther, singer-songwriter behind eagles classics, dead at 78, sean combs offers private plane, mansion, kids' passports in bail plea, sean combs appeals bail, promising drug testing and no female visitors if released.

“We’re thrilled to join forces for the Zen Diagram Tour this fall,” the National wrote on Instagram. In the comment section, fans reacted with delight, disbelief, and deep concern for what this particular pairing of artists will do to men in their early 40s.

The National and The War on Drugs 2024 Zen Diagram Tour Dates Sept. 12 — Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion Sept. 13 — New York, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium Sept. 14 — Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center Sept. 16 — Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion Sept. 17 — Philadelphia, PA @ TD Pavilion at the Mann Center for Performing Arts Sept. 19 — Laval, QC @ Place Bell Sept. 20 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage Sept. 21 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center Sept. 24 — Chicago, IL @ United Center Sept. 25 — Sterling Heights, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill Sept. 26 — Madison, WI @ Breese Stevens Field Sept. 28 — Englewood, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre Sept. 29 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Granary Live Oct. 01 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena Oct. 02 — Vancouver, BC @ Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena Oct. 03 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center Oct. 06 — Berkeley, CA @ The Greek Theatre Oct. 07 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl Oct. 10 — Mexico City, MX @ Palacio De Los Deportes

Sean Combs’ Alleged Witness Tampering: 'Gaslighting' and Dangled Rent Payments

• BAIL DENIED
• By Cheyenne Roundtree

Bright Eyes Cancel Upcoming Shows Days Before Record Release

• 'Heartbroken'
• By Charisma Madarang

Ani DiFranco Will Bring Some 'Unprecedented Sh!t' to Her 2025 Tour

• On the Road
• By Jon Blistein

Blair Do Not Sound Like Any Other New York Rock Band. That's the Point

• Back in Town
• By Jeff Ihaza

Megan Thee Stallion, Kendrick Lamar, Drake Lead 2024 BET Hip-Hop Awards Nominations

• BET Hip-Hop Awards

Most Popular

Jane's addiction concert ends abruptly after perry farrell throws a punch at dave navarro, is forced offstage by crew, "it's a cult, and walt's the messiah": meet the couple who sued disney over secretive club 33, jason kelce may have accidentally revealed taylor swift & travis kelce made a massive relationship step, richard pettibone, artist who appropriated others' paintings for his own work, dies at 86, you might also like, george clooney and brad pitt ‘feeling hopeful’ about 2024 presidential election: ‘momentum is a big deal’, the 9 best designer coffee table books for luxury fashion lovers, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, aubrey plaza says ‘agatha all along’ ‘better be’ the ‘gayest’ marvel show, philly mayor supports 76ers’ $1.3 billion downtown arena plan.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

• Latest News
• Colorado History
• Environment
• Social Justice
• Transportation
• Latest Food & Drink
• Openings & Closings
• Restaurant Guide
• Top 100 Bars
• Top 100 Restaurants
• Latest Arts & Culture
• Hiking & Outdoors
• Sex & Dating
• Visual Arts
• Concert Calendar

Concert Reviews

• Just Announced
• Local Music
• Touring Artists
• Latest Cannabis
• Ask a Stoner
• Dispensary Guide
• Colorado Cannabis Laws
• Psychedelics
• Strain Reviews
• Find Weed - Presented by Weedmaps
• Westword Burger Week
• Westword Out to Brunch
• Westword Pizza Week
• Westword Tacolandia
• Westword Taco Week
• Arts & Entertainment
• Cannabis & More
• Food & Drink
• Music & Venues
• Shopping & Services
• Readers' Choice
• Newsletters
• Advertise with Us
• Flipbook Archive
• Promotions & Free Stuff
• Support Westword
• Where To Find Westword In Print
• Sign Up/Sign In

For the War on Drugs, a Crossroads Is Just Another Way Forward

Audio By Carbonatix

Newsletter Sign Up

Enter your name, zip code, and email, sign up for our newsletters.

Neil Young and Bob Dylan Combine in Boulder's Rolling Harvest

By Nick Hutchinson

Review: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Lives Up to the Hype at Red Rocks

By Emily Ferguson

Mic Drop: DNA Picasso Wants to Put the Denver Hip-Hop Scene on the Map

From Music to Fiction: Tim Booth to Debut His First Novel at Tattered Cover

By Teague Bohlen

• View This Week's Print Issue
• Arts & Culture
• Things To Do
• Advertise With Us
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Westword Careers
• Shop Cover Art
• Voice Media Group
• Dallas Observer
• New Times Broward-Palm Beach
• Miami New Times
• Phoenix New Times
• V Audience Labs
• V Digital Services

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Anthony LaMarca of The War on Drugs talks touring with The National, balancing a setlist and changing songs up live

By: Nicholas Kobe Posted on: Monday, September 16, 2024

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio (WOUB) – The War On Drugs has carved out a distinct place in modern rock, blending heartland rock influences with expansive, ambient soundscapes.

Fronted by Adam Granduciel, the Philadelphia-based band has garnered critical acclaim for albums like Lost in the Dream and A Deeper Understanding , the latter of which won the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. Their music explores themes of longing, isolation, and personal growth, set against lush, cinematic instrumentation.

