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The War On Drugs 2023 Australian Tour Setlists

By Music Feeds

Adam Granduciel and his comrades in The War On Drugs are back for their first tour of Australia since 2018 . The American band released its fifth studio album, I Don’t Live Here Anymore , in 2021. They’re joined on the Australian tour by Texas indie rock band Spoon , who haven’t been here since 2017, and Australian singer-songwriter Indigo Sparke .

The tour begins with two dates at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt, followed by performances at major outdoor venues in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. It’ll bring a close to two years of hard graft for The War On Drugs, who’ve conducted extensive tours of the USA, UK, Canada, Mexico and Europe since the release of I Don’t Live Here Anymore . Find all the tour setlists below.

The War On Drugs – ‘Red Eyes’

Riverstage, Brisbane

• Saturday, 9th December
• An Ocean in Between the Waves
• I Don’t Wanna Wait
• Strangest Thing
• Harmonia’s Dream
• Living Proof
• Eyes to the Wind
• Play It All Night Long (Warren Zevon cover)
• Under the Pressure
• I Don’t Live Here Anymore
• Occasional Rain
• Lost in the Dream

Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne

• Thursday, 7th December

Sydney Opera House Forecourt

• Tuesday, 5th December
• Monday, 4th December
• Arms Like Boulders

The War On Drugs 2023 Australian Tour

w/ Spoon & Indigo Sparke

• Monday, 4th December – Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney NSW
• Tuesday, 5th December – Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney NSW
• Thursday, 7th December – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne VIC
• Saturday, 9th December – Riverstage, Brisbane QLD
• Monday, 11th December – Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Perth WA

Tickets on sale now

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The War On Drugs Announce 2023 Australian Tour

It's The War On Drugs' first Australian tour in five years.

Photo of The War On Drugs (Source: Supplied)

US rock act The War On Drugs will make their long-awaited return to Australia this December. After five long years, fans can soak up the band’s gorgeous melodies and Adam Granduciel ’s inimitable guitar tones.

Joining The War On Drugs for their first Australian visit since 2018 is special guests Spoon , who last performed down under in 2017, and Sydney folk artist Indigo Sparke .

The War On Drugs are promoting their latest album, October 2021’s I Don’t Live Here Anymore . The band’s fifth album received massive critical acclaim, debuted at #21 in Australia, and the track Harmonia’s Dream was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song last year.

In February last year, Spoon released their tenth album, Lucifer On The Sofa . Following 2017’s enthralling Hot Thoughts , with its added drum machines and synths, the Texas group opted to simplify the method for Lucifer On The Sofa.

Opener Held  – a Smog  cover – and The Hardest Cut, particularly, focus on a swaggering classic rock sound. The album is full of slinky, desert rock riffs, surprising turns towards stoner rock and balladry, and an undeniable feeling of defiant optimism. No one is keeping Lucifer or Spoon on the sofa. You can read The Music ’s album review here .

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The Music concluded about The War On Drugs’ previous visit to Australia: “The War On Drugs are technically perfect to the point of excellence where if you shut your eyes you can imagine reclining at home in a La-Z-Boy with the sounds filtering through top noise-cancelling headphones.” You can read the full review here .

Presented in partnership with Double J ,  tickets for all shows go on sale at 1 pm, Friday, 26 May, via the Live Nation website .

My Live Nation members can secure tickets during the exclusive presale beginning at noon, Thursday, 25 May, and ending on Friday, 26 May.

Throughout the tour, The War On Drugs will play some of Australia’s finest venues, including the Forecourt of the iconic Sydney Opera House, Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Brisbane’s Riverstage, and Perth’s stunning Kings Park and Botanic Garden.

THE WAR ON DRUGS

2023 AUSTRALIAN TOUR WITH SPECIAL GUESTS SPOON 

+ INDIGO SPARKE

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE FORECOURT, SYDNEY        MONDAY 4 DECEMBER

SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL, MELBOURNE            THURSDAY 7 DECEMBER

RIVERSTAGE, BRISBANE                                              SATURDAY 9 DECEMBER

KINGS PARK AND BOTANIC GARDEN, PERTH          MONDAY 11 DECEMBER

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The War on Drugs on Difficult Touring, New Members & Making a ‘Very Simple’ New Album

Rolling stone au/nz caught up with the band’s frontman adam granduciel ahead of their return to australia later this year.

It’s a rare moment at home for The War On Drugs’ singer-songwriter Adam Granduciel. His band have been busy in recent months touring North America and Europe, and in a rare spell off the road he’s doing interviews about their forthcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand.

