System of a Down US Show: Group Announces First American Gig of 2015

When System of a Down released their Wake Up the Souls Tour schedule this fall, it was monumental given their first-ever Armenian show — on the 100th anniversary of the country's most horrific event, no less. There was one issue with the landmark tour, though: It did not include any U.S. dates.

Now, Serj Tankian and Co. are rectifying the omission with a newly scheduled show for April 6 at the Los Angeles Forum that will kick off the stretch of international gigs.

"We said we should celebrate the fact that we're here on stage, on the radio telling you about [the Armenian genocide]," bassist Shavo Odadjian told KROQ, via radio.com. "We got to that level. Let's not mourn 100 years what has already happened. By educating, you raise awareness. By raising awareness, you grow people's minds."

Said drummer John Dolmayan: "The way we do it, we have our show, and the people that want to take information away from that, and the people who want to just come and enjoy the show also have that freedom."

The group announced the tour in late November, and Tankian — a native Armenian — was set on justice.

"If someone killed my family, and burned my house down, and I'm running after them for 100 years for them to turn around and say, 'Sorry,' what does that mean? I think you have to have incrimination," he said. "I think you have to have justice."

Tickets for the Los Angeles show will go on sale Friday, Dec. 19. The group has not announced whether they will play more U.S. dates in 2015 — the tour ends in Armenia April 23.

"It's kind of like a full circle," Tankian told KROQ. "From the beginning of this band, we didn't plan on being four Armenians in a band together; it just kind of turned out that way. But it's our personal story, you know?"

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System of A Down, Serj tankian