Thom Yorke’s Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes Tour — which was supporting his 2019 album ANIMA, not 2014’s Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes, because see his solo band is called Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes, or something — did make its way through North America at one point. I saw it. It was great. There were supposed to be more shows in the first half of 2020, but those were obviously pushed back due to COVID. First they were rescheduled for later in the year, then postponed indefinitely when it became clear the pandemic would be much longer than some optimistic promoters had initially hoped for. And now, with prospects for live music in 2021 seeming increasingly shaky, they’ve cancelled the gigs altogether.

In a message on his social accounts, Yorke announced today, “Sadly we must cancel our run of dates in the USA for Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes. Refunds will be issued, please contact your ticket seller for details.” So that’s that. Those who missed out on the gig can console themselves with the smattering of new songs Yorke has trickled out in the year and a half since ANIMA, including the soundtrack cut “Daily Battles,” the live-debuted “Plasticine Figures,” a remix of Clark’s “Isolation Theme,” and a pair of low-key, high-profile collabs with Burial and Four Tet.

Now that it’s settled that Yorke won’t be touring this year, dare we dream that Radiohead have been working on a new album during the pandemic? Or maybe they could get started on one now? We’re coming up on five years since A Moon Shaped Pool, after all.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Thom Yorke (@thomyorke)