Well you used a band that has opened for a lot of big tours and is relatively new to compare to a band that’s been around 13+ years who is headlining. That’s not an apt comparison.
My point still stands. As someone said, another example is Hot Mulligan. That band has been touring non stop for years and only playing bigger and bigger venues.
Hot Mulligan is a much better comparison though they’ve just exploded the last 4 years and tend to have much more stacked support. I think Citizen has just stagnated in popularity which is totally fine. This tour is the largest venues they’ve ever tried to headline and I think without support that draws well, it was an uphill battle. I feel like Citizens popularity actually peaked before Covid and has been pretty much the same for years or slowly declining so these venues were a surprise to begin with.
I’d also add that this could also be due to the economy and people having to choose between shows. Tickets for this tour were like $50-$60 which is a big ask for fans when you’ve toured a lot previously. Like I entertained going to this tour for Citizen/Anxious, but chose Brian Fallon in a small venue, Menz/HWM is stacked/cheaper, and Saosin/Band of Horses anniversary shows. The older people get, the more selective they get with shows. It often takes a special lineup or anniversary to draw well.
I mean I'll be real I don't really know the other two bands on the Citizen bill. But for me it'll be my first time seeing them, plus Anxious also made it worth it for me. But I totally understand everyone else's points. Like me just now getting around to seeing Citizen is 100% a me thing, and I'm sure if I was in the camp of people who have seen them 5+ times it's more likely I would be weighing going at all, comparing for something else. For me I think the upcoming Movements tour fits more into what we've been talking about. Love the band, but I've seen them 3-4 times already and tickets are spendy this go around to me at least. And aside from Balance and Composure I don't really know any other band on the bill.
what are they supposed to do? their music does absolutely nothing to warrant excitement or movement of any sort to begin with lol. maybe they could sway a bit on stage???
Anxious are doing a headline off date from the tour in SC with some local hardcore bands. I really want to go. We will see.
Rocket isn’t to be slept on either. One of my favorite newer bands out there rn Cryogeyser is pretty solid too
I don’t think anyone is sleeping on that lineup, but none of those bands is going to bring out a ton of people. It’s much different compared to the stacked lineups Hot Mulligan or TWY consistently bring out. It’s cool and a great thing for smaller bands to get opening slots, but that unfortunately doesn’t equal ticket sales if the headliner isn’t super hot/tours all of the time.
Anxious has had a pretty good trajectory, especially after the release of the new record. You underestimate them.
Don’t get me wrong I’m a big fan of Anxious. That being said, the crowd was very mild for them during the Hot Mulligan tour last fall and the headliner they did last spring couldn’t even sell out a 300 cap room here. They are a great young band, but are not the kind of support that’ll bring out a ton of their own fans yet.
Citizen also hasn’t gone too heavy on the anniversary tour route, which means they aren’t a pure nostalgia play like other bands their age. It’s ultimately a good thing because the tour is stacked and their new records keep hitting, but it is hard to only rely on a real-time fanbase versus people who only pull up for anniversary shows
That is what we have been conditioned to do: rely on anniversary tours. “They have a new record out! They also announced a tour for it!” Meh “Next year is the tenth anniversary of their first album” YAY!!! Nostalgia is a hell of a thing.
That’s definitely the truth. Unless you’re doing a coheadliner with a band your fanbase crosses over with or an anniversary tour, it’s hard to get fans excited nowadays. I also think whoever booked this tour was just incredibly ambitious. The last two times they headlined here they did a 600 cap venue. The only time they’ve played a bigger venue than that they did a 750 cap venue on the coheadliner with Knucklepuck. This tour was originally slated to be at the same venue they played when they opened for TBS which is 1500 cap. Maybe they expected that TBS tour to draw them new fans, but that’s obviously not the case.
The last time I recall them playing 1000+ venues in this area was when they did those Youth 10-year shows. They sold out the Wiltern and the Anaheim House Of Blues back-to-back. But the only reasons why they pulled that off is because of nostalgia and the fact they were the only west coast dates of that run
in flames direct, fit for an autopsy and orbit culture splitting, frozen soul opening TRIVIUM: CROWN IN THE GRAVE WORLD TOUR Fri, Dec 4, 2026 @ YouTube Theater, Inglewood, CA
Whoops, I think my brain filled in co-headlining for some reason. I'm good with that though, would much rather a longer Trivium set if this does come to the PNW. And also would really love if it does come my way we get FFAA. Orbit Culture just doesn't do it for me. And I have tried both on record and live.
Same, but not sure what venue could host that. YouTube Theater is like 3k-6k, so maybe War Memorial on the lower end or the Hard Rock Live at the casino on the high end.