A key component of the band’s sound is guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Anthony LaMarca, whose contributions add depth and texture to their sonic palette. On Saturday, The War On Drugs is set to perform at Bossom Music Center (1145 West Steels Corners Road) as a part of a tour with The National and featuring support from Lucius .

WOUB’s Nicholas Kobe interviewed LaMarca, and you can f ind a transcript of their conversation, edited for length and clarity, below.

Nicholas Kobe: If you had to describe The War on Drugs in one sentence, what would you say?

Anthony LaMarca: I dunno. That’s basically an impossible thing to answer, I dunno.

Fair enough. So, I’m calling you ahead of your tour with The National. What are you looking forward to in terms of going on that tour with that band in particular?

LaMarca: I think it’ll be fun to be out with not only them but also Lucius. We haven’t really done a tour like this where it’s the same three bands throughout the entire tour. Obviously we’ve done plenty of tours with us and an opener, but I think it’ll be fun while we’re much closer with the folks in Lucius, I think it’d be fun to get to know The National folks a little better. I think it’ll be just fun to play every night. Hopefully fun to play in front of some new people who maybe have never seen us before. But yeah, we’re super excited about it. It’s going to be a great run

Lost In The Dream had its 10-year anniversary earlier this year. Have you been reflecting at all on that record now that it’s hit this anniversary? 

LaMarca: Ten years feels like a long time, but also it doesn’t. But I mean, we’re not doing any shows where we’re only playing those songs or anything like that. We’re still just playing sort of full tunes from that record. Obviously loved that record and that one was special for me. That was when I joined the band. But yeah, I don’t know. Not too much other reflection. We have a little podcast and Adam and Dave and Robbie did a little episode talk about the recording of that, which was cool. I think the biggest takeaway from that was everyone realized how quickly the album was recorded.

Looking back on your entire discography in general through the years, are there any songs you feel are particularly underrated? Or perhaps have gone under the radar?

LaMarca: It kind of always changes. You always have tunes that are your favorites one week, not that they’re not your favorite, but I dunno. I will say we tend to not play a lot of the slower tunes, and I tend to love to play songs like You Don’t Have To Go or Queen Living . Those are ones that I do wish we played more often, but that’s sort of one of the privileges of having many albums – you have a lot of songs to try and get through. In the course of one show. You have to make those edits.

What’s next for The War on Drugs? What are you kind of looking to do in the future and what have you guys been working on as of late?

LaMarca: Well, we have a new live record coming out, so that’ll be out in time for this tour. And then there’ll be a bunch of new music. We’ve been busy in the studio. It’s kind of boring to say “more of the same.” But yeah, I mean, we’ll keep putting out records, more recording I feel like. I don’t know how much touring we’ll do next year, but I guess it remains to be seen.

The War on Drugs co-headlining with The…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Share via SMS (Opens in new window)
• Things to Do
• Classifieds

Things To Do Music and Concerts

Subscriber only, the war on drugs co-headlining with the national on blossom-bound tour, the night of pop-rock on sept. 21 also will feature lucius.

A little differently — that’s how Adam Granduciel wants audiences to experience The War on Drugs.Whether it’s a studio recording, concert album or live experience, the band’s singer-guitarist-visionary isn’t interested in presenting one-dimensional tunes.That’s why the group — known to meld rock and psychedelia with a hint of a jam-band sensibility — recently released its […]

Subscribe to continue reading this article.

Already subscribed to login in, click here., more in things to do.

Happenings: What’s coming up in Northeast Ohio starting Sept. 20

Entertainment | Blue tongues and an exposed brain: How ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ visual effects went back to basics

Travel | A siblings-only trip offers a way to expand adult relationships, but planning is key

Japanese grilling style yakiniku offers ‘zen community experience’

On ‘Live Drugs Again,’ The War On Drugs Sound Bigger Than Ever

This week, The National and The War On Drugs commence a 19-date nationwide run of shows . It has been dubbed The Zen Diagram Tour, and I can only assume that the title refers to the commonly held belief that the same sort of person loves both The National and The War On Drugs. In this instance, that person happens to be me. Sure enough, I will be attending this tour in two weeks. I will be the flannel-shirted man with the salt and pepper beard. You won’t be able to miss me.

Incredibly, this is the first time these groups have toured together. But it is not the first time they have appeared on the same bill. That happened back in 2011 at the Beacon Theater in Manhattan and — would you believe it? — I was at that show as well. It was a fun night. I remember that we were all younger. I was much younger. A fresh-faced 34-year-old, the proverbial babe in the woods!

A few weeks before that gig, I moderated an interview between The National’s Aaron Dessner and The War On Drugs’ Adam Granduciel and Dave Hartley that (I think) was the first substantive conversation between the musicians. I revisited the article this week for the first time in many years, and it was a fascinating time capsule. At the time, The National had ascended to “large theater headliner” status in the wake of 2010’s High Violet . And The War On Drugs made their first significant impression outside of their home base of Philadelphia with the release of their second full-length, Slave Ambient . One of the record’s biggest boosters was Dessner, who had requested a public audience with Granduciel and Hartley after listening obsessively to Slave Ambient for months. He was especially taken with what he termed TWOD’s “organic” experimentation, which he contrasted with his own band’s tendency to constantly tinker until the last possible moment before putting out music.

