The El Camino Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock duo the Black Keys in support of their 2011 studio album, El Camino. The tour, which spanned 129 shows, began on January 23, 2012, and ended on July 13, 2013. It was the group's first tour playing arenas as a headlining act. The tour grossed $12.7 million in 2012.
Background In December 2011, the Black Keys announced a 2012 concert tour, their first playing arenas as a headlining act. The tour opened in Europe on January 23, 2012 with three weeks of shows, before visiting North America from March to May. The tour made multiple return visits to Europe and North America throughout the year, while also visiting Australasia from October through November. In total, the group played 112 shows in 2012. Among the support acts that accompanied the band were Band of Skulls, Arctic Monkeys, and Tegan and Sara. After tickets went on sale, the Black Keys' concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City sold out in 15 minutes, resulting in the addition of a second date at the venue to satisfy demand. The tour ended on July 13, 2013, after 129 shows.
Just as it did on its previous tour, the group added bassist Gus Seyffert and keyboardist/guitarist John Wood as touring musicians in order to perform songs as close to their studio arrangements as possible. Guitarist Dan Auerbach explained the decision for the expanded live band: "It wasn't about the size of the venue. It was just that we could afford to do it and our songs deserved it. We wanted to finally present the songs like we'd written them." During the middle portion of each concert, Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney played older material as a duo without the backing musicians. Many critics singled these performances out as the shows' highlights.
The concert stage used an austere setup with a lighting system and video projections designed by Karl Lemieux. The lighting comprised four banks of on-stage vintage spotlights, along with two disco balls and a lighted sign bearing the band's name that were lowered for the encores. Lemieux's video, which was projected onto a white sheet at the stage's rear, incorporated black-and-white footage of junkyards, deserts, and open highways. Carney explained that the band was aiming for a retro aesthetic, saying, "We kind of wanted to make the whole stage look like an old-school rock 'n' roll show, as much as possible. We're referencing bands in the '70s, what they were doing when they were playing arenas." Moreover, the footage was meant to pay homage to the group's origins. Auerbach said, "We wanted it to represent our music and the Midwest where we're from, the Rust Belt and open spaces. We find that stuff beautiful and uplifting."
Support acts Band of Skulls (Leg 1 & 3: Europe) Arctic Monkeys (Leg 2: North America) Tame Impala (Leg 2: Council Bluffs) Tegan and Sara (Leg 4: North America) Royal Headache (Leg 5: Australia) The Maccabees (Leg 6: Europe) Divine Fits (Leg 7: Las Vegas) The Flaming Lips (Leg 9: North America)
Set list "Howlin' for You" "Next Girl" "Run Right Back" "Same Old Thing" "Dead and Gone" "Gold on the Ceiling" "Thickfreakness" "Girl Is on My Mind" "I'll Be Your Man" "Your Touch" "Little Black Submarines" "Money Maker" "Strange Times" "Chop and Change" (North America) / "Sinister Kid" (Australasia) "Nova Baby" "Ten Cent Pistol" "Tighten Up" "Lonely Boy" Encore "Everlasting Light" "She's Long Gone" "I Got Mine" Source:
