From their inception in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1986, The Afghan Whigs have never played by the rules of convention. Against the plaid-and-grunge-shaded backdrop of the early-to-mid-‘90s, the Whigs stood apart from their contemporaries by virtue of attiring in suits and being way more likely to slide up on a Marvin Gaye groove than rehash a Black Sabbath riff.
Originally splitting in 2001, the band subsequently reunited for a massively successful 2012 reunion tour that found them headlining major festivals all over the globe and selling out prestigious venues throughout the U.S., Europe, and Southern Hemisphere. Since then, they have not only added to their touring legacy they have released three critically acclaimed albums in the 21st century: Do to the Beast (2014), In Spades (2017) and How Do You Burn? (2022).
2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the band, who will celebrate the occasion with a twenty-date headline tour in North America. Mercury Rev will support on all dates.
The tour kicks off in Woodstock, NY at the Bearsville Theater on April 25th and concludes at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown, CA on May 24th. Tickets for all shows will go on sale this Friday January 23rd. Visit https://linktr.ee/theafghanwhigs for more information.
Band co-founder Greg Dulli had this to say about the band’s anniversary, “40 years later, I still get to do the thing I love the most. Writing songs and performing them with my friends all over the world. I truly have to pinch myself.”
Since forming in 1989 in Buffalo, New York, Mercury Rev has made a career of boldly exploring the fringes of artistic perception, channeling colors and sounds and visions that always seem just beyond our mortal reach. The Guardian hailed the group as “a rarity in indie rock: a band who have continually evolved their sound, pushing at the boundaries of what rock music actually means over 25 years, borrowing from jazz, funk, doo-wop, techno, folk and more along the way,” while Rolling Stone praised their “majestic chaos,” and the BBC lauded their “shimmering psychedelic pop, immersive indie-rock, [and] spectacularly engrossing passages of sumptuous instrumentation.”
In 2026, Mercury Rev will be on tour globally celebrating 25 years of their album “All Is Dream.” Along with the tour Mercury Rev released a special double vinyl edition of “All is Dream” on January 16th, via Cherry Red Records. The reissue includes a second LP of b-sides, out-takes, and rarities. Upon release in 2001, the Austin Chronicle wrote, “Mercury Rev has not only matched the Herculean effort of ‘Deserter’s Songs,’ they’ve surpassed it.” Q magazine listed ‘All Is Dream’ as one of the best 50 albums of 2001, with Uncut listing it in their Top 10 and Mojo in their Top 15 of that year.
The Afghan Whigs recently released two brand new singles in December via Royal Cream/BMG, both covers, yet tailor-made for classic Whigs treatment. “Fake Like,” originally recorded by Minneapolis-based indie band Poliça and “Downtown,” originally by UK-based band Still Corners, both showcase Dulli’s vocal strength and dramatic leanings and find the band in fine form: anthemic, and pushing the boundaries of their own sound.
The Afghan Whigs are planning to release a new record in 2026. More announcements about that to follow shortly.
The Afghan Whigs & Mercury Rev Tour Dates:
April 25 – Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theater
April 27 – Boston, MA – Royale
April 28 – Washington D.C. – 9:30 Club
April 30 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
May 1 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
May 2 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theater
May 5 – Cleveland, OH – House Of Blues
May 6 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
May 8 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom
May 9 – Chicago, IL – Metro
May 10 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
May 12 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall
May 15 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theatre
May 16 – Vancouver BC – Commodore Ballroom
May 17 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
May 19 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
May 20 – Los Angeles, CA – The Bellwether
May 22 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
May 23 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park
May 24 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriett’s