For some time now, home for Granduciel has been Los Angeles, but he still has a huge place in his heart for the place where it all started for The War On Drugs, Philadelphia.

  “I miss it all the time in different ways,” he says of his old hometown. “I miss the time, that life, and the coming of age and starting the band, but I love living out here in LA. I’ve been here since 2016, basically. 

“It’s a different place to Philly, but you can be an Eagles fan everywhere,” he says with a loyal laugh for his beloved NFL team. “I’ve got Philadelphia Eagles license plates; I’ve got Eagles flags and Tupperware. I got it all.”

The War On Drugs were one of the few bands to do significant touring once things opened up during the pandemic in 2021-22, and the album tour for their fifth LP, I Don’t Live Here Anymore , was an incredibly complex journey on all fronts. 

“It was weird,” Granduciel recalls. “It was insane because it felt like we’d been in lockdown forever – a year-and-a-half, two years – and then we were out doing the thing that we were so good at doing, but no one knew the rules. We didn’t know what we’d do if someone got COVID… it still felt like we were in lockdown.

“The first couple months – the US and European tours of 2021-22 – were exhausting on every level. It was constantly stressing if somebody caught it at the show last night, because there are thousands of people at it and you’re supposed to get back in your bubble and keep the show on the road. 

“It was just a very stressful, dark period, but we got through it.  We did an amazing job considering the circumstances and we’re a better band for it. No doubt about it. We’re a tighter group of people, a committed group of people… but it was definitely not fun. It was not like, ‘oh everything’s open again and we’re back on the road again, it’s amazing.’  It was definitely not that. It was like, ‘this is fucking stressful.'”  

  Indeed, while touring has now resumed a modicum of normality for the band, the initial run of the I Don’t Live Here Anymore album tour was a travelling mélange of highs and lows on every level. There were restrictions all around but the band were playing some of their most prestigious headlining shows to date.

“We did Madison Square Garden, but between COVID and the blizzard, it’s hard to know how many people would have come,” Granduciel concedes. “We had like 11,000 people there, which is amazing, but it was impossible to judge what the true turnout would have been, because of all these crazy factors.

“Even without COVID, the weather was totally restrictive. The weather in every city we played was terrible. And with the COVID thing it was like, ‘is anybody gonna come to these shows?’ People came but it was just too exhausting to be excited about anything. 

“I don’t mean it was all terrible, but we didn’t know what to do . The business of touring is not based on the theory that if somebody is sick you cancel the show. If that was the way it was in life, no one would ever tour. If it’s a case of ‘someone’s got COVID, let’s cancel,’  well that’s gonna bankrupt the band.

“So we were really straddling this line of trying to enjoy it and trying to be ‘is everyone healthy?’ If we don’t test, it’s very irresponsible for people in the band. So it was very confusing, but it was also fun.” 

Making matters even more complicated is that the band’s longtime guitarist, Anthony LaMarca is immunocompromised.  

  “At the centre of all our thinking was, ‘we’ve got to keep Anthony healthy. We’ve got to keep him free from COVID, ‘” Granduciel recalls. “Looking back on it, I don’t think there are many bands who could have pulled it off like we did.

“What with the COVID and the weather and central to our thinking is to protect our friend and our fanbase. We couldn’t really interact with anybody – friends, family, opening acts, labels, publicists.  We couldn’t have anybody backstage. Which was a bummer, you know?”

Perhaps adding some lightness and enjoyment to the proceedings, the tour also marked the recruitment of Eliza Hardy Jones on percussion and keyboards, a new member but an old friend from Philadelphia.

“She was part of our circle anyway, but it’s intense having a new member because you have another set of hands, there’s more gear, there’s more work for you to do,” Granduciel explains. “There’s another dynamic I have to learn as I haven’t toured with her before. 

“But Eliza is an incredibly easygoing person, an amazing touring person and an amazing person in general. That made it a little easier, because we were showing her all our stuff. ‘Look, this is what we do in New York,’  or ‘we’re doing two nights in Minneapolis, check this out.’  It was cool to have her on and show her our crowd and our fans and our community. It was special.” 

  The War On Drugs emerged in 2008 but the trajectory to now really began in 2014 with their breakthrough album, Lost in the Dream . At the time, Granduciel had been going through a period of deep depression, so it’s significant that the band’s third album served as a launchpad for their upward trajectory ever since.

“It’s only been recently that I’ve kind of been able to step back and appreciate it for what it was,” Granduciel notes. “Up ‘til the last couple of years, you don’t put too much emphasis on it, you just want to think that you’re still just gigging, and you don’t want to look back and talk about it. But I’m older now and have been looking through some old photos, video and demos from that time. 

