Tony Hawk Introduced Interpol on Stage in San Diego
Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk stepped on stage to introduce Interpol at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park in San Diego on Saturday, August 15, part of the band's 2026 US tour. According to NME, Hawk told the crowd he's been listening to Interpol since their 2002 debut Turn On the Bright Lights, and joked that their careers have run in parallel — as long as Interpol keeps touring, he won't stop skating.
Back to 2004 and Jay Leno
Hawk recalled that his first time seeing Interpol live was during a 2004 rehearsal for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, where he appeared on the same episode as the band. A skate ramp was set up behind the studio, and he watched the band play "Slow Hands" while they watched him do slow hand plants.
Interpol later shared a clip of Hawk's introduction on Instagram, thanking him for the moment going back to that 2004 Leno rehearsal. Hawk commented on the post that his wife thought the "slow handplants" pun was terrible, but that dad jokes are the pinnacle of comedy.
What's next on the tour
Interpol continue the US run with a show in Las Vegas on Sunday, August 16, before heading to London for the Deftones-headlined Outbreak Fest on Sunday, August 23, followed by a smaller after-party show in the city. The announced festival lineup includes:
- Deftones
- Interpol
- IDLES
- Amyl & The Sniffers
- Esdeekid
- JPEGMAFIA
- Basement
- Wisp
- Deafheaven
- Show Me The Body
Interpol signed with Partisan Records earlier this year and will co-headline a UK and European tour with Bloc Party later in the year, including two consecutive nights at London's Olympia on December 4 and 5.
Ninth album due August 28
The band's ninth studio album, This Mirror Weighs A Ton, arrives August 28 via Partisan Records. Tracks previewed so far include the Massive Attack-influenced title track, "See Out Loud," and "Iron City."
Frontman Paul Banks told NME that "Iron City" is framed as a dialogue between a human narrator and an AI that has come to hold power in the future. Asked whether he fears AI, Banks said no — reasoning that AI-made art can only build on existing human work, and without new material to draw from, it will eventually degrade into simulacra disconnected from human experience. The album also includes "Wings On Fire," which the band has already debuted live this year and which Banks describes as a lighthearted romp.