Black Pumas make “difficult decision” to cancel remaining shows for 2022
Black Pumas have cancelled their touring plans for the remainder of this year.
The psychedelic soul duo – comprised of Eric Burton and Adrian Quesada – have toured heavily in recent years in support of their self-titled debut album, which came out back in June 2019.
Taking to social media last night (August 15), the Austin band confirmed that they’ll be taking a break from live shows until 2023.
“After four incredible years of career milestones and unforgettable live experiences around the world, we have made the difficult decision to press pause and step away from touring for the rest of the year,” they wrote in a statement.
“We have the best fans in the world and appreciate each and every one of you for your support and understanding. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to know you better.” You can see the message in the tweet below.
We have the best fans in the world and appreciate each and every one of you for your support and understanding. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to know you better.
— Black Pumas (@BlackPumasMusic) August 15, 2022
Last month saw Black Pumas pull out of a string of summer festivals, beginning with Under The Big Sky Festival in Whitefish, Montana. They also shelved planned performances at Calgary Folk Music Festival and Innovation Festival in Kansas City, Missouri.
For each of those cancellations, the group cited “unforeseen circumstances” and said that they were “devastated” to no longer be playing. “We apologise for the inconvenience and hope to see you again soon,” the duo wrote on July 29.
As NME noted in a 2020 interview with Black Pumas, the band developed such a reputation for their electric live performances that the mayor of the world’s live music capital, Austin, proclaimed May 7 as official Black Pumas Day that year.
“I had no idea that Eric was going to be such a showman,” Quesada said. “I had only seen videos of him busking, and then suddenly on stage he was busting all these moves that previously he’d only tried out in his bathroom.
“We booked a one-night residency at a famous venue called Austin’s C-Boys Heart & Soul for our first ever gig, and soon we were selling out night after night.”
Away from the stage, Black Pumas have bagged six Grammy Award nominations including Best New Artist and Album Of The Year.