Tour dates DateCityCountryVenueLeg 1: EuropeJanuary 23, 2012AntwerpBelgiumLotto ArenaJanuary 24, 2012LilleFranceZénith de LilleJanuary 25, 2012ParisZénith de ParisJanuary 27, 2012HamburgGermanySporthalleJanuary 28, 2012BerlinArena BerlinJanuary 30, 2012MilanItalyAlcatrazJanuary 31, 2012ZürichSwitzerlandMaag HalleFebruary 1, 2012EindhovenNetherlandsKlokgebouwFebruary 3, 2012NottinghamEnglandCapital FM ArenaFebruary 4, 2012EdinburghScotlandCorn ExchangeFebruary 6, 2012ManchesterEnglandO2 ApolloFebruary 7, 2012February 9, 2012LondonAlexandra PalaceFebruary 10, 2012February 11, 2012Leg 2: North AmericaMarch 2, 2012CincinnatiUnited StatesU.S. Bank ArenaMarch 3, 2012DetroitJoe Louis ArenaMarch 4, 2012ColumbusValue City ArenaMarch 6, 2012PortlandCumberland County Civic CenterMarch 7, 2012BostonTD GardenMarch 9, 2012Washington, D.C.Verizon CenterMarch 10, 2012PhiladelphiaWells Fargo CenterMarch 12, 2012New York CityMadison Square GardenMarch 13, 2012MontrealCanadaBell CentreMarch 14, 2012TorontoAir Canada CentreMarch 16, 2012IndianapolisUnited StatesBankers Life FieldhouseMarch 18, 2012Grand RapidsVan Andel ArenaMarch 19, 2012ChicagoUnited CenterMarch 20, 2012ClevelandQuicken Loans ArenaMarch 22, 2012New York CityMadison Square GardenMarch 23, 2012NorfolkConstant Convocation CenterMarch 24, 2012CharlotteBojangles' ColiseumMarch 31, 2012New OrleansWoldenberg ParkApril 13, 2012IndioEmpire Polo ClubApril 20, 2012April 22, 2012FriscoFC Dallas StadiumApril 24, 2012The WoodlandsCynthia Woods Mitchell PavilionApril 25, 2012AustinFrank Erwin CenterApril 27, 2012St. LouisChaifetz ArenaApril 28, 2012TulsaBOK CenterApril 30, 2012Broomfield1stBank CenterMay 1, 2012May 2, 2012West Valley CityMaverik CenterMay 4, 2012OaklandOracle ArenaMay 5, 2012SacramentoPower Balance PavilionMay 7, 2012PortlandRose GardenMay 8, 2012SeattleKeyArenaMay 9, 2012VancouverCanadaRogers ArenaMay 11, 2012CalgaryScotiabank SaddledomeMay 12, 2012EdmontonRexall PlaceMay 14, 2012WinnipegMTS CentreMay 15, 2012MinneapolisUnited StatesTarget CenterMay 16, 2012MilwaukeeBradley CenterMay 18, 2012ColumbiaMerriweather Post PavilionMay 19, 2012Atlantic CityOvation HallJuly 20, 2012Dover, DelawareDover International SpeedwayJuly 21, 2012July 22, 2012July 28, 2012New York CityRandall's IslandAugust 1, 2012Council BluffsMid-America CenterAugust 3, 2012ChicagoGrant ParkAugust 4, 2012TorontoCanadaMolson Canadian AmphitheatreAugust 5, 2012MontrealParc Jean-DrapeauLeg 3: EuropeAugust 9, 2012GothenburgSwedenSlottsskogenAugust 10, 2012OsloNorwayMiddelalderparkenAugust 11, 2012HelsinkiFinlandSuvilahtiAugust 13, 2012CopenhagenDenmarkTap1August 14, 2012HanoverGermanyAWD HallAugust 15, 2012Sankt PöltenAustriaGreen ParkAugust 17, 2012BiddinghuizenNetherlandsSpijk en BremerbergAugust 18, 2012HasseltBelgiumKempische SteenwegAugust 19, 2012LeipzigGermanyStörmthaler LakeAugust 21, 2012BelfastNorthern IrelandBoucher Playing FieldsAugust 22, 2012DublinIrelandThe O2August 24, 2012LeedsEnglandBramham ParkAugust 25, 2012Paris FranceDomaine National de Saint-CloudAugust 26, 2012ReadingEnglandLittle John's FarmLeg 4: North AmericaSeptember 29, 2012New York CityUnited StatesCentral ParkOctober 1, 2012FresnoSave Mart CenterOctober 2, 2012Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara BowlOctober 4, 2012San DiegoValley View Casino CenterOctober 5, 2012Los AngelesStaples CenterOctober 6, 2012October 8, 2012AnaheimHonda CenterOctober 9, 2012PhoenixUS Airways CenterOctober 10, 2012Las CrucesPan American CenterOctober 12, 2012AustinZilker ParkOctober 14, 2012Mexico