Guitar ace Tom Morello [ tickets ], who began a solo tour this month in the form of his politically charged folk alter-ego, The Nightwatchman [ tickets ], has extended the outing through July.

New dates are set in Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Portland, OR. Morello has also added a May 18 gig in Louisville, KY, where he'll play with Martin Sexton, Keller Williams, Angelique Kidjo and moe.

After the Louisville show, The Nightwatchman will head to Europe for a few dates and then return to the US June 7. Ben Harper will appear with Morello for a week's worth of concerts scheduled June 7-14. The North American itinerary is listed below, and overseas dates can be found at The Nightwatchman's website.

Morello is also set to join his Rage Against the Machine cohorts for a couple more reunion shows this year: June 28 at New York City's Randall's Island and Aug. 11 at San Bernardino, CA's NOS Events Center.

The Grammy-winning guitarist, known for his unorthodox six-string stylings with Rage and, more recently, Audioslave, released his debut solo album as The Nightwatchman last month. The 13-song set, "One Man Revolution," has the usually plugged-in rocker on acoustic guitar and singing lead vocals for the first time.

The album is described in a press release as "songs of bitterness and revenge" and "a dark response to a world in turmoil." A few tracks are streaming at The Nightwatchman's website and MySpace page.

Morello has been performing solo for four years in coffee houses and at political events. He recently held a Tuesday-night residency at Los Angeles' Hotel Cafe, which drew musical friends including System of a Down's Serj Tankian, Perry Farrell and Shooter Jennings, to name a few.