Michael “Mike D” Diamond, a member of The Beastie Boys, is set to embark on a tour in Canada, marking the first tour by a member of the iconic New York rap trio since the passing of Adam “MCA” Yauch in 2012. The tour, named the Mike D 5D tour, will commence with a sold-out performance in Boston on August 30, just two days after the release of his inaugural solo album, “Thank You.”
The tour’s Canadian leg will begin at Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre on September 30, followed by a final stop in Toronto on October 20 before heading overseas to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium. Diamond’s touring band, 5D, includes his sons, Skyler and Davis Diamond, from the dance-pop duo Very Nice Person.
The Beastie Boys made history in 1986 when their debut album, “Licensed to Ill,” became the first rap album to top the Billboard 200 chart, featuring popular tracks such as “Fight For Your Right” and “No Sleep Till Brooklyn.” Their subsequent hits like “Sabotage” and “Intergalactic,” along with the critically acclaimed sophomore album “Paul’s Boutique,” solidified their legacy as pioneers in the art of sampling.
Following their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, Yauch tragically passed away due to parotid cancer. In 2018, Diamond and fellow surviving member Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz published the memoir “Beastie Boys Book,” accompanied by the Spike Jonze-directed documentary “Beastie Boys Story” in April 2020.