Time has a curious way of measuring memories, especially when they’re filled with the sound of guitars and urban nostalgia. Exactly 23 years have passed since the last time the chords of this influential New York band made the walls of a large venue in our city vibrate. Now, breaking a hiatus of more than two decades from venues of this size, The Strokes will take the stage on October 20 at the Palau Sant Jordi, in what will be their only concert in the entire country.
The band has chosen Barcelona as the key venue on the Iberian Peninsula for the live presentation of *Reality Awaits*, which will be their seventh studio album. Those who want to secure a spot at this return to Barcelona can purchase tickets starting this Friday, April 17, at 10:00 a.m., through the platforms available on Live Nation, Ticketmaster, and El Corte Inglés.
An album conceived under the Costa Rican sun
This new album, set for official release on June 26, marks the group’s first new material since *The New Abnormal* (2020). To bring this comeback to life, the band packed their bags and headed to Costa Rica, where the album was recorded with producer Rick Rubin, though the final touches were completed on the road in various parts of the world. As a musical teaser to ease the wait, the album’s first single, titled “Going Shopping,” has already been released.
To find The Strokes’ last arena concert in Barcelona, you have to rewind the calendar to December 8, 2003. On that occasion, the Pavelló de la Vall d’Hebron hosted the band, which was in the midst of promoting its second album, *Room On Fire*.
