Gorillaz To Play Concert In Phoenix

PHOENIX, AZ —The band Gorillaz —part musical act, part animated spectacle — announced details of their 21-date North American tour on Monday, and Phoenix will be one of the stops.

The band will play Footprint Center at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 26 with Earthgang as the opening act. Tickets go on general sale via Ticketmaster at 10 a.m. MST on Friday, though presales will take place on Thursday.

This will be the band's first tour of the U.S. since 2018. The concert is expected to feature lead singer and co-creator Damon Albarn —who also fronts the British band Blur —along with a 14-piece live band and a diverse cast of guest performers, according to press materials.

Though Gorillaz music always was real, the band once was portrayed exclusively by animated characters created by illustrator and co-creator Jamie Hewlett.

These days, the band does appear on stage, though fictional cartoon members 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs also feature prominently in the show via video screens.

Last month, Albarn appeared on stage with Billie Eilish at Coachella performing the Gorillaz hit "Feel Good Inc."

Currently, on tour in South America, Gorillaz recently debuted their new song "Cracker Island," featuring singer Thundercat, during a show in Uruguay, according to Stereogum.

The band's last album was 2020's"Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez." However, a new Gorillaz album called "That Static Channel" is rumored to be on the way, according to Miami New Times.

The North American tour is scheduled to kick off on Sept. 11 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and end on Oct. 23 in Miami. The tour features the following dates:

9/11 — Vancouver, BC, Rogers Arena
9/12 — Seattle, WA, Climate Pledge Arena
9/14 —Portland, OR, Moda Center
9/17 —Las Vegas, NV, Life is Beautiful Festival
9/19 —Salt Lake City, UT, Vivint Smart Home Arena
9/21 — San Francisco, CA, Chase Center
9/23 — Los Angeles, CA, Kia Forum
9/26—Phoenix, AZ, Footprint Center
9/28 —Denver, CO, Ball Arena
9/30 — Austin, TX, Moody Center
10/01 —Irving, TX, The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
10/03 — Chicago, IL, United Center
10/05 — Detroit, MI, Little Caesars Arena
10/06 — Toronto, ON, Scotiabank Arena
10/08 — Montreal, QC, Bell Centre
10/11 —Boston, MA, TD Garden
10/12 —Brooklyn, NY, Barclays Center
10/14— Philadelphia, PA, he Met Philadelphia
10/17 — Columbia, MD, Merriweather Post Pavilion
10/19 — Alpharetta, GA, Ameris Bank Amphitheater
10/21 — Orlando, FL, Amway Center
10/23 — Miami, FL, FTX Arena