The Black Keys: A Brief Timeline of Their Canceled Tour Controversy
The Black Keys are clearly going through something right now. That “something” appears to be related to their recently canceled tour. Frankly, the exact details aren’t known, but we’ll likely find out more in the near future.
In the meantime, let’s break down the major events and headlines around the Ohio duo that have surfaced in recent weeks.
May 25, 2024: The Black Keys Suddenly Cancel Their North American Tour
In early April, The Black Keys announced a 31-date North American leg of their “International Players” tour in support of their latest album, Ohio Players. The tour leg was set to kick off on September 17 in Tulsa, Oklahoma and wrap on November 12 in Detroit.
However, on May 25, the North American tour was abruptly canceled. At the time when the tour was canceled, no explanation was given. Many outlets suspected the tour, which was booked in arenas, was canceled due to low ticket sales, according to available data. The low ticket sales may have been due to high ticket prices, which were between $100 and $300.
May 26, 2024: Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney Issues Statement on Social Media
Understandably, news of the tour cancelation surprised many people. The day after the news broke, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney issued a statement, which read as follows:
“The band wants to assure everyone that Dan & Patrick are alive and well. 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.”
It continued, “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.”
The statement concluded, “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.”
June 6, 2024: The Black Key Part Ways With Their Management
In a story about big music tours being in “trouble,” The New York Times reported that The Black Keys parted ways with their two managers, the legendary Irving Azoff and Steve Moir. The outlet noted that Auerbach and Carney signed with Azoff and Moir in 2021 and specifically cited Azoff’s “focus on touring and selling our tickets.”
Despite this, a rep for Azoff and Moir stated they “amicably parted” with The Black Keys. But, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
June 10, 2024: Carney Goes Off
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on June 10 at 3:34 AM, Carney wrote, “We got f-cked. I’ll let you all know how so it doesn’t happen to you. Stay tuned.
So, yeah…this whole situation appears to be far from over, and it could get ugly. To quote Willy Wonka, “The suspense is terrible! I hope it will last…”