My favorite part of the interview happens near the end, when Dessner suggests — kind of “jokingly,” he says — that The War On Drugs could one day fill arenas. “I would be so happy if music as good as this could do that someday, because it has that kind of wide horizon to it. It doesn’t feel like it would be a struggle for it to communicate on that kind of level.”

What Dessner possibly didn’t know is that The War On Drugs had only recently come into their own as a live act. The fourpiece that toured in support of Slave Ambient formed the first steady core of the band, with Granduciel supported by fellow charter member Hartley and keyboardist/guitarist Robbie Bennett. (A few years later, for the Lost In The Dream tour, the “classic” lineup solidified with the additions of drummer Charlie Hall, guitarist Anthony LaMarca, and multi-instrumentalist Jon Natchez.) In the studio, Granduciel made a lot of Slave Ambient by himself, writing songs as he was recording them by meticulously assembling countless instrumental passages, samples, and overdubs. To Dessner, he admitted that “before the record came out, I wasn’t sure how we were going to play them.”

Dessner then pivoted to reminiscing about the upsides of being a tour opener. “I kind of love opening, because it’s easier and kind of just more fun to get up and play fast and furious and have a good time.”

Adam concurred. “You have, like, two hours afterwards to party and hang out.”

If only they knew that the “party and hang out” days were already behind them.

I thought about that bygone interview from the first Obama administration while listening to Live Drugs Again , the second concert album in four years from The War On Drugs, out Friday. It follows 2020’s Live Drugs , a stirring capstone for the Lost In The Dream and A Deeper Understanding eras that leaned into the grandest — what Dessner termed the “wide horizon” — aspects of their music. It was regal and imposing and smooth, like a monolith, an impression supported by the pitch-black cover. It felt like a record that should have been packaged inside of a deluxe double-CD jewel case and sold at Sam Goody for $18.99.

Like Live Drugs , Live Drugs Again is a Frankenstein version of a live record, with each track composed of stitched-together moments lifted from countless performances. (I suspect only Granduciel knows exactly the myriad sources from which each song derives.) This approach makes sense coming from a man who assembles music like the rest of us contemplate jigsaw puzzles. Though the purist in me objects to this approach, especially given the number of excellent intact War On Drugs bootlegs just waiting for a sonic upgrade. ( The three-show “Drugscember To Remember” stand from 2022 immediately comes to mind.) While these shows aren’t as technically perfect as the growing Live Drugs franchise, they have a sense of narrative and vibe that the official concert releases can’t match.

Of course, when I put on Live Drugs Again , the purist in me is eventually drowned out. This is epic rock ‘n’ roll that manages to top even the titanic Live Drugs , if only because The War On Drugs are that much better as a live band. Yes, I could quibble with some of the song choices. (I, for one, would have replaced “Pain” — a repeat from Live Drugs — with the rousing cover of Bob Seger’s “Against The Wind” that highlighted many shows on this tour .) But how can I complain when this band clearly “let the cowboys ride” on their own songs in ways that often top their recorded takes?

Several tracks already feel like definitive versions. “Harmonia’s Dream” was a consistent highlight of the I Don’t Live Here Anymore tour, and Live Drugs Again honors that with an extended open in which a trance-inducing electronic pulse is augmented by infectious arena-rock audience clapping. The build in “Old Skin” to Hall’s dramatic entrance packs a wallop on the album, but live it has that extra E Street-esque oomph that really elevates the song. And then there’s “I Don’t Live Here Anymore,” which feels more and more like The War On Drugs’ finest anthem. On Live Drugs Again , we hear Granduciel honor his band in the intro, giving hype-man intros for each member and drawing out the last syllable in every name like he’s Paul Stanley addressing the unwashed hoards at Cobo Hall.

This sort of showmanship from the once-reticent leader of The War On Drugs is the most obvious departure point from the original Live Drugs . At some point during the I Don’t Live Here Anymore era, Granduciel embraced his inner rock star, drawing on the impassioned evangelism of perhaps his two most important influences, Bruce Springsteen and Mike Scott of The Waterboys. On “Burning” and “Under The Pressure,” he pushes his vocals like never before, practically shouting his way to new musical climaxes as his fellow bandmates aspire to maximum levels of heartland rock grandiosity. It’s no longer “Burning,” it’s now “ Burninnnnng .” And “Under The Pressure” is gone, meet “Under The Preshhhhahhhhh !” (There’s also the matter of Granduciel’s always stellar guitar playing, which achieves peak shred-itude on the sultry “I Don’t Wanna Wait” and the welcome Slave Ambient deep cut, “Come To The City,” not to mention the obvious six-string showcase that is “Under The Pressure.”)

Putting out multiple live albums in relatively quick succession during an era when most bands wouldn’t think of putting out a single concert record says a lot about how The War On Drugs have evolved since that conversation with Aaron Dessner at the end of 2011. It reasserts the group identity that Granduciel pushed to the fore on the last studio record, as well as the importance of their live show as a calling card on nearly equal footing with their immaculate and deliberative studio work.