“It’s amazing because not every band has that kind of thing happen. The record came out and it just slowly grew… yet actually quite quickly. The first six months of that record it was like, ‘the venue here needs to be twice as big. The venues in Europe are going to be huge.’  It was crazy. At the time you don’t want to think about it, you don’t want to ask why. There is no answer, but now I’m old enough to say it was cool. 

“There’s not a lot of bands who are given that opportunity where you’re already on your way, but people are just sort of opening the door for you. It was a pretty beautiful thing, honestly, because it allowed me to become something that I really never dreamed of. Which is to be able to do this for a living, given opportunities to make records and then have people talk about them. And tour and put together great groups of people.

“It’s really the most satisfying part – being given the opportunity to design the perfect group of people to tour and play music with.” 

While The War On Drugs are still busy touring on the back of 2021’s I Don’t Live Here Anymore , Granduciel says he’s been able to build a vision for their next album, despite the intensity of constant travel. 

“It’s been pretty intense, but in the first couple months of this year, I was able to  start kind of chipping away at a bunch of ideas,” he says. “I definitely just want to make something very simple and very to the point. Not like bedroom recording, but just a little different, I think, to the last two records I’ve done which were so much trial and error, where you’re just caring about things you never cared about, sonically. 

“The last two records have been fun to make, although I wouldn’t call them fun. At all. But I’m excited that I was given the opportunity to make them the way we did. But I couldn’t make another record like that… just taking so long.

“Something that I have loved about recording is when you just commit to an idea, you run a rough mix, and you keep the weird thing and don’t overthink it, and say ‘the drums sound weird but they’re cool.’  We were overthinking with the kind of music we were making – maybe it was what those songs needed, but I’m ready to make something that seems more homemade. If not sonically, then just in its intent.”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by The War On Drugs (@thewarondrugs)

The War on Drugs 2023 Australia & New Zealand Tour

With special guests Spoon & Indigo Sparke

Ticket information available via livenation.com.au or livenation.co.nz

Friday, December 1st Anderson Park, Wellington, NZ

Saturday, December 2nd Spark Arena, Auckland, NZ

Monday, December 4th (SOLD OUT) Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney, NSW

Tuesday, December 5th Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney, NSW

Thursday, December 7th Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne, VIC

Saturday, December 9th Riverstage, Brisbane, QLD

Monday, December 11th Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Perth, WA

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The War On Drugs and Spoon add new show to Australian tour

• X (formerly Twitter)

The War On Drugs are one hell of a band.

Across five albums, founder and frontman Adam Granduciel has cemented his place as one of the great craftspeople of American rock music.

What's more, he seems to be getting better and better. The band's fifth album I Don't Live Here Anymore was one of the best albums of 2021 , coming on like a warm hug after two tough years of isolation and intensive handwashing.

The band were last in Australia for the Laneway Festivals in 2018, and today we're beyond excited to tell you that the band will finally return to our shores for four big shows this December, with none other than Texan indie masters Spoon in support.

UPDATE 26/7: You can now make that FIVE big shows, with the first Sydney Opera House Forecourt date now completely sold out and a second show locked in for the following night. All details are below. 

It doesn't matter whether you've seen The War On Drugs live before or not, if you're a fan of the records then you probably already understand that these songs are really special when they unfold in front of you.

Their brand of beautiful, gently psychedelic, Americana inspired indie rock becomes extra transcendent in the live environment. The sounds are every bit as beautiful as on record, but the energy and vibe is even more special.

Before their most recent record, the band dazzled us with a string of modern classics. Slave Ambient proved the band had plenty to offer without former member Kurt Vile in 2011, 2014's Lost In The Dream shot them to almost-mainstream acclaim, and 2017's A Deeper Understanding showed the band's new fans that the quality of that previous record was no fluke.

While we're on the subject of fantastic bands with no bad albums, they don't come much better than Spoon . These longstanding kings of the underground are often considered one of the most underrated bands in indie rock, but those  of us who love them prefer to think of them as simply a great band.

Last year they released their 10th album Lucifer On The Sofa , a particularly strong example of Britt Daniel's songwriting prowess and the band's energised take on straight up rock'n'roll.

They also recently reissued all their other albums, so there's never been a better time to go back and dig into some of the classics. Might I recommend 2002's Kill The Moonlight ?

To have two of these brilliant rock bands in the country as part of the one show is also too exciting to bear. It's over six months til they land, but that just gives us plenty of time to bliss out to those brilliant records and get prepared for what will be a very special night.

