Chicago indie-rock favorites Ratboys bring their spring tour to Zanzabar on Friday, March 13, supporting their forthcoming album Singin’ To An Empty Chair, out February 6 via New West Records.
The Zanzabar stop is a sort of hometown return for lead singer and guitarist Julia Steiner, who was born and raised in Louisville. Ratboys have established themselves as one of the most reliable and subtly ambitious bands in indie rock, known for fusing twangy, guitar-driven arrangements with emotionally sharp songwriting.
Early reviews of the Ratboys’ album
Pitchfork, Vulture, Brooklyn Vegan, Stereogum, Consequence, and other publications have already listed Singin’ To An Empty Chair as one of the “Most Anticipated Albums of 2026.“
Early reviews, such as Vulture’s description of the album as “irresistible guitar-driven rock” and Pitchfork’s emphasis on Ratboys’ sharpened instincts for creating enduring, hard-hitting earworms, indicate that the band is performing with maximum confidence.
For Louisville fans of smart indie rock—and anyone eager to catch a rising band on a meaningful homecoming stop—Ratboys’ Zanzabar show is one worth catching.
Event Details
Who: Ratboys
What: Singin’ To An Empty Chair Tour
When: Friday, March 13
Where: Zanzabar, Louisville
This article appears in Jan 1-31, 2026.