M'Lou Elkins
The Walkmen surprised us all when on April 18, 2023, they made their first public performance in almost a decade when they performed “The Rat” from 2004’s “Bows + Arrows” on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
The New York-via-Washington D.C. alt-rockers – consisting of first cousins Hamilton Leithauser and Walter Martin, along with childhood friends Paul Maroon, Peter Bauer, and Matt Barrick – released 7 studio albums before they stopped playing shows and releasing new music in early 2014…but they insist they never broke up.
“We never meant to break up! I wish that story would catch fire,” Leithauser recently told the Washington Post.
Days after that Late Show performance, The Walkmen began their 2023 reunion tour on April 22nd at Rhode Island’s Westerly Sound, and have been on a whirlwind ride of shows ever since.
In a statement, Bauer said, “Honestly, when we decided to get back together to play these shows, we had no idea if anyone would even show up. It’s been an incredible joy seeing all these people out there, playing these shows, getting to run into old friends from all over the world.”
This brings me to tonight’s performance at the Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas, TX on October 6th.
Since opening its doors in 1950 as Bob Wills’ Ranch House, the Longhorn Ballroom’s wild 72-year-old history included hosting performances by a wide variety of acts, ranging from The Sex Pistols to Merle Haggard, and had been a destination for some of the best live music in the country. After falling on hard times and landing in bankruptcy, the cherished venue was close to demolition until it was rescued by entertainment entrepreneur Edwin Cabaniss and his team at Kessler Presents, who restored the Longhorn earlier this year. After undergoing a massive transformation, the 2,000+ capacity Dallas venue reopened on March 30, 2023 with a performance by Asleep at the Wheel. The goal of the Longhorn is to continue the venue’s tradition of all-genres programming and a look at their fall schedule shows they are doing just that.
It seems fitting that I find myself watching a band that’s newly reunited after a long absence in a venue that’s been reimagined after a long absence. Serendipity at its finest.
The air sizzled with quiet anticipation until blue lights lit the expansive stage and the Walkmen slowly appeared to wild cheers from the crowd. They immediately launched into “What’s in it for Me” off of 2004’s sophomore release, Bows + Arrows, and the once subdued audience had finally come to life.
Towards the end of their second song, “On the Water,” I felt something hit my head and camera. Stunned and confused more than hurt, and worried more about my camera lens than my head, I realized I’d been accidentally hit with frontman Hamilton Leithauser mic stand. As I was inspecting my lens, Leithauser knelt down in front of me and kindly asked if I was ok. “I think so,” I told him and after a few beats, the show continued, I realized my lens was ok, and I lived to shoot another day…plus had a fun story to tell my friends.
Die-hard fans of all ages shouted out the lyrics to every song, never missing a beat and in perfect timing with Leithauser’s delivery. His stage presence was impressive to watch, as he frantically paced left and right, dragging the mic stand with him and passionately belting out the lyrics as if it was his first time singing them.
The vibe between the band members resembled that of family. They played effortlessly as they took us on a journey through their extensive catalog. When their 20-song setlist concluded with the fan-favorite, “We’ve Been Had,” the crowd got loud!
As I left the venue, I imagined many of us were all thinking the same thing – how lucky we were to have witnessed this performance from a band we thought we’d likely ever get the chance to see….and would we ever get to see them again?
With only a handful of dates left, including a stop on Sunday, October 8th in Austin for the Austin City Limits Music Festival, the Walkmen’s 2023 Revenge Tour is coming to an end. So what happens next?
Bauer had this to say in a statement regarding what the future holds for the band, “We are just getting going and I’m not really sure we want it to end. I will say, what makes it all special is when you don’t know what’s going to happen next and when you can actually wonder if this is the last time you’re ever going to get the chance to do this. So, I don’t know what happens next but I do know these shows are just about the end of what’s happening now.”
Check out our photos from the Walkmen’s show below:
