The Raconteurs Celebrate 20 Years of Broken Boy Soldiers With Deluxe Digital Release and Limited-Edition Vinyl

Two decades after introducing the world to their unmistakable rock sound, The Raconteurs are revisiting the album that started it all. The band is marking the 20th anniversary of their 2006 debut, Broken Boy Soldiers, with a special anniversary release featuring a new Opaque Green Vinyl pressing and an expanded digital edition packed with archival live material.

Arriving December 11, the limited-edition green vinyl will also be stocked at select independent record stores beginning December 18, with pre-orders already underway through Third Man Records. Alongside the vinyl announcement, fans can now revisit Broken Boy Soldiers (Deluxe) digitally. The expanded release brings together the original ten-track album and a previously recorded performance from New York City’s Irving Plaza on April 7, 2006. The concert holds particular significance as the band’s first-ever live appearance in the United States, capturing the group during the early days of what would become an influential chapter in their musical history.

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The live recording offers more than a nostalgic trip back to 2006. Listeners will also hear three previously unreleased encore performances, expanding the collection with additional material that had not appeared on the original limited vinyl edition. Among the highlights are an explosive rendition of “Blue Veins,” alongside covers of David Bowie’s “It Ain’t Easy” and the Flamin’ Groovies’ “Headin’ for the Texas Border.“

The anniversary celebration also arrives following an unexpected moment for fans: The Raconteurs reunited onstage during Jack White’s October 10 performance at Nashville’s The Truth. Their five-song appearance marked the band’s first live performance in nearly seven years. The group revisited several fan favorites, including “Steady, As She Goes,” “Hands,” “Level,” and “Broken Boy Soldier,” before closing with “Carolina Drama” from their 2008 album, Consolers of the Lonely.

When Broken Boy Soldiers first arrived in May 2006, The Raconteurs brought together four musicians with distinct musical backgrounds and a shared appreciation for guitar-driven rock. Featuring Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence, and Patrick Keeler, the project quickly established its own identity, earning widespread critical attention and producing memorable singles that helped define the band’s early success. Twenty years later, Broken Boy Soldiers remains a defining release in The Raconteurs’ catalog, and this anniversary edition gives longtime listeners another opportunity to experience the record while offering a closer look at the band’s early live energy.