The Black Keys offer explanation after cancelling US tour amid rumoured low ticket sales
The Black Keys have been at the peak of the garage rock scene for over 20 years, but in this current financial climate, acts of all sizes are struggling to fill venues. The pair announced an extensive arena tour of North America back in April, but have since quietly cancelled every date.
Low ticket sales and high prices are the rumoured reason behind The Black Keys’ cancellation of their ‘Ohio Prayers’ tour. Due to kick off in mid-September, visiting arenas across the continent – with notable shows in Austin, Seattle, Atlanta – ticket prices for the gigs ranged from $100 to $300, in addition to Ticketmaster fees. The shows were removed from the ticketing website and the band’s official website this past weekend.
Shortly before the tour was pulled off sale, data from Ticketmaster suggested that the tour had suffered from incredibly low ticket sales. With the current price of touring, it is probable that the tour simply was not viable for The Black Keys to embark upon. However, the band have since taken to social media to shed light on the quiet cancellation.
“The band wants to assure everyone that Dan [Auerbach] & Patrick [Carney] are alive and well,” the band wrote, “Following the recent run of shows in the UK & Europe, including stops at iconic venues like Brixton Academy and the Zenith in Paris, we have decided to make some changes to the North American leg of the ‘International Players Tour’ that will enable us to offer a similarly exciting, intimate experience for both fans and the band, and will be announcing a revised set of dates shortly”.
So, it seems as though the tour is set to be rescheduled for a variety of smaller venues. The pair also added, “Everyone who had purchased tickets and/or VIP to the initial tour dates will be fully refunded – and when the new plans are announced, will be the first to be able to buy tickets”.
Auerbach and Carney concluded their statement by saying, “Thank you for your understanding and apologies for the surprise change… We’re pretty sure everyone is going to be excited when you see what we have in mind though, and look forward to seeing everyone soon”.
At the time of writing, it is unclear when the tour will be rescheduled. Currently, the only appearance The Black Keys are scheduled to make is at the NASCAR Street Race in Chicago next month.
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