X Ambassadors to Celebrate 10th Anniversary of VHS with Hometown Performances
Alternative rock band X Ambassadors will return to their hometown of Ithaca, New York this fall to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut album VHS. The group announced two headlining performances at the State Theatre, scheduled for September 19 and 20.
Frontman Sam Nelson Harris reflected on the milestone in a statement this week, acknowledging the band’s long journey and the significance of revisiting the material a decade later. “It’s a rare thing to be in a band that’s been together as long as we have,” Harris said. “We’ve been together for almost 20 years.”
“This album was made, conceived, and released 10 years ago, but we had already been hustling for almost a decade prior to that. When the door finally was opened for us with ‘Renegades,’ it was a scramble to finish an album and get it out. “ Harris recalled.
Originally released in 2015, VHS marked X Ambassadors’ commercial breakthrough, driven by singles such as “Renegades” and “Unsteady.” Harris recalled the hectic pace surrounding the album’s creation and release, noting that “VHS was mostly made on the road — in the back of our van, backstage in green rooms, bathrooms, hotel rooms, wherever we could steal a moment.”
“It was chaotic, it was piecemeal,” he said. “To be honest, we couldn’t appreciate a single moment of it because it was all moving so fast. So, it’s been such a blessing to be able to revisit it and celebrate these songs and the people we were when we made them.”
More information on additional tour stops and the anniversary album release are expected soon. Tickets for the anniversary shows will be available to the public beginning May 9 through the band’s official website xambassadors.com.
