Chris St. Hilaire to join the Black Keys touring band for ‘Dropout Boogie’ tour, also supports Marcus King on drums for sophomore album ‘Young Blood,’ produced by Dan Auerbach

Photo by Ethan Covey

BROOKLYN, NY -  This summer, Trinidadian-American multi-instrumentalist Chris St. Hilaire will join the Black Keys touring band as part of their ‘Dropout Boogie’ tour.  The 32-date North American tour will kick off in Las Vegas on July 9th and extend through mid-October, and will complement the release of the band’s 11th studio album Dropout Boogie.  

This particular arrangement will give St. Hilaire an opportunity to offer his multi-instrumental capabilities onstage, and represents a unique inflection point in his career.  “I think my instincts are going to be pretty compatible with everything that they are doing,” says St. Hilaire.  “The melodies are really strong, which is always fun, and their music is rooted in rhythmic music, so percussion-wise I’ll have a lot of room to play with space and work to keep the rhythm driving.”  The tour also represents an exciting return to the road in a reemerging live music environment.  “I think this will be a really cool opportunity to tour in a highly efficient and dignified way,” adds St. Hilaire.  

Over the past five years, St. Hilaire has been privileged to feature on a number of projects produced by the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach in a range of musical capacities, including Auerbach’s second solo release Waiting On a Song (2017), CeeLo Green’s Nashville-infused soul album CeeLo Green is Thomas Callaway (2020), and Marcus King’s first solo album El Dorado (2020).  St. Hilaire also supports Marcus King on drums alongside bassist Nick Movshon on his forthcoming album titled Young Blood, set to release on August 26th on American Recordings/Republic Records.  

For St. Hilaire, acting as a principal drummer for the trio-focused album, was a great honor and exciting challenge.  “I feel super honored to be called in to support a role where I’m this foundational,” says St. Hilaire.  Working with King in the studio on Young Blood, St. Hilaire observed a wise and humble musician, prodigious in his playing and constantly learning.  “One thing I really respect about Marcus is that he doesn’t really step in and interfere, he’s respectful of letting the music take shape naturally and trusting of the musicianship,” adds St. Hilaire.

The Black Keys ‘Dropout Boogie’ Tour (Summer/Fall 2022)
July 9: Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
July 11: Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
July 13: Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
July 15: St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre St. Louis
July 16: Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
July 17: Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Tinley Park
July 20: Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
July 22: Jones Beach, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
July 23: Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
July 25: Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
July 27: Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
July 29: Boston, MA @ Xfinity Center
July 30: Philadelphia, PA @ Waterfront Music Pavilion (formerly BB&T Pavilion)
Aug. 24: West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Aug. 25: Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Aug. 27: Atlanta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Aug. 28: Huntsville, AL @ Orion Amphitheatre
Aug. 30: Charleston, SC @ Credit One Stadium
Sept. 1: Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Sept. 3: Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
Sept. 6: Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
Sept. 7: Detroit, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
Sept. 9: Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center
Oct. 2: Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
Oct. 3: Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
Oct. 5: Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
Oct. 8: Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
Oct. 10: Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion
Oct. 13: Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
Oct. 15: Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Oct. 17: Austin, TX – Moody Center ATX
Oct. 18: Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion

Marcus King
Young Blood
Release Date: August 26, 2022
American Records/Republic Records
First Single: “Hard Working Man”

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For all inquiries, please contact:
Nick Gunther
Cleotone Entertainment
nick@cleotone.com