Sydney singer-songwriter Indigo Sparke will open all shows. Her latest album, last year's Hysteria , was produced by The National's Aaron Dessner and shows off her powerful voice and engrossing songwriting brilliantly.

Catch The War On Drugs, Spoon and Indigo Sparke playing the following shows, supported by Double J. Tickets are on sale now.

Monday 4 December – Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney [SOLD OUT]

Tuesday 5 December – Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney

Thursday 7 December – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne

Saturday 9 December – Brisbane Riverstage

Monday 11 December – Kings Park And Botanic Gardens, Perth

The 50 best albums of 2021

The War On Drugs – I Don't Live Here Anymore

The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding

The War On Drugs continue to channel classic rock in the finest fashion

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The War On Drugs

Sidney Myer Music Bowl , King's Domain, Linlithgow Avenue, Melbourne CBD, Melbourne

• Thu 7 Dec 2023, 5:30pm

Restrictions

• Live Nation

With special guests Spoon plus Indigo Sparke, The War On Drugs will play Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl, December 7 in support of I Don't Live Here Anymore, praised by GQ as "the band's clearest, most vibrant and upbeat."

Led by Adam Granduciel, the GRAMMY Award winning band has steadily emerged as one of this century’s great rock and roll synthesists, removing the gaps between the underground and the mainstream, between the obtuse and the anthemic, making records that wrestle a fractured past into a unified and engrossing present. The New Yorker called them “the best American ‘rock’ band of this decade” in support of 2017’s A Deeper Understanding while Stereogum hailed The War On Drugs as “one of the greatest American bands of their generation” following the release of I Don’t Live Here Anymore. It landed on numerous 2021 best albums of the year lists and garnered a second GRAMMY Award nomination (Best Rock Song) and BRIT Award nomination.

Throughout their career, The War On Drugs has steadily evolved into one of rock’s most compelling live acts. “It’s hard to imagine a musical experience that’s more enveloping and uplifting” (Consequence).

Joining The War On Drugs will be one of rock's most acclaimed acts, Spoon. Austin’s most esteemed rock ambassadors have released ten albums to date, including a string of five straight top 10 records: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007), Transference (2010), They Want My Soul (2014), Hot Thoughts (2017), and Lucifer on the Sofa (2022). Hailed by TIME as “one of the greatest American rock bands”, Spoon topped Metacritic’s chart as the single most critically acclaimed band of the aughts.

Last here in 2017, Spoon will tour Australia for the first time since the release of their Grammy nominated tenth album ‘Lucifer On The Sofa’. More than two decades into their career, Spoon returned with this loud, low-down, melodious rock record which The Guardian called ‘timeless perfection’ and Rolling Stone said, ‘might be Spoon’s best record ever’.

Opening for the show will be Australian singer-songwriter Indigo Sparke.

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The war on drugs announce 2023 australian tour with spoon.

American indie-rockers The War On Drugs will be heading down under for the first time in five years.

To cap off the year, The War On Drugs will be gracing Australian stages for the first time since 2018.

They’ll be starting out in Sydney before making their way through Melbourne and Brisbane and then flying out to Perth for a big finish at Kings Park.

The War On Drugs 2023 Australia Tour

• Dec 4 – Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney
• Dec 7 – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
• Dec 9 – Riverstage, Brisbane
• Dec 11 – Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Perth

Read all the latest product & music industry news  here.

On their Aussie tour, The War on Drugs will be joined by the Texas experimental rock group  Spoon  as well as the rising Sydney folk-rock star  Indigo Sparke .

Spoon rose to fame in the mid-2000s with two breakout albums, Girls Can Tell and Kill The Moonlight.

The group is best known for their alternative, art-rock sound as well as their hit single The Way We Get By which was featured in Stranger Than Fiction, The O.C. and Shameless.

The War On Drugs will be touring in support of their most recent album, I Don’t Live Here Anymore. Released in 2021, the album featured the singles Living Proof, Change and Harmonia’s Dream, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.

The Philadelphia-based seven-piece has been around since 2005. Beloved for their unique fusion of indie rock, Americana and psychedelia, the band has released five studio albums.

They are fronted by the enigmatic musician and songwriter Adam Granduciel, who has also worked closely with Kurt Vile, Sharon Van Etten and Sore Eros.

The band is expected to bring a lively and moving performance to Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl when they touch down on December 7.

Tickets to see The War On Drugs with Spoon and Indigo Sparke will go on sale on May 26. To get yours, head  here .

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THE WAR ON DRUGS Announce 2023 Australian Tour

With support from spoon * first sydney show sold out - second date added*.

