Review by Jennie Book
@jenniebookphotography
Photos by Rob Loud courtesy of the artist

Brandon Flowers brought his Thrasher tour to The Ford in Los Angeles on September 4, 2026, giving fans a 20-song set that covered his three solo albums and included a few visits to the Killers’ catalog. With his newest record taking him into the sonic land of country-Americana, the show gave fans the chance to see what he’s been working on up close and personal at the Ford’s beautiful and intimate 1,200-seat theater, where no seat is more than 100 feet from the stage.

I wasn’t sure what kind of welcome Flowers and his 10-piece band would get—like, are Killers fans embracing this very country-soaked album? But they were there for it. And I have to tell you, in a city where the cliché of people being at an event just to be seen is real, this wasn’t the case—it looked like every fan in the front section was singing along and dancing to the new material. This wasn’t a case of going out just to go out. These fans love Brandon Flowers and the music he makes.

Flowers told stories between songs, which made it personal and fun, plus a little bit earnest and wholesome. My teenaged companion offered that Flowers had the manner and cadence of a preacher, and that’s not inaccurate. Nice moments were shared about his upbringing in Utah and his family—like how when he played this album for his father for the first time, his Willie Nelson/Merle Haggard-loving dad said, “Finally!” Another extraordinary fact of this tour is that he’s changing the setlist from night to night, which is extremely unusual for a band to do, especially with so much storytelling accompanying the songs. This will make the tour very special for anyone going to multiple nights.

Setwise, the show kicked off with “The Red Ground” and “Does It Ever Cross Your Mind?” before “Crossfire” brought us into more familiar solo territory. New tracks “Tiger’s Blood,” “Plans,” and “Paradise” followed, giving the new Thrasher album plenty of attention right up front. Eight songs from the new album made it into the set, so fans had a good opportunity to get acquainted with those songs live.

There was good representation from earlier records too, including “Magdalena,” “Hard Enough,” “Still Want You,” and “Lonely Town.” A cover of “Forever and Ever, Amen” fit the evening’s country direction, while “In the Car Outside” brought in the Killers’ Pressure Machine material. The selection of tracks through projects and bands fit pretty seamlessly together and gave everybody in the crowd something to love, even if they came in expecting a Killers experience.

“Only the Young” closed the main set, followed by a four-song encore that included “In Another Life,” “Read My Mind,” and “Between Me and You.” The final song was “An American Dream,” with band introductions included. It was a bold choice, and it gave the newest album the last word, which was a good way to end this new direction, new genre-d show.

The tour continues through the beginning of October in the US, with dates in select cities, then hops over to the UK in the middle of that month. For all the latest information on news, dates, tickets, and merch, go to brandonflowersmusic.com.