Gorillaz have returned to the public consciousness after seven years of silence, with all sorts of power moves toward their 2017 Humanz. After announcing their first North American show in years at Festival d’été de Québec in Quebec City this summer, the group sent shockwaves through social media when they were announced as a headliner for this summer’s Outside Lands alongside The Who and Metallica. Then, they released their own mixed reality app for fans to get a glimpse inside the weird and wonderful universe of the Gorillaz with the first-ever world’s largest album release party. While additional dates have felt close, you can never be sure with the Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett-masterminded animated group.
Today, Gorillaz have officially announced a North American tour in support of Humanz. Kicking off in Chicago, IL at Northerly Island (!?!) this July, the tour will make stops in favorites venues like Merriweather Post Pavilion in Washington, DC, Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO, The Forum in Los Angeles, CA, and more through October, with previously unannounced festival appearances at Meadows Music & Arts Festival, Life Is Beautiful Music & Arts Festival in Las Vegas, and III Points Festival in Miami (lineups forthcoming). This will be their first North American tour since 2010’s promotional Plastic Beach tour.
The press release states: “As always, Gorillaz will be joined onstage by a stellar lineup of featured artists—the new album offering such possibilities as Jehnny Beth (Savages), Danny Brown, Benjamin Clementine, De La Soul, D.R.A.M., Peven Everett, Anthony Hamilton, Grace Jones, Zebra Katz, Kelela, Mavis Staples, Vince Staples, Popcaan, Pusha T, Jamie Principle and Kali Uchis, among others.”
Tickets will go on sale Friday, April 21. The album drops the following Friday, April 28.
While a North American Demon Dayz has certainly been talked about, it was not specified on today’s press release. Though, Chicago’s Northerly Island is certainly a big enough venue to hold an event of that scale. Fingers. Crossed.
Gorillaz 2017 Tour Dates:
06/10 – Margate, UK @ Demon Dayz Festival
07/08 – Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
07/10 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
07/12 – Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
07/13 – Philadelphia, PA – Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing
07/15 – Quebec City, QC @ Quebec City Summer Festival
07/17 – Colombia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
07/28-30 – Icheon, KR @ Valley Rock Music & Arts Festival
07/28-30 – Niigata, JP @ Fuji Rock Festival
08/11-13 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival
09/15-17 – New York, NY @ The Meadows Music & Arts Festival
09/18 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
09/20 – Minneapolis, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium
09/22 – Kansas City, MI @ Sprint Center
09/24 – Las Vegas, NV @ Life is Beautiful Festival
09/26 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
09/30 – Seattle, WA @ KeyArena at Seattle Center
10/05 – Los Angeles CA @ The Forum
10/11 – Atlanta, GA @ Infinite Energy Center
10/13-15 – Miami, FL @ III Points Festival
Listen to all five released tracks below: