Europe Can Wait. Kirk’s Health Can’t.
Crowbar scrapping their European tour stings, but only one thing actually matters here: Kirk Windstein’s health. Everything else is a distant second.
Windstein pulled Crowbar’s “Confess To Nothing” European run, which was set to open July 27, over a bilateral synovial cyst in his spine that’s been flaring up. In his own words, he can’t get on the flights, ride in a van for two weeks, then fly home again. This is a guy who says he’d never canceled a tour in 36 years. He’s starting physical therapy now and expects to reschedule Europe, likely next year.
Here’s what gives me pause. Windstein’s plate for the rest of 2026 is stacked. Crowbar has a fall co-headline run with Dying Fetus and Sanguisugabogg, plus a spot on Slayer’s “Reign in Blood” 40th anniversary shows at the Kia Forum in November. On top of that, his other band, Down, has an August and September North American tour lined up with Helmet and Spirit in the Room. Those are all North American dates with no transatlantic flights, so scrapping Europe doesn’t automatically put them at risk. But that’s a heavy load for anyone, let alone someone managing a flaring spinal condition.
Tour Dates
Crowbar, with Dying Fetus, Sanguisugabogg, and Left to Suffer. Sept 17 to Oct 24, 32 cities. Anchor stops:
Sept 20, Brooklyn (Brooklyn Steel)
Sept 27, Chicago (House of Blues)
Oct 6, Seattle (Showbox SoDo)
Oct 10, Los Angeles (The Novo)
Oct 18, Dallas (The Bomb Factory)
Oct 21, Atlanta (The Masquerade)
Then with Slayer: Nov 13 and 14, Los Angeles (Kia Forum), “Reign in Blood” 40th.
Down, with Helmet and Spirit in the Room. Aug 15 to Sept 2:
Aug 15, Atlanta (The Eastern)
Aug 23, Toronto (HISTORY)
Aug 26, Worcester (The Palladium)
Sept 2, Chicago (Ramova Theatre)
Festival stops: Sept 4, Shakopee, MN (with Slayer); Oct 3, Sacramento (Aftershock); Oct 24, Fort Worth (Sick New World Texas); Dec 5, Denver (Decibel Metal & Beer Fest).
Doing a little digging for this post, it’s the timeline that stuck with me. Windstein played last year’s Crowbar/Eyehategod US tour seated because of this same spinal issue, and now it’s costing him a full European run. That’s a pattern trending the wrong way. We’ve watched too many acts start quietly canceling dates, rescheduling, and in some cases never making them up. Nobody’s calling this the end. We’re just hoping it isn’t the first domino.
I’ll be there when they hit the Forum with Slayer, and I want a healthy Kirk Windstein on that stage. Here’s to a fast recovery, and hopefully the end of these health issues for good.
Source: Crowbar (official statement)