System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian discussed the band’s remarkable tour success on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”.
“Literally within a few hours we sold out every show, and it was a shock to us,” Odadjian said. “I’m very glad that the stadiums were available near those dates.”
“We had a band conference that it sold out. My manager hit us up. He’s like, ‘Dude, you guys sold it all out,'” he continued. “It floored me. People are, like, ‘Why should it be so surprising to you?'”
“Everyone sees us a certain way. I still see us as that band from Hollywood,” Odadjian explained. “I’m not seeing us as this giant band that could sell out MetLife twice, two nights in a row. Football stadiums, bro.”
The band’s achievement includes multiple stadium shows. This demonstrates their significant drawing power in the current touring landscape.
Their remarkable success story contrasts sharply with their humble beginnings and decades-long evolution.
Wikipedia documents the band’s formation in 1994. A group of Armenian-American musicians, including Odadjian and vocalist Serj Tankian, came together in Los Angeles to form what would become one of rock’s most distinctive acts.
The path to stadium-filling status presented several challenges. Simple Wikipedia notes a significant lineup change in 1997. Original drummer Andy Khachaturian left due to a hand injury. John Dolmayan then joined the group as his replacement.
Distorted Sound Magazine highlighted another pivotal moment in the band’s history. They released their Mezmerize/Hypnotize albums in 2005. The band entered a hiatus in 2006. They maintained their core lineup and resumed activity in 2010. This preserved the chemistry that would lead to their current stadium-selling status.
The band has maintained their appeal across multiple decades despite periods of inactivity. This makes their current achievement of selling out multiple stadium shows even more remarkable.