CityMexicoAutódromo Hermanos RodríguezLeg 5: Australia / New ZealandOctober 21, 2012NewcastleAustraliaNewcastle Entertainment CentreOctober 22, 2012SydneySydney Entertainment CentreOctober 23, 2012October 26, 2012BrisbaneBrisbane Entertainment CentreOctober 28, 2012JoondalupArena JoondalupOctober 30, 2012AdelaideAdelaide Entertainment CentreOctober 31, 2012MelbourneSidney Myer Music BowlNovember 1, 2012November 3, 2012AucklandNew ZealandVector ArenaNovember 5, 2012WellingtonTSB Bank ArenaLeg 6: EuropeNovember 27, 2012LisbonPortugalPavilhão AtlânticoNovember 28, 2012MadridSpainPalacio de DeportesNovember 30, 2012LyonFranceHalle Tony GarnierDecember 1, 2012TurinItalyTorino Palasport OlimpicoDecember 3, 2012AmsterdamNetherlandsZiggo DomeDecember 4, 2012MunichGermanyOlympiahalleDecember 5, 2012DüsseldorfISS DomeDecember 7, 2012NewcastleEnglandMetro Radio ArenaDecember 8, 2012GlasgowScotlandS.E.C.CDecember 9, 2012BirminghamEnglandNational Indoor ArenaDecember 11, 2012ManchesterManchester ArenaDecember 12, 2012LondonThe O2 ArenaDecember 13, 2012Leg 7: North AmericaDecember 30, 2012Las VegasUnited StatesThe JointDecember 31, 2012Leg 8: South AmericaMarch 30, 2013São PauloBrazilJockey ClubApril 2, 2013MontevideoUruguayTeatro de Verano Ramon CollazoApril 3, 2013Buenos AiresArgentinaEstadio Costanera SurApril 7, 2013SantiagoChileO'Higgins ParkLeg 9: North AmericaApril 28, 2013Kansas CityUnited StatesSprint CenterApril 30, 2013PittsburghConsol Energy CenterMay 2, 2013AtlantaAaron's Amphitheatre at LakewoodMay 3, 2013NashvilleBridgestone ArenaMay 4, 2013MemphisTom Lee ParkMay 5, 2013New OrleansFair Grounds Race CourseMay 10, 2013Napa ValleyNapa Valley ExpoMay 18, 2013IrvineVerizon Wireless AmphitheatreJuly 4, 2013OttawaCanadaLeBreton Festival ParkJuly 5, 2013LavalEspace MontmorencyJuly 6, 2013Quebec CityPlains of AbrahamJuly 8, 2013BuffaloUnited StatesBuffalo Outer HarborJuly 9, 2013HartfordComcast TheatreJuly 11, 2013RaleighTime Warner Cable Music PavilionJuly 12, 2013GreenvilleCharter AmphitheatreJuly 13, 2013LouisvilleLouisville Waterfront Park
Festivals and other miscellaneous performances
Box office data Venue City Tickets sold / Available Gross revenue Lotto ArenaAntwerp7,332 / 7,347 (99%)$273,699Capital FM ArenaNottingham7,129 / 7,129 (100%)$236,989Manchester ApolloManchester6,816 / 6,816 (100%)$226,239Alexandra PalaceLondon30,259 / 30,259 (100%)$1,105,060Verizon CenterWashington D.C.12,625 / 12,625 (100%)$616,434Air Canada CentreToronto14,887 / 14,887 (100%)$792,991Van Andel ArenaGrand Rapids8,277 / 10,859 (76%)$336,812 United CenterChicago14,386 / 14,386 (100%)$687,274Constant Convocation CenterNorfolk6,789 / 6,789 (100%)$310,786Maverik CenterSalt Lake City5,297 / 7,500 (71%)$268,984Oracle ArenaOakland12,744 / 12,744 (100%)$630,828Power Balance PavilionSacramento9,170 / 9,170 (100%)$434,275Rogers ArenaVancouver12,483 / 12,483 (100%)$647,977Scotiabank SaddledomeCalgary12,180 / 12,180 (100%)$637,145MTS CentreWinnipeg6,856 / 6,856 (100%)$356,750Bradley CenterMilwaukee7,460 / 8,000 (93%)$274,070Mid-America CenterCouncil Bluffs4,897 / 6,000 (82%)$227,711Save Mart CenterFresno4,795 / 6,500 (76%)$237,353Santa Barbara BowlSanta Barbara4,965 / 4,965 (100%)$337,109Staples CenterLos Angeles24,821 / 26,990 (92%)$1,246,127Honda CenterAnaheim10,518 / 13,228 (80%)$435,824Entertainment CentreBrisbane7,753 / 8,505 (91%)$802,857The O2 ArenaLondon28,723 / 33,898 (85%)$1,384,780The JointLas Vegas7,237 / 8,024 (90%)$993,107
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