AFI announce their long-awaited return to the stage with Bodies tour

AFI have announced their long-awaited return to the stage with the Bodies tour in support of their latest full-length. Bodies, which was released June 11, marks the group’s first major release since 2017’s AFI (The Blood Album). The tour is scheduled to kick off Feb. 11, 2022 in San Diego.

Read more: Kane Caples knows inclusivity starts with self-acceptance and community

The headlining tour, which serves as the band’s first since their 2017 Blood tour, was initially announced on Twitter. Tickets will be on sale Friday, June 25, while local presales begin the day before. Meanwhile, members of Despair Faction, the band’s long-term fan club, can preorder tickets up to two days early. Tickets for the upcoming shows can be purchased through the band’s website.

We’re thrilled to announce our return to the road with the #Bodies tour – coming to the U.S. in Feb/Mar 2022 with special guest, @ColdCave23. Tickets go on sale this Fri, 6/25, at 10AM local. Despair Faction pre-sales begin Wed, & local pre-sales on Thurs: https://t.co/SQR66BfCIS pic.twitter.com/PRxWNc58o4

— AFI (@AFI) June 21, 2021

The tour also features Cold Cave as the main supporting artist. The brainchild of former hardcore band American Nightmare vocalist Wesley Eisold have joined the tour after their newest release, Fate In Seven Lessons. The darkwave synth-pop outfit’s latest effort is a seven-song EP with dark themes and is certainly befitting of a band touring with AFI.

FATE IN SEVEN LESSONS.
Out Now.
Thanks for listening. https://t.co/7cuuTPmLRi

— COLD CAVE (@ColdCave23) June 11, 2021

The 26-show event is named after the band’s 11th studio album and most recent release through Rise Records, Bodies. The album, in addition to a performance at the U.K.-based 2000trees festival, had to be postponed due to the onset of COVID-19, according to a 2020 video from guitarist Jade Puget.

Read more: Real Friends return with two new singles and announce vocalist–watch

AFI’s announcement video features live images of the band over a floral background. Backing the video is the first song off their new album, “Twisted Tongues,” which according to lead singer Davey Havok, was actually written prior to the pandemic.

“As I recall, ‘Twisted Tongues’ came off the Blood era and was the first piece of music we explored on the new album,” Havok says of the track. “The dreaminess of the music lyrically inspired themes of unforeseen severance. It is a pining song of being set adrift by those who once feigned to share the same anchors.”

Though the group’s latest collection of tracks features a slightly different sound than listeners may be accustomed to, fans can expect the same fresh creativity and dark themes on the Bodies tour that have always kept their live shows exciting.

“Every album is an opportunity to show people a snapshot of our evolution,” bassist Hunter Burgan says of the new record. “And with this band, it’s always something fresh. We’ve been playing together for so long that I have a deep understanding of each of my bandmates’ musical styles, and yet I am still pleasantly surprised by the new things they bring to each record.”

Read more: Travie McCoy honors those he lost with “A Spoonful of Cinnamon”–listen

Bodies showcases this evolution through heavier synth influences and a writing contribution from Billy Corgan. The Smashing Pumpkins frontman has joined the band onstage before, including a 2019 tour alongside former Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher, so the chemistry shared between the two artists on “Dulcería” comes as no surprise.

“Billy and I have a great creative connection when we’re writing together,” Puget says. “It was inspiring to work with such a talented and legendary songwriter, and ‘Dulcería’ is a testament to that.”

Hearing the multifaceted new album live will certainly be an experience fans don’t want to miss, especially after the pandemic has thrown off so many plans. You can see the tracklist for the new album and find dates for the upcoming Bodies tour below. 

Where do you plan on seeing AFI next spring? Let us know in the comments below!

Bodies tour dates:

02/11/22 – San Diego, CA @ Soma
02/12/22 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
02/14/22 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
02/15/22 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
02/18/22 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues Dallas
02/19/22 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
02/20/22 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Austin
02/22/22 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
02/23/22 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues Orlando
02/25/22 – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club

03/01/22 – Boston, MA @ Royale
03/03/22 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
03/05/22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
03/08/22 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
03/09/22 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater & Ballroom
03/11/22 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
03/12/22 – Milwaukee, WI @ the Rave/Eagles Club
03/13/22 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theater
03/15/22 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fillmore Minneapolis
03/17/22 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
03/18/22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union Event Center
03/19/22 – Boise, ID @ Revolution Center
03/21/22 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO
03/22/22 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
03/24/22 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
03/25/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium 

AFI Bodies tracklist:

1. “Twisted Tongues”
2. “Far Too Near”
3. “Dulcería”
4. “On Your Back”
5. “Escape From Los Angeles”
6. “Begging For Trouble”
7. “Back From The Flesh”
8. “Looking Tragic”
9. “Death Of The Party”
10. “No Eyes”
11. “Tied To A Tree”