On August 15, 2026, pro skate legend Tony Hawk vowed he wouldn’t quit skating until Interpol stops touring. The band kicked off their 2026 North American tour on July 31 in Denver, and were making a stop in San Diego where Tony Hawk introduced them to the crowd.
“It is my honor and privilege to introduce you to this band,” said Hawk from the stage at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. He then shared some memories of being a longtime fan, including first discovering their 2002 debut album Turn On the Bright Lights.
“I got to see them live for the first time doing a sound check at Jay Leno,” Hawk continued. Both Interpol and Hawk appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2004. “I was a guest on Jay Leno with them [and] they actually had my ramp behind the sound stage … I watched them play ‘Slow Hands’. They watched me do slow hand plants.”
Tony Hawk Draws Comparisons Between His Pro Skate Career and Interpol’s Legacy
Tony Hawk added to his introduction by noting the similarities between his career and Interpol’s. Although he began his pro skating career in the 80s and the band didn’t debut until 2002, he felt that he and Interpol experienced similar paths to success.
“I feel like we’ve had a similar trajectory this whole time. Neither one of us has quit doing what we love,” said Hawk. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m not going to quit skating until Interpol stops touring.”
After the show, Interpol made an Instagram post featuring a fan-captured clip of Tony Hawk’s introduction. They captioned the post, “From Leno in 2004 to now, thanks for riding with us [Tony Hawk].”
Notably, Hawk replied, “My wife said ‘slow handplants’ was lame but I say dad jokes are peak comedy.”
As a day-one Interpol fan, Tony Hawk definitely has something to look forward too soon. The band is releasing their ninth album, This Mirror Weighs a Ton, on August 28, 2026. It’s their first album since 2022, which landed at No. 178 on the U.S. charts. Fans are surely hoping for bigger chart success with this album, but the huge tour they’re embarking on might be enough to satisfy.
The tour continues through August, with their next show stopping in Brooklyn on August 26 for the CBGB Festival. Then, they’re heading to Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, before coming back to the states on October 4 for a show in Boston. The remainder of October has them stopping in Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, and more before concluding in Nashville on October 17.
Photo by Katie Flores/Billboard via Getty Images
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