A few days ago, I got an announcement on Facebook that there’s a new solo album coming from Brandon Flowers, better known as the frontman of The Killers, one of my top favorite bands. It’s going to be different from his other releases, with the music being more centered on country western, a style that he grew up listening to. I’ll admit, that’s not my style normally, but I will, of course, give it a listen, and have already pre-ordered the album. Tour dates were announced yesterday, with no stop in Nebraska, but my best option being the Ogden Theatre in Denver. With it having been over 11 years since his last solo album, The Desired Effect, it left me wondering whether there would be the same level of scrambling to get tickets as there had been in 2015, when all my targeted shows had been instant sellouts. Today, I had no issues getting through the virtual line, and was able to secure my GA ticket within a couple minutes of being let in to shop. Just for fun, I logged back in and entered the virtual line a second time to see whether tickets were still available, and they were. As I was typing this, I decided to check a third time just now, at 8PM, and tickets are still available, so I’m wondering what the turnout for this tour is going to be like. I know there’s no shortage of love for The Killers in 2026, but I also know that the concert industry has been reporting record shortages of ticket sales in the recent months. Really, look up “blue dot fever.” That said, whether the public’s perception of Brandon or The Killers has withered over time doesn’t change the fact that my interest remains as high as it was when I was a teen!
The Killers are one of those few bands that I can say I got into via schoolmates during my high school years. I distinctly remember going into Hot Topic and buying their album Battle Born when it was first released. Nothing really prompted me to buy it at the time, apart from casual curiosity. I knew nothing except their big songs, namely “Human,” and “Mr. Brightside,” buy nowadays, I’m the kind of fan who tends to consider those to be among my least favorite of their catalogue. 2013 and 2014 were largely spent delving into their music, including the solo material from the different band members. They had gone on hiatus after Battle Born, so I wasn’t sure when I would get to see them in concert. In 2015, my closest experience came when I went to see Brandon on his tour of his second solo album, The Desired Effect, which had been released on the day of my high school graduation. That CD never left my car in the long, 4-month break that led up to me beginning college at UC Riverside later that September. Yep, I played the daylights out of it, so I was all the more excited to see Brandon at the Wiltern Theatre, just days after moving into my dorm! I have no photos from that evening, but I will show you the printed ticket and wristband I got that granted me access to the front of the pit, as well as the poster I bought on the way out after the show. And to confirm, yes, it was a scalper ticket.
I wouldn’t actually get to see Brandon with The Killers until February 2018, during their Wonderful Wonderful tour, knocking out both nights at the Staples Center (when it was still called that). As of 2026, I’ve seen The Killers 5 times, with the last time being in August 2022.
The Girl in the Scarf 
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