29 July 2023 The Rockpit

Live Nation & Mellen Events are are thrilled to announce the return of   The War On Drugs   to Australia and New Zealand for the first time since 2018. With special guests   Spoon , plus   Indigo Sparke , the band will tour the region in December 2023 in support of I Don’t Live Here Anymore, praised by GQ as “the band’s clearest, most vibrant, and upbeat.”

Throughout the tour, The War On Drugs will play some of Australia and New Zealand’s finest venues, including Wellington’s Anderson Park, Auckland’s Spark Arena, the Forecourt of the iconic Sydney Opera House, Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Brisbane’s Riverstage, and   Perth’s stunning Kings Park and Botanic Garden .

Led by Adam Granduciel, the GRAMMY-Award winning band has steadily emerged as one of this century’s great rock and roll synthesists, removing the gaps between the underground and the mainstream, between the obtuse and the anthemic, making records that wrestle a fractured past into a unified and engrossing present. The New Yorker called them   “the best American ‘rock’ band of this decade”   in support of 2017’s A Deeper Understanding while Stereogum hailed The War On Drugs as “one of the greatest American bands of their generation” following the release of I Don’t Live Here Anymore. It landed on numerous 2021 best albums of the year lists and garnered a second GRAMMY Award nomination (Best Rock Song) and BRIT Award nomination.

Joining   The War On   Drugs   for the tour will be one of rock’s most acclaimed acts,   Spoon . Austin’s most esteemed rock ambassadors have released ten albums to date, including a string of five straight top 10 records: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007), Transference (2010), They Want My Soul (2014), Hot Thoughts (2017), and Lucifer on the Sofa (2022). Hailed by TIME as “one of the greatest American rock bands”, Spoon topped Metacritic’s chart as the single most critically acclaimed band of the aughts.

The War On Drugs & Spoon 2023 Tour Dates

Mon 4 Dec – Sydney Opera House Forecourt * sold out Tue 5 Dec – Sydney Opera House Forecourt * new show Thu 7 Dec – Sidney Myer Music Bowl (Melbourne) Sat 9 Dec – The Riverstage (Brisbane) Mon 11 Dec – Kings Park and Botanic Garden (Perth)

Get your tickets HERE

Related Articles

LIVE PHOTOS: The War on Drugs with special guests Spoon

The War On Drugs closed their Australian & New Zealand tour with a sold out show at Kings Park, Perth. With special guests Spoon, plus Indigo Sparke, the band played in support of latest release […]

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THE WAR ON DRUGS

Australian tour november 2012.

Philadelphia’s The War on Drugs’ show at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club this November is now sold out. The band will also play Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory , as well as Harvest Festival . Tickets to these shows are still available.

Last year the band released their second album Slave Ambient – the follow-up to their 2008 debut Wagonwheel Blues – to great critical acclaim. After the departure of former member Kurt Vile, Slave Ambient saw the band back brandishing their signature brand of rock’n’roll, folk, blues and everything in between.

Recorded over the past four years at frontman Adam Granduciel’s Philadelphia studio, Jeff Ziegler’s Uniform Recording and Echo Mountain in Asheville, NC, the album’s sound is an amalgamation of everything intrinsically American – instantly evoking the sounds of Springsteen and Dylan – whilst skewing it with unexpected synths and the “warped extravagance of 80’s pop” . As one of the most exciting rock’n’roll bands to emerge in recent years, ‘ Slave Ambient’ is full of songs that feel both refreshingly new and instantly identifiable; crafting “mile-high rock anthems” that give credence to their folk rock forbearers whilst injecting new life into the seminal masterpieces from which they borrow.

Opening for Philadelphia rock’n’roll four piece The War On Drugs in Sydney will be Good Heavens , a new band uniting singer and guitarist Sarah Kelly, formerly of theredsunband, along with exWolfmother members, keyboard/bass player Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett. The result is a synthesis of ethereal dream-pop combined with the brute force of acid rock, with influences spanning from The Beatles to The Black Angels. The War On Drugs support for the sold out Melbourne show comes from local post-punk trio Terrible Truths .

Presented by 3RRR and FBi Radio.

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The War On Drugs 2023 Australian Tour Setlists

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Adam Granduciel and his comrades in The War On Drugs are back for their first tour of Australia since 2018 . The American band released its fifth studio album, I Don’t Live Here Anymore , in 2021. They’re joined on the Australian tour by Texas indie rock band Spoon , who haven’t been here since 2017, and Australian singer-songwriter Indigo Sparke .

