Any students with wistful summer memories of growing up in the aughts should be aware that Arctic Monkeys will soon be bursting onto the stage at The Anthem. They will be accompanied by Mini Mansions, a Los Angeles rock band, which includes Queens of the Stone Age’s bassist Michael Shuman. The band that has been declared rock and roll’s savior many times over will kick off the tour in Queens before wrapping up the east coast leg of its tour here in D.C. on July 28 and 29.
Coming in from the wilderness - again - after a controversial fifth album, the Arctic Monkeys will showcase their latest studio album, “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.” If the tour thus far is any indicator, their performance will be peppered with the surprising number of hits they’ve produced over the years, including “Do I Wanna Know,” “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High,” and “Fluorescent Adolescent,” any of which can transport you back to the rebellious Sheffield upbringing you forgot you had.
The three-time Grammy nominated band seems to have a reserved spot on the U.K. charts, but their presence in the U.S. has diminished since 2006, when their debut album was inescapable. They’ve spent that time experimenting and reinventing themselves with several hiatuses and some polarizing albums. All the while, they never lost their critical acclaim. Now the band is returning to the spotlight by focusing on their dapper frontman, Alex Turner, who is nothing if not a crowd-pleaser. Musicians Matt Helders, Jamie Cook, and Nick O’Malley will remain prominent despite the band’s Turner-centric turn.
The tour will conclude at the Voodoo Experience, where they will headline alongside Childish Gambino and Mumford and Sons. Their July 28 performance is sold out and limited tickets for the second performance are available here. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 8 p.m. shows.