It also reiterates The War On Drugs’ relationship with hugeness. It differs from The National’s relationship with hugeness, which in recent years has manifested with Dessner’s entrée into the worlds of Taylor Swift and stadium pop. It’s hugeness as a form of celebrity and cultural capital. Granduciel has only fitfully flirted with that sort of hugeness, contributing guitar to records by Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus. Otherwise, his brand of hugeness is musical and spatial. As The War On Drugs’ audience grows, the music continues to expand ever-so-slightly beyond the confines of wherever they’re playing. When I saw them open for The National at the Beacon Theater 13 years ago, they were a small band who filled every square inch of the venue with guitar drones and synth swells. It was a wave of sound intended to overwhelm the senses, which it did.

Live Drugs Again feels like that, too. It’s the widest iteration yet of the “wide horizon” sound. The War On Drugs made the Beacon feel like a phone booth. And every time I’ve seen them since, they have given me the same feeling, whether it was a theater, an arena, or an open field. I look forward to seeing them push toward the next horizon.

The War On Drugs announce 2023 UK and European tour

"Looking forward to coming back!"

The War On Drugs have announced a UK and Ireland headline tour for 2023 – tickets will be available from here .

The Adam Granduciel-fronted band are due to return to these shores next summer as part of a wider European stint. Following shows in Oslo, Warsaw, Prague and Berlin, the group will play begin the UK/Ireland leg at the Brighton Centre on June 17.

• READ MORE:  The War On Drugs live in London: a big-hearted, loosely spun rock’n’roll night out

Further gigs are scheduled at The Eden Project in Cornwall (June 18), the OVO Hydro arena in Glasgow (20), The Piece Hall in Halifax (21) and Trinity College in Dublin (27). Additionally, The War On Drugs will perform at the Zénith arena in Paris on June 23.

The new dates mean that the band are currently free to appear at Glastonbury 2023 on either the Saturday (June 24) or Sunday (25). No acts have been announced for the festival as of yet.

Tickets for The War On Drugs’ 2023 UK and European tour go on general sale at 10am local time this Friday (November 11) with the exception of Paris (on sale next Monday, November 14).

You’ll be able to purchase your ticket(s) here (UK) – see the announcement post and full itinerary below.

Announcing European shows for 2023! Tickets for all dates are on sale Friday, 11th of November at 10am local with the exception of Paris which is on sale Monday, 14th of November at 10am local. Looking forward to coming back! https://t.co/vo0MOTW0Cj pic.twitter.com/bWdokXsDBH — The War on Drugs (@TheWarOnDrugs) November 8, 2022

Recommended

JUNE 2023 8 – Loaded Festival, Oslo  12 – Progresja Summer Stage, Warsaw  13 – Forum Karlin, Prague 14 – Zitadelle, Berlin 17 – Brighton Centre, Brighton  18 – The Eden Project, Cornwall  20 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow  21 – The Piece Hall, Halifax  23 – Zenith, Paris  27 – Trinity College, Dublin 

The War On Drugs last toured the UK and Ireland this April in support of their fifth studio album, ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’ , which came out in October 2021.

Reviewing Granduciel and co’s headline appearance at The O2 in London , NME hailed the concert as “a big-hearted, loosely spun rock’n’roll night out”.

Back in September, The War On Drugs shared two previously-unreleased songs – ‘Oceans Of Darkness’ and ‘Slow Ghost’ – as part of an extended deluxe edition of ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’.

• Related Topics
• The War On Drugs

You May Also Like

Jamie xx – ‘in waves’ review: star-studded meditations on the dancefloor, colde on his burgeoning career and upcoming english album: “it took six years, but i’m finally here”, atarashii gakko: irrepressible and invincible, ‘the penguin’ review: a compulsive and complex follow-up to ‘the batman’, how chrissy costanza became video games’ go-to soundtrack queen, more stories, deftones announce 2025 north american tour with the mars volta, jane’s addiction quietly share new single ‘true love’ after announcing hiatus , the darkness announce new album ‘dreams on toast’ and 2025 uk tour – including wembley show with ash , anita dobson shares health update on brian may after stroke, nine inch nails photography exhibition to open in london – capturing “moments in music history”, watch linkin park perform ‘the emptiness machine’ on ‘fallon’.

• Popular artists in London
• Trending artists worldwide

• Tourbox for artists

Search for events or artists

• Sign up Log in

• Get the app
• London concerts
• Change location
• Popular Artists
• Live streams
• Deutsch Português
• Concerts near you
• Popular artists

Friday 12 July 2024

The War on Drugs

Discover more in London

Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP London, UK 0845 401 5045 www.royalalberthall.com/

Similar artists with upcoming concerts

Additional details.

Doors open: 18:30

Concert in your area for Indie & Alt and Rock .

Find out more about Rock .

Share this concert

67 people were there.

Related upcoming events

• Thursday October 03, 2024 Real Estate Hackney Church, London
• Friday November 08, 2024 Interpol Alexandra Palace, London
• Thursday November 28, 2024 Michael Palin, The Rutles, Yo La Tengo, and Tommy Emmanuel indigo at The O2, London
• Friday May 16, 2025 Pixies O2 Academy Brixton, London
• Saturday May 17, 2025 Pixies O2 Academy Brixton, London

• Most popular charts
• Campaigns for promoters
• API information
• Brand guidelines
• Community guidelines
• Terms of use
• Privacy policy
• Cookies settings
• Cookies policy

Get your tour dates seen everywhere.

Music | Grammy-winning band War on Drugs wraps up a…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Today's e-Edition

Things To Do

• Food & Drink
• Celebrities
• Pets & Animals
• Event Calendar

Music | Grammy-winning band War on Drugs wraps up a grueling tour with gig atop Mount Tamalpais

“It’s kind of cool for me to come back to where the rollout for the record started,” says Granduciel during a tour stop last week in Athens, Georgia. “We started the process of promoting the album there and Sound Summit is our last show of the year, so it’s kind of full circle.”

That first video, for a moody song called “Living Proof,” was directed by Emmett Malloy, of Stinson Beach, who shot the long-haired Granduciel driving a vintage pickup down dusty country roads and wandering with his guitar on the coastal bluffs of Bolinas and along the foggy shoreline of Tomales Bay, including a scene beside the hulk of the abandoned fishing boat affectionately known as the S.S. Point Reyes.

It was a far cry from his home in Southern California’s congested San Fernando Valley, where the 43-year-old Grammy-winning singer-songwriter lives with actress Krysten Ritter, who starred in the Marvel series “Jessica Jones,” and their 3-year-old son.

“When we were shooting that video, I really fell in love with Stinson,” says Granduciel, who was also smitten by the small-town charm of Point Reyes Station. “It was a surreal weekend in nature. I was like, wow, I just fell in love with the vibe.”

Seventeen years ago, Granduciel formed the band in Philadelphia with collaborator Kurt Vile, who departed for a solo career shortly after the release of the group’s first studio album, “Wagonwheel Blues,” in 2008.

‘Next torchbearer’

After three more albums — “Slave Ambient” in 2011, “Lost in the Dream” in 2014 and “A Deeper Understanding” three years later — a breathless New Yorker article crowned the War on Drugs “the best American ‘rock’ band of this decade” and Granduciel “rock’s next torchbearer.”

For those who know the artistic-minded Granduciel, there would be no need to worry that such high praise would go to his head.

“I didn’t read it, so I don’t know anything about that,” says Granduciel when asked about the piece. “I don’t really sit down and read anything about myself or the band. Why would I do that?”

“A Deeper Understanding,” the band’s first album for major label Atlantic Records, would go on to win best rock album at the 60th annual Grammy Awards in 2018. The band was in New Zealand at the time of the awards show, learning about the win a day later. Once again, Granduciel takes what many believe to be the highest honor the music industry can bestow on an artist with a grain of salt.

“For me, it was like, alright, cool, that’s a fun little thing,” he recalls. “But I didn’t feel like I had finally made it or that it was one of my bucket list items. It was more like, OK that happened. What’s the next thing? What’s the next set of songs?”

Defining moment

As it happens, the next set of songs are on “I Don’t Live Here Anymore,” many of them written during the pandemic. The title track, featuring background vocals by the female pop duo Lucius, takes a nostalgic look back at Granduciel’s first time seeing Bob Dylan perform at the 2002 Newport Folk Festival and dancing to Dylan’s classic “Desolation Row.”

“It was a defining moment in my life,” he says. “I had been deeply obsessed with Dylan’s music for years up to that point and it was the culmination of that energy. At the end of the day, if you’re writing songs there’s no better inspiration than following his lead.”

“It was one of those periods of transformational change for myself and my friends,” he recalls. “It was kind of like a part of my life when I started getting serious about what I truly love to do.”

First time on Tam

But he never made it to Mount Tam, so the Sound Summit show, also featuring the Marin band Wreckless Strangers, Faye Webster and Fruit Bats, will be his first time on a mountain that Native Americans considered a sacred space and that many still think of as the spiritual heart of Marin County. Through its nonprofit, Roots & Branches Conservancy, Sound Summit has raised $250,000 for Mount Tamalpais State Park since 2015.

For Granduciel and band, the show promises to be a healing end to what has been a grueling, challenging tour marred by COVID variants, transit strikes and natural disasters. For example, a pair of concerts in the Carolinas were canceled because of Hurricane Ian. And the band’s Madison Square Garden debut, a major milestone, was hampered by the Omicron variant and a blizzard that paralyzed Manhattan.

“The whole year has been an exhausting time to travel, to do what we do,” he says. “The Mount Tam show is one step closer to being home.”

Contact Paul Liberatore at [email protected]

What: Sound Summit

When: 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22

Where: Mountain Theater, Mount Tamalpais State Park

Admission: $120, $65 age 12 and under, free under age 2

Information: soundsummit.net

• Report an error
• Policies and Standards

More in Music

News Obituaries | JD Souther dies at 78; prolific singer-songwriter penned hits for the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt

Music | Bay Area arts: 10 cool shows and concerts to catch this weekend

National News | ‘A culture of silence and deference’: A sex trafficking expert analyzes the allegations against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

SUBSCRIBER ONLY

Health | how lullabies are improving health care for black women and their babies in the bay area.

