Queens of the Stone Age Bring the Catacombs Tour to Agua Caliente in a Powerful Lo-Desert Homecoming

Queens of the Stone Age Catacombs Tour performance at The Show Saturday, April 25, 2026, was a sonic and visual spectacle that's hard to describe with words.

A hauntingly beautiful 2 hour treat with Josh Homme as the deserts own macabre ring master who seamlessly glided around and captivated the audiences attention whilst casually wielding a meat cleaver, exchanging it for the occasional cigarette and sip of wine.

As the house lights went out at 8pm sharp, and the audience cheers started to subside, crickets and other distant dark forest sounds began to swell, climaxing to a tense hush as Josh Homme emerged yielding a lone, cave-style work light, and sat on a stool like a storyteller at a campfire. His face flickered against towering curtains as his shadow stretched and warped behind him, he was soon followed by Dean Fertita who sat at the keys—an opening that felt both spooky and intimate, like being pulled into a midnight tale just before it turns.

Slowly the rest of the band and a few string players joined in on a mash up of songs Running Joke and Paper Machete serving as the opening number for this series

Act 1 (roughly 5-6 songs) was all performed this way with only about 8' between the large pleated curtains and edge of the stage. All with very little lighting which actually impressed me at how entertaining this was with minimal production.

Act 2 finally opened the curtains to reveal a full stage setup with instruments and a small orchestra. The sound got much bigger and gave Josh Homme and crew much more room to put on a show.

This is where Homme really took flight and dominated the entirety of the stage with his Bowie-esque swagger, eventually leading him into the crowd for multiple close up audience interactions and sing alongs that they will surely never forget.

One of my favorite moments was when Josh decided to break character and say a few words / thank you's to the crowd, which left space for a drunken heckler in the crowd to find the perfect gap to yell "Josh Homme we fucking love you!", to which Josh replied (without missing a beat), "I love you too man", and of course the village idiot found the perfect gap once more to shout, "I haven't seen you since last night, it's been so long!" With razor sharp reaction time Josh replied, "It's been too long…..and in some cases not long enough. It's all about you sir. Now please be quiet" This reminded us that the Josh we all know and love was with us and had the entire room cracking up which lightened the mood and paved the way for the rest of a smooth and entertaining night.

Act 3 was just as big and powerful as Act 2, really showcasing the musicianship and talent everyone on that stage had to offer.

I find it interesting when a band of this magnitude with a plethora of hits / fan favorites can kinda reinvent themselves and play none of those songs at a sold out show with 2000+ in attendance. This whole set is a combination of new material and deep cuts but I don't believe anyone had any complaints about not hearing the obvious tunes you would expect to hear at a QOTSA concert. It was refreshing and masterfully well executed.

10/10 would go see again. Now I'm trying to figure out how to tell my wife that I might be sneaking up to Seattle next week to catch another taste of this tour.

“Queens of the Stone Age rolled into The Show at Agua Caliente on the Catacombs Tour and turned a sold-out room into a smoky, blood-red fever dream—raw, gorgeously stripped down, and haunting in all the right ways. The three-act set felt cinematic and pushed them into a bold, experimental lane. Josh Homme sounded like he was dragging something ancient out of the grave and forcing it to speak.”

– Sean Teague

Other articles relating to Queens of the Stone Age:  joshuatreevoice.com/queens-of-the-stone-age-light-up-joshua-tree/