The tour begins with two dates at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt, followed by performances at major outdoor venues in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. It’ll bring a close to two years of hard graft for The War On Drugs, who’ve conducted extensive tours of the USA, UK, Canada, Mexico and Europe since the release of I Don’t Live Here Anymore . Find all the tour setlists below.

The War On Drugs – ‘Red Eyes’

Riverstage, brisbane.

Saturday, 9th December

An Ocean in Between the Waves

I Don’t Wanna Wait

Strangest Thing

Harmonia’s Dream

Living Proof

Eyes to the Wind

Play It All Night Long (Warren Zevon cover)

Under the Pressure

I Don’t Live Here Anymore

Occasional Rain

Lost in the Dream

Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne

Thursday, 7th December

Sydney Opera House Forecourt

Tuesday, 5th December

Monday, 4th December

Arms Like Boulders

The War On Drugs 2023 Australian Tour

w/ Spoon & Indigo Sparke

Monday, 4th December – Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney NSW

Tuesday, 5th December – Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney NSW

Thursday, 7th December – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne VIC

Saturday, 9th December – Riverstage, Brisbane QLD

Monday, 11th December – Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Perth WA

Tickets on sale now

Further Reading

The War on Drugs Announce 2023 Australian Tour with Special Guests Spoon

Foo Fighters 2023 Australian Tour Setlists

The Wiggles Announce the First Vinyl Release of Their 1994 Album ‘Yummy Yummy’

The post The War On Drugs 2023 Australian Tour Setlists appeared first on Music Feeds .

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Just Like Heaven

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Marlay Park

Mountford Hall

Royal Albert Hall

Cactusfestival

De Oosterpoort

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The War On Drugs are an American Indie rock band, who formed in 2005. They originate from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

The War on Drugs was formed by musicians Kurt Vile and Adam Granduciel after they had both moved from Oakland and back to Philadelphia. Both had similar interests and had especially connected through their appreciation of Bob Dylan. This led to the two, recording, writing and even performing together. Through this instant connection and chemistry, The War on Drugs was born.

Early in the career of the band they had many accompanying musicians but none were official members, Vile and Granduciel then decided to settle official members of the band. These members included: Charlie Hall as the Drummer/Organist, Kyle Lloyd as drummer and Dave Hartley would be the bass player of the band.

In 2008 The War On Drugs gave away their EP 'Barrel of Batteries' for free.

After the release of their debut album 'Wagonwheel Blues' and the European tour which followed,founding member of the band Kurt Vile, had decided to leave so that he could focus on his solo projects. Following Vile leaving other members followed suit, those being: Charlie Hall and Kyle Lloyd by 2008.

Following the departure of key members, the band in 2008 now consisted of members: Adam Granducial, David Hall and Mike Zhangi (who would leave in 2010). By 2012 the bands lineup consisted of: Adam Granducial, Patrick Berkery, Robbie Bennett and David Hall.

2011 saw the release of The War On Drugs second album 'Slave Ambient' this generated widespread critical acclaim as it managed to receive 7 out of 10 from 'Spin', 'BBC Music' gave it a favourable rating and it received an A- grade from 'The A.V. Club'.

As of 2014 the current members of the band are: Adam Granducial on vocals, Dave Hartley on bass guitar, Robbie Bennett on keyboards and Charlie Hall on drum.

Live reviews

Grace is a highly underrated quality for a rock band to possess. When compared to other, more universal assets like rawness, volume and ability it might seem a little forgettable, but a band playing to the absolute best of their ability and making it look as natural as breathing can be the genesis of some truly unforgettable moments of live music. Not one band that I’ve seen sums this sight up as well as Philadelphia indie rockers The War on Drugs, and when it comes to their sold out show at the Koko, Camden’s most ornate venue, most traditional phrases describing a well played gig seem too violent to sum it up. They didn’t “smash it”, they didn’t “blow the roof off”, they didn’t “destroy the place”, they were far better than that. Make no mistake, Adam Granduciel and co played up a storm, their psychedelia inflected country-rock filling every inch of this beautiful venue but the atmosphere was unlike any gig I’ve been to in a very long time. The crowd lost themselves in the music in a way that didn’t lead to mindless moshing and crowd-surfing, the 1400 people were enraptured, moved by the music, not to the music. It was an experience as beautiful as it was exciting and anyone with a passing interest in this life affirming lunacy we call Rock and Roll should seek it out as soon as possible.

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Possibly the best gig I've ever had the pleasure of witnessing live. The guitars, the bass, the drums, the saxophone, the lights, the overall setting and the 'psychedelic' lightshow combining it all together adds to an unforgettable evening.

Not only that, but this ground-breaking indie-rock deliverer also played around two hours, non-stop, building up until the last two epic songs.

Let's talk about one of those: I was literally petrified during their performance of the soothing song Thinking Of A Place. Adam Granduciel gripped me with his euphony, all mixed with the bands grand performance and overall constant change yet stability. Every little tune that changes the song, hits you like a lovearrow, yet delivers a whole range of different emotional effects, ranging from excitement to love, from pain to deep pleasure and from melancholia to confidence.

If you ever get the chance, don't miss out on these boys, they're here to save our music industry.

Last night was mind blowing! Adam is absolutely brilliant as both a guitarist and a songwriter. The lyrics are raw, brutally honest emotion, intimately romantic storytelling at it's best. You're pushed further into the abyss with Adams face melting guitar strokes, and phenomenal drum beats. Yes, they played 'Lost in the Dream' (which I know every note), but it was enhanced with such refinement and nuance that I left the concert with a crush on both Adam AND the band, feeling utter joy and contentment. They are so tightly woven together you feel as if each note is planned and featured. Between music and lyrics, they evoke every emotion within you. Dylanesque voice, Jimmy Page/Eric Clapton guitar skills, charismatic stage presence. SEE THEM.

I'm not sure I've seen such an exquisite level of professionalism in a band. Either way, their music is transporting, well, painfully obvious considering their new album, to a dream. Words can't make The War on Drugs justice. Granduciel's guitar game is magnificent and mind blowing. What was fascinating to me is that on the morning of the day of the show I woke up literally lost in the sweetest dream. I am not kidding, it was such a curious day, I'll never forget it. How hypnotizing their music had been when I realized I was the last one clapping when people had already started to leave. I left the show drugged out, with the amplifiers ringing in my head for hours afterwards.

Massey Hall Sat.night I went to show and really enjoyed it. He is a good singer and great guitarist. He played several hits and a cover song as well. These guys are seasoned performers and the audience were clapping and enjoying the show. I miss guitar being part of the music scene so the 6 member band, filled that void for me.

Great show and would recommend fans to see.

I saw future islands here recently here, from the moment they hit the stage the audience gave them a standing ovation and sang cheered and clapped the whole show. I was amazed at how the audience showed there love for this band...another must see band. They played hit after hit.

A pleasant evening with nice music but nothing new that we older attendees hadn't seen before. Except maybe the use of a bass clarinet which was fun. They always sound great. Overall I thought there was too little space in the music especially when three keyboards were used

The set started modestly with three very similar songs but the band moved up a notch thereafter and by the end of the main set I was ready for more. They didn't take much encouragement to return to the stage for more and I'm pleased they did as this was their best music

It will be interesting to see where they go from here

Awesome night!

The band has been playing over 2 hours most part (if not all) of their last work "Lost in the dream" and some other songs.

All along they have been spreading feelings and emotions to the audience through their music. Playing intense, playing right, playing long, playing good.

I discovered the Live Music Hall for the occasion, and it was probably the best choice given the audience of such a band; it was large enough, a lot of people was in but it was not overly crowded, with 4 bars and an open air patio.

Probably the best concert I have been to so far this year.

I already enjoy the War on Drugs recorded music, but the live show is another level again. Went with three mates to the show in Central Melbourne and we all felt we had witnessed something special. It was the best concert in years (and we go to a LOT).

They must play together all the time because they're tighter than a bank vault yet the passion and the freshness shine through. One gets the sense that the War on Drugs are arriving, that a breakthrough is imminent.

If you get the chance to hear them live, don't miss the War on Drugs. Memorable.

Adam Granduciel and The War on Drugs put on a driving,well-tuned (a new guitar ever song) that has the audience moving for the first 70 minutes before breaking into the softer ballads. Kudos to the guy singing along with the band, standing next to me - he's spent some time on Genius. The lighting seemed to be predominantly from the back and the sides so there were few good videos to be recorded, however, you don't want to miss his guitar solos or interactions with the saxophone player. Nothing like that since Bruce & Clarence...

A really really good show. They are pretty flawless live. We saw Kurt Vile (a former member of The War on Drugs) last year and he has such a terrible stage presence that we actually walked out of the show (something I’ve never done before) so I was a little worried this would be a similar show but they proved within the first minute that it was not. So so good, go see them if you like to watch incredible musicians play.

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Past concerts

One Big Holiday

Bandland 2023

The Theatre at MediaCorp

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The War on Drugs tour dates and tickets 2024-2025 near you

Want to see The War on Drugs in concert? Find information on all of The War on Drugs’s upcoming concerts, tour dates and ticket information for 2024-2025.