• Statistics Stats
• You are here:
• War on Drugs, The

The War on Drugs Concert Setlists & Tour Dates

Zen diagram tour, the war on drugs, upcoming shows.

• Date and Venue Doors Scheduled
• Sep 22 2024 Bourbon & Beyond 2024 Louisville, KY, USA  –  Find tickets Doors 11:30 AM  –  Scheduled: 5:35 PM Tickets 11:30 AM 5:35 PM
• Sep 24 2024 United Center Chicago, IL, USA  –  Find tickets Doors 5:15 PM  –  Scheduled: 6:45 PM Tickets 5:15 PM 6:45 PM
• Sep 25 2024 Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill Sterling Heights, MI, USA  –  Find tickets Add time Tickets Add time Add times
• Sep 26 2024 Breese Stevens Field Madison, WI, USA  –  Find tickets Doors 4:15 PM  –  Start time: 6:20 PM (Est.) Tickets 4:15 PM 6:20 PM Estimated
• Sep 28 2024 Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre Greenwood Village, CO, USA  –  Find tickets Add time Tickets Add time Add times
• Sep 29 2024 Granary Live Salt Lake City, UT, USA  –  Find tickets Add time Tickets Add time Add times
• Oct 01 2024 Climate Pledge Arena Seattle, WA, USA  –  Find tickets Add time Tickets Add time Add times
• Oct 02 2024 Rogers Arena Vancouver, BC, Canada  –  Find tickets Add time Tickets Add time Add times
• Oct 03 2024 Moda Center Portland, OR, USA  –  Find tickets Add time Tickets Add time Add times
• Oct 05 2024 Blue Note Napa Summer Sessions 2024 Napa, CA, USA  –  Find tickets Add time Tickets Add time Add times
• Oct 06 2024 William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre Berkeley, CA, USA  –  Find tickets Add time Tickets Add time Add times
• Oct 07 2024 Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles, CA, USA  –  Find tickets Add time Tickets Add time Add times
• Oct 10 2024 Palacio de los Deportes Mexico City, Mexico  –  Find tickets Add time Tickets Add time Add times
• Oct 12 2024 Heineken Silver Live Out 2024 Monterrey, Mexico  –  Find tickets Add time Tickets Add time Add times

The War on Drugs at Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA

• Edit setlist songs
• Edit venue & date
• Edit set times
• Add to festival
• Report setlist

The War on Drugs at Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON, Canada

The war on drugs at place bell, laval, qc, canada, the war on drugs at td pavilion at the mann, philadelphia, pa, usa.

• Baby Missiles
• An Ocean in Between the Waves
• I Don't Wanna Wait
• Harmonia's Dream
• Lost in the Dream
• Come to the City
• Eyes to the Wind
• Under the Pressure
• I Don't Live Here Anymore

The War on Drugs at Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD, USA

• Comin' Through
• Occasional Rain
• Love Is a Long Road

The War on Drugs at Xfinity Center, Mansfield, MA, USA

• Strangest Thing

The War on Drugs at Forest Hills Stadium, Queens, NY, USA

The war on drugs at bank of new hampshire pavilion at meadowbrook, gilford, nh, usa, the war on drugs at newport folk festival 2024, the war on drugs at bukta 2024.

More from this Artist

• Artist Statistics
• Add setlist

Most played songs

• Red Eyes ( 422 )
• Under the Pressure ( 421 )
• An Ocean in Between the Waves ( 369 )
• Eyes to the Wind ( 328 )
• Pain ( 286 )

More The War on Drugs statistics

Absynthe Minded Autumn Saints Blaudzun The Bottom Dollars Di‐rect Kate Hudson La Iaia Conrad Keely Newfoundman Solar Manoeuvre Straight Up Chumps The Tisburys Windup Space

View covered by statistics

Artists covered

Badfinger The Building Bob Dylan Bill Fay Craig Finn Grateful Dead George Harrison Tim Heidecker John Hiatt Jethro Tull John Lennon Tom Petty Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Pink Floyd Pretenders Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band Patti Smith Group Bruce Springsteen Sharon Van Etten Kurt Vile The Waterboys Ronnie Wood Neil Young Warren Zevon

View artists covered statistics

Gigs seen live by

6,375 people have seen The War on Drugs live.

vivacite BonMorrison plasticine streethawk 7QBCpVZDbKfD4q3 drossing cpolidoro04 boostventilator threesunrises mmcfarland529 EdwinPagan matthewgary nick_waters Erad dmario rdpirock LLCC nickdevlin mnoon1999 adhicks110973 Jcollius graceluvsyouu Phillyflyer musicmastrbass colink278 Cjstantoniii rjain24 cartesq Michaelshtofman debgrant bwilkinson razorrasmussen catplanet jpoet matthewegsmith Kmsheran inalemonworld hink_brian plat greykemper kruble03 qazlestat Scotty7471 samgottesman jmtaylor Nprisco logankausch zellersc2 victorfiloromo singlespeed

Showing only 50 most recent

The War on Drugs on the web

Music links.

• The War on Drugs Lyrics (de)
• Official Homepage

Tour Update

Setlist insider: foster the people.

