The National and The War On Drugs announce joint ‘Zen Diagram’ US tour

26 February, 2024

Adam Granduciel of The War On Drugs and Matt Berninger of The National.

The National and The War On Drugs have announced details of a joint tour across the US. Find ticket details below.

Announced today (February 26), the upcoming ‘Zen Diagram’ tour is set to kick off later this year, and will see both bands touring across the US for the first time.

The dates comprise of 19 live shows across the country, launching with an opening night at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion on September 12 and continuing the following day with a stop at Forest Hills Stadium in New York.

From there, more shows are lined up for the remainder of the month, including slots in Philadelphia (17), Chicago (24) and Madison, Wisconsin (26). The final show in September will be held at Granary Live in Salt Lake City, Utah on September 29, before both bands close out the tour with a stretch of shows across October.

These feature stops at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon (October 3), The Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California (6) and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles (7). The final date of the newly announced run of North American shows is a stop at Palacio De Los Deportes in Mexico City on October 10, and this is the only one of the dates that will not feature Lucius as a special guest.

Tickets go on sale this Friday (March 1) at 10am local time. Visit here to buy tickets and check out a full list of upcoming shows in the post below.

The news of the joint tour was shared by The National earlier today, with a post on X/Twitter (as seen above). According to a press release, the live shows are set to see both bands deliver packed sets featuring songs across their respective catalogues.

It also comes following The National’s announcing a global run across New Zealand, Australia, Europe, and the UK this year, and The War On Drugs being lined up for several UK headline performances and Europe festival dates this summer. Find tickets to The National’s UK shows here and to The War On Drugs’ UK shows here.

In other news around The National, last September Matt Berninger spoke candidly to NME about topics including his struggle with depression and his time working with Taylor Swift.

“I tried to reboot myself physically, mentally and everything. Everything burned down. My brain burned to the ashes and I had to slowly rebuild it up again somehow,” he explained, recalling what it was like to come back from a difficult period of time. “It was sobering to realise how fragile I was. Looking back, I was sick as hell. It was a whole physical thing triggered by real things and mental things. It was a total emotional and physical paralysis. I’ve learned to just respect it and respect how fragile everyone is.”

The National’s latest album ‘Laugh Track’ was shared last September and marked the band’s 10th studio album. It was given a four-star review by NME, with Thomas Smith writing: “That immediacy, reminiscent of ‘Alligator’, contributes to ‘Laugh Track’’s success… Bryan Devendorf’s drumming – thunderous, complex, cutting – is more crucial to each song: ‘Deep End (Paul’s In Pieces)’ feels instantly memorable, as does the anchoring on ‘Dreaming’.”

The War On Drugs’ latest studio album, ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’, arrived in 2021, and was given a glowing five-star review by NME.

“The War On Drugs’ frontman might cut the rock’n’roll stereotype – all flailing locks and plaid shirts–- but he’s never bought into the mythology that comes with the role,” it read. “Instead, the 42-year-old has mastered his craft with obsessive drive, figuring out life’s bumpy road by way of soul-searching Americana.

The post The National and The War On Drugs announce joint ‘Zen Diagram’ US tour appeared first on NME.