The War on Drugs is not due to play near your location currently - but they are scheduled to play 32 concerts across 9 countries in 2024-2025. View all concerts.

Next 3 concerts:

• Pasadena, CA, US
• Belfast, UK
• Rathfarnham, Ireland

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• The War on Drugs (859)
• Alina Baraz (860)

Concerts played in 2024:

Touring history

Most played:

• Philadelphia (37)
• New York (NYC) (35)
• Los Angeles (LA) (21)
• Chicago (21)
• London (19)

Appears most with:

• Destroyer (30)
• Father John Misty (30)
• St. Vincent (23)
• Sharon Van Etten (19)
• Lo Moon (19)

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The War on Drugs Concert Setlists & Tour Dates

North american tour 2023 tour, the war on drugs, upcoming shows.

• Date and Venue Doors Scheduled
• May 18 2024 Just Like Heaven 2024 Pasadena, CA, USA Add time Add time Add times
• Jul 12 2024 Royal Albert Hall London, England  –  Find tickets Add time Tickets Add time Add times
• Jul 14 2024 Cactus Festival 2024 Bruges, Belgium Doors 11:00 AM  –  Scheduled: 11:00 PM 11:00 AM 11:00 PM
• Sep 22 2024 Bourbon & Beyond 2024 Louisville, KY, USA Add time Add time Add times
• Oct 03 2024 Moda Center Portland, OR, USA  –  Find tickets Add time Tickets Add time Add times

The War on Drugs at One Big Holiday 2024

• An Ocean in Between the Waves
• Strangest Thing
• Comin' Through
• Eyes to the Wind
• Against the Wind
• Play It All Night Long
• Under the Pressure
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The War on Drugs at Bandland 2023

• I Don't Wanna Wait
• Harmonia's Dream
• Living Proof
• I Don't Live Here Anymore

The War on Drugs at Theatre at Mediacorp, Singapore, Singapore

The war on drugs at kings park and botanic garden, perth, australia, the war on drugs at riverstage, brisbane, australia, the war on drugs at sidney myer music bowl, melbourne, australia, the war on drugs at forecourt, sydney opera house, sydney, australia.

• Arms Like Boulders
• Occasional Rain

The War on Drugs at Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand

The war on drugs at anderson park, wellington, new zealand.

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Most played songs

• Red Eyes ( 404 )
• Under the Pressure ( 403 )
• An Ocean in Between the Waves ( 359 )
• Eyes to the Wind ( 320 )
• Pain ( 268 )

More The War on Drugs statistics

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

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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

5,865 people have seen The War on Drugs live.

Patcbuckley Rhmodica Sergelist smillet15 jen4theworld Mclunch abrass89 waswas68 Jsteging lukegrant JasonOlen5543 Alphameg GuillermoEstev robb fjc5150 sillyboob newbobby Pete2186 chrislaney DC1972 jbernal00 jimmye MarryTheNight91 cgart2 AceCool obie1 Cptlaws brich013 nburch4ou Kclaney7 unravelled ixfit CheefKief eswartz Shanman AnshumanC festarp Champbox franstam bmonroe145 PalazziGabe antct1 glassonion_ dougi555 AtticusAtlas cwdickie789 lewisking vpd1985 Nathanhoi MattOK

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Tour Update

Marquee memories: the dandy warhols.

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Touré drake started battle, kendrick will win war ... gonna be tragic.

Drake will be licking his wounds and bowing to King Kendrick Lamar ... a shameful sight Touré says will become Drake's reality after their rap battle is all said and done.

The tenured music and cultural critic hopped on "TMZ Live" on Thursday and pinpointed what he feels are dings in Drake's armor ... mainly his comeback response, which Touré isn't all that impressed with.

Drake has been owning up to his "Push Ups (Drop & Give Me Fifty)" track ... using the lyrics to tease both Metro Boomin and Kendrick's manager on social media ... but Touré feels sneaky tactics pale in comparison to the points K. Dot has already put on the board.

Remember, Kendrick's feature on Future and Metro's "Like That" record has been No. 1 on the Hot 100 for 3 straight weeks now and Touré is daring any DJ to try and drop "Push Ups" in the club ... he says the song will bomb!!!

Touré says Kendrick and everyone else is well within their rights to fire back at Drake after years of sneak disses ... and he's strongly against giving Drake a handicap for not showing signs of obliteration.

It's an interesting viewpoint ... especially since Drake claimed it was Kendrick who gets the benefit of the doubt over him.

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At any rate, Touré's convinced a Kendrick nuke is coming. His backers are speaking similar code.

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