• Foster the People
• Sep 17, 2024
• Sep 16, 2024
• Sep 15, 2024
• Sep 14, 2024
• Sep 13, 2024
• Sep 12, 2024
• FAQ | Help | About
• Terms of Service
• Ad Choices | Privacy Policy
• Songtexte.com

UK Edition Change

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Fitness & Wellbeing
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance Deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Climate 100
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Wine Offers
• Betting Sites

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

Bob Dylan was washed up and irrelevant – then one electrifying tour saved his career

Bob dylan was teetering on insignificance when he finally returned to the road in 1974 with the band, who were in the throes of their own turmoil at the time. that tour saved both their careers, writes stevie chick , and cemented the tambourine man’s place in music history, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music

Get our now hear this email for free, thanks for signing up to the roisin o’connor’s email.

B ob Dylan ’s “Never Ending Tour” began in 1988, and – save for a pandemic-enforced break in 2020, after which it was renamed the “Rough And Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour” – has trundled onwards for 36 years, with no sign of stopping. Indeed, his Bobness will have performed 52 shows this year alone come December.

But while this is an impressive feat for an 83-year-old, the content of these shows divides opinion: some nights offer searing revisits of classics like “Desolation Row” or “Don’t Think Twice” ; on others, Dylan rearranges his career-defining songs to the point where even seasoned Bob-watchers can’t recognise them. “Fans who come to hear live-action reenactments of the favourite records of their youth tend to be disappointed,” The New Yorker ’s Alex Ross observed as far back as 1999. Perhaps Dylan has grown tired of playing his biggest hits: familiarity, after all, breeds contempt.

It wasn’t always this way. The 1974 Live Recordings , a mammoth new 27-disc box set, transports listeners back half a century, presenting a very different Bob Dylan: younger, leaner, and perhaps more than a little desperate. Back then, he had recently parted ways with both longtime manager Albert Grossman and longtime label Columbia Records, which had signed him a dozen years earlier when he was just another folkie haunting Greenwich Village coffee houses. He’d only performed onstage a handful of times since his notorious 1966 motorcycle accident, favouring domestic life with his wife Sara and their four children.

His last album of new material, the soundtrack to Peckinpah western Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid (in which he also starred), had been accused by critics of “wilful badness”, with Rolling Stone ’s Jon Landau declaring Dylan “the least significant” rock figure of the Seventies. It seems unthinkable now, but in 1973 Dylan seemed washed-up and in danger of becoming yesterday’s man.

Salvation came in the form of David Geffen, one of the most transformative figures of the Seventies music industry, who offered him a contract with his new record label, Asylum. Geffen expected Dylan to sing for his supper, however – even he couldn’t revitalise the Tambourine Man’s career if the Tambourine Man wasn’t willing to tour.

A chance meeting with guitarist Robbie Robertson in the summer of 1973 was the final nudge that sent Dylan back on the road. They shared a long history – Robertson’s garage-band The Hawks had backed Dylan on his controversial “electric” tour eight years earlier. Those shows in 1965, when earnest folkies screamed “Judas!” as Bob played rock’n’roll, cemented Dylan as a cultural phenomenon and generational figurehead – but, as he later told Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner, the pressures of the road “wore me down… I was on drugs, just to keep going”.

After his motorcycle crash in 1966, two months after his world tour ended with a headline show at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Dylan retreated to Woodstock in upstate New York. The former Hawks followed and in the basement of an ugly old house they’d rented and christened “Big Pink”, they jammed together with Dylan on covers, standards, folk songs, and new music of their own.

Outside the walls of Big Pink, the world was turning on and tuning in to the summer of love – but in the basement, they were tapping into rock’n’roll’s roots, into country and folk traditions. These sessions at Big Pink shaped what became Dylan’s next musical evolution, evidenced by the acclaimed, country-influenced albums John Wesley Harding (1967) and Nashville Skyline (1969).

Robertson and the ex-Hawks, meanwhile, renamed themselves “ The Band ”. Four Canadians – Robertson, bassist/vocalist Rick Danko, keyboardist Garth Hudson and pianist/vocalist Richard Manuel – and one American (drummer/vocalist Levon Helm), their unique vision of Americana blossomed on homespun, deeply soulful albums like 1968’s Music From Big Pink and 1969’s The Band .

Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music

Sign up now for a 30-day free trial

But by 1973, The Band were lost amid their own turmoil. Though still a reliably thrilling stage act, that life was killing them via exhaustion, drug abuse and Manuel’s alcoholism. Robertson, their chief songwriter, was also navigating a debilitating writer’s block.

The Band needed redemption as badly as Dylan, and all involved hoped renewing their working relationship might invite lightning to strike once more. They entered LA’s Village Recorders in November 1973 and taped Dylan’s 14th album Planet Waves – his first for Asylum – over a whirlwind three days. It would prove Dylan’s best-received album in years, and “Forever Young”, written about his children, remains one of his most loved songs. Still, despite the album’s success, everyone knew that the road was where Dylan would truly affirm his renaissance.

