Destiny is calling me
Rock band The Killers surprise fans with Austin show ahead of F1 race
The Killers are coming to Austin on October 18.
Coming out of our cage and we are absolutely not doing just fine at the news that iconic 2000s rock band The Killers has tossed a new show onto their schedule, to appease "victims" who can't — or just won't — shell out $600-plus to see the much anticipated F1 show.
Emo's, a local venue known for securing bigger acts in a surprisingly small space, announced today that the band known for hits like "Mr. Brightside" and "Somebody Told Me," will be playing a surprise show on October 18 at 8 pm.
Fans have been agonizing — in solidarity with Queen and Adam Lambert fans — about getting tickets, but they don't come cheap. The Formula 1 performance is only accessible as an add-on to people who already have race tickets, which start at $500. Billboards have been teasing the performances for months, but Austinites have been kept at more than arm's length.
The Las Vegas band became famous in the early 2000s for its upbeat, semi-edgy indie glam rock — something that comes back decade after decade, and that The Killers came to embody in that time. Frontman Brandon Flowers, a sweet, soft-spoken Mormon was an unusual suspect for a band that teased bisexuality and every other piece of sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
Since then, the band has had a long run with the founding members mostly intact; guitarist Dave Keuning departed in 2021 to work on another project, but bassist Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. are still onboard. The band released the extremely New Wave-styled single "Your Side of Town" in August, following the 2022 album Pressure Machine. Keuning sat in on the recordings, while Mark Stoermer stayed away due to the pandemic. Regardless of all the shuffling, the amorphous band appears to be on good terms.
Most exciting of all, this venue only holds an audience of about 1,500, so it is a rare chance to see the glam rock revivalists up close and personal. This does mean, though, that tickets will be in very short supply.
Tickets will go on artist pre-sale on October 17 at 10 am via Live Nation. The general pre-sale the day of the show at 10 am.
