Did Black Keys Cancel Arena Tour Over Low Ticket Sales?

The Black Keys drew criticism from some fans after canceling their American arena tour without notice.

Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney had made no announcement when ticket outlets withdrew ads and posted call-off notices for the duo’s International Players tour.

Upset followers accused the band of having set unrealistic prices, with tickets costing between $100 and $300 – and of having been unrealistic in attempting to play at arena-sized venues in the first place.

On fan said: “[M]ost markets were $100+ just to get in the building… Whoever thought booking this band in arenas in 2024 should be fired.” He provided a seating chart for one location that appeared to show very few tickets had been purchased.

Consequence noted: “[W]hile The Black Keys have toured arenas in the past, Ohio Players was by far the band’s least successful commercial release in nearly two decades. Upon its release in April, the album debuted at No. 26 on the Billboard 200. For comparison, their previous album, 2022’s Dropout Boogie, opened at No. 8.”

Yesterday (May 26) the Black Keys said in a statement: “Following the recent run of shows in the UK and 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.

“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.”

For comparison, the capacity of the CFG Bank Arena, Baltimore – the example provided by the fan – is 14,000; while the capacity of London’s Brixton Academy is 4,921 and the Zenith in Paris is 6,804.