The Strokes announced that founding guitarist Nick Valensi will take a temporary break from their upcoming Reality Awaits Tour. Steve Schiltz of Longwave will fill in for the summer dates. The news followed the band's appearance without Valensi on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
The band shared the update on social media after performing the new track “Falling Out of Love” on the May 15 episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. “Nick will be taking a temporary break from the scheduled tour, but we look forward to his return,” the group stated. Schiltz, who played with the Strokes in some earlier 2026 shows, will handle guitar duties in his place.
