Radiohead opened the North American leg of the 2018 tour Friday in Chicago, where the band dug out one big surprise for the United Center audience: The first performance of Pablo Honey closer “Blow Out” in nearly a decade.
After being a staple of Radiohead’s mid-Nineties setlists, “Blow Out” disappeared for 11 years before reemerging at a pair of Tokyo concerts in October 2008. Following another decade-long dormancy, the fan favorite returned again with no warning Friday to open the band’s second encore.
Other than the surprise “Blow Out,” Radiohead’s United Center show featured a fairly balanced setlist as Thom Yorke and company plucked tracks off all nine of their studio albums.
Radiohead’s 18-date North American trek continues Saturday night in Chicago before beginning a four-night residency at New York’s Madison Square Garden next week. The leg concludes with a pair of Philadelphia shows on July 31st and August 1st.
While Radiohead haven’t unveiled any new music since the release of 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool, Yorke will release his first feature film score later this year when the Suspiria remake arrives.