The world of the rock’n’roll concert had changed immeasurably since Dylan had quit eight years earlier. It was now a sleek, multi-million-dollar industry, and new technology finally ensured musicians could be heard over screaming fandom. Geffen, Dylan and The Band hooked up with the hippy era’s premier impresario, Bill Graham, to book the 40-date jaunt across sports arenas across the US and Canada. Tickets were priced between $6 and $9.50 ($39-$60 in 2024 money – someone tell Oasis) and available only through mail-order. Demand overwhelmed the US Mail postal service and easily outpaced supply – over 20 million applied for 651,000 tickets – and the tour quickly became the highest-grossing at that point in history.

The tour began on 3 January 1974 at Chicago Stadium, with Dylan pleasing his die-hard fans by opening with “Hero Blues”, an obscurio he’d demoed in 1963 but wouldn’t release until 2010. Soon after, the performers established the format that the tour would stick to: Dylan opening with a batch of his songs, backed by The Band; a short set by The Band alone; another short Dylan and The Band set; an acoustic Dylan set; another The Band set; and a final joint encore.

On the evidence of the newly released The 1974 Live Recordings , and Before the Flood , the concert album released in June 1974, the performances were electrifying. The Band played Dylan’s songs with a kinetic fury – Robertson firing off poetic, accusatory twangs while Helm’s drums powered the songs at a breathless pelt beyond the studio versions. They gave the songs the muscle necessary to fill the cavernous rooms Dylan now found himself playing. The years playing as their own unit had seen The Band grow in confidence, and they more than held their own against their old friend.

That can’t possibly be Bob Dylan, looking just like he did in the good old days: skinny, curly hair, black suede boots, blue jeans, the whole bit

Dylan, meanwhile, seemed to relish playing his old songs again (only “Forever Young” off Planet Waves , the album they were ostensibly touring, was a constant on the setlist). There is no better version of “Like A Rolling Stone” than that on Before the Flood , where the song is performed as a wild riot of spite, wit, passion, and outrage.

These performances were appropriately celebratory for the reunion of a generation and the man who’d defined them. The years in-between had been gruelling, thanks not least to the Vietnam War (winding down, but still a quagmire) and Watergate (revving up, but yet to claim Nixon’s scalp). Dylan had returned. He’d risen again, his songs – full of wisdom, emotion, scathing humour, and life – as vivid as ever.

The tour was a validation for that generation’s belief in Dylan, and for Dylan and The Band’s belief in themselves. Years later, Robertson told Uncut ’s Barney Hoskyns that the tour proved the risks they’d taken in 1965 “hadn’t been crazy… It was not incredibly different from what we’d done with Bob before... this kind of dynamics. We’d come way down when the singing came in, and when the solos started, we’d go screaming off into the skies”.

The critics were mostly rapturous. “That can’t possibly be Bob Dylan, looking just like he did in the good old days: skinny, curly hair, black suede boots, blue jeans, the whole bit,” wrote NME ’s Barbara Charone, of that magical opening night in Chicago. Robert Christgau, the influential “dean of American rock criticism”, described 28 January’s set at New York’s Nassau Coliseum as “a triumph”, and Before the Flood as “the craziest and strongest rock and roll ever recorded”. Likewise, Melody Maker ’s Chris Charlesworth called the show at New York’s Madison Square Garden “the best concert New York is likely to get this year or next”.

For all this glory, however, the tour would prove a last hurrah for Dylan and The Band as a working partnership. “It was the most magical tour,” Dylan’s assistant Arthur Rosato told Bob biographer Clinton Heylin. “But it was personalities. By the end of that tour there was a little separation.” In the years that followed, the same demons that had plagued The Band in 1973 resurfaced with a vengeance.

Robertson left after a grand, all-star farewell show in 1976, filmed by Martin Scorsese in The Last Waltz. His erstwhile bandmates reformed without him in 1983 and continued to tour until Danko’s death in 1999, even after Manuel hung himself following a March 1986 show in Florida. Robertson’s death in 2023 leaves Hudson the only surviving member of The Band.

Dylan continues on, however. He followed Planet Waves and the reunion tour with 1975’s Blood On The Tracks , one of his most-acclaimed albums. His critical stock waned and waxed over the following decades, as he made some of his worst records alongside some pretty great ones. Throughout it all, he’s remained a legend, a solid box office draw, thanks in part to that 1974 tour, which established the Bobfather as an artist with an infinite capacity to regenerate himself, and a songbook that will never not resonate with the generation it spoke to, and the subsequent generations that discover it.

Five decades on, Bob’s still touring, with 10 UK dates in November to conclude this year’s leg of his eternal road trip. There’s no telling which Bob will arrive onstage that final show at the Royal Albert Hall, how he’ll render those beloved songs – or how the faithful will feel about it the morning after. The magic of those 1974 shows now seems beyond his reach, but that tour and his remarkable rebirth taught us anything it’s that we should never write Bob Dylan off.

‘Bob Dylan and The Band: The 1974 Live Recordings’ is out on 20 September via Columbia & Legacy Recordings

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

New to The Independent?

Or if you would prefer:

Hi {{indy.fullName}}

• My Independent Premium
• Account details
• Help centre

OUT NOW: LIVE DRUGS AGAIN

The war on drugs newsletter.