Late last year, 21st Century pop rock guitar heroes Inhaler announced their biggest headlining show yet, with a May 30th date at 20,000-capacity St Anne’s Park in their hometown of Dublin, Ireland (They’ve also got upcoming shows at massive venues throughout South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.) However, this weekend the quartet of twentysomethings who sound quite a bit more versed than their years kick off a North American headlining tour of slightly more intimate rooms, including a March 8th date at The Fillmore. And while The Fillmore is two-and-a-half times the size of the venue of Inhaler’s last area appearance, 2023 at Theatre of Living Arts, it also seems like it might be the smallest room you have the chance to see the band in for the foreseeable future, so I’d highly recommend getting your tickets ASAP.
These dates are in support of Inhaler’s third LP, Open Wide, which dropped earlier this month on Geffen Records and was accompanied by a largely sold-out UK tour. The album was produced by Kid Harpoon, who won a GRAMMY and a Brit Award for his work on Harry’s House by Harry Styles (who Inhaler have supported) and has also worked extensively with artists like Maggie Rogers and Shawn Mendes. The album embraces the pomp of the most progressive kinds of ‘80s pop, along with the elegantly crass sounds of the post-punk and garage rock revivals of the early aughts (Fittingly, they’ve also supported Arctic Monkeys.) There are also a handful of ballads that would seem to be a shame to pull out for less than 10,000 people… Although we’re grateful for the opportunity…
According to the band, Open Wide feels in a lot of ways like a debut, with 2021’s It Won’t Always Be Like This recorded during the pandemic and 2023’s Cuts & Bruises written and recorded amidst a whirlwind touring schedule. The third LP is the product of the band returning to the rehearsal space of their teens and finally having a moment to breathe after becoming a full-fledged rock n’ roll band. In a recent press release, Inhaler guitarist, vocalist, and frontman Eli Hewson says, “The reason why we called the album Open Wide is because we’re looking for a new perspective on our music… With this album, we’re closer to what we’ve always envisioned… It feels like we’ve always been trying to make this record.”
*Get your tickets here.
