Kings of Leon reign over the US

Southern alt-rockers Kings of Leon have filled in the dates for the second leg of their US tour, which launches next month.

The band will start the run with an early August two-night stand in Minneapolis, and is scheduled to hit clubs, theaters and festivals from coast to coast, including Chicago's Lollapalooza and Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival. Details are listed below. Garage-rock trio Black Rebel Motorcycle Club will serve as special guests on the trek.

The tour follows Kings of Leon 's sold-out spring tour of the US, as well as a sold-out UK jaunt, which the band will finish July 22. In November/December, the Nashville-based quartet will be back in the UK for a round of arena dates. Those shows are listed at the band's website.

Kings of Leon--which comprises brothers Caleb, Jared and Matthew Followill and their cousin Nathan Followill--are out supporting their third album, "Because of the Times," which surfaced in April and reached No. 25 on The Billboard 200. The set, which follows 2004's "Aha Shake Heartbreak," has been praised by critics as a huge leap forward for the group's songwriting and musical prowess.

"I think people tend to expect a certain sound from us," drummer Nathan Followill said in a statement, "but on this record, we tried to throw them for a loop.

"We weren't scared to try anything," he added. "I think that's the difference between this album and the last."

Trying anything meant a lot of firsts--the band's first song to clock in at more than five minutes ("Knocked Up"), its first song with vocal effects ("On Call"), and its first tune that could be described as a genuine arena-rock anthem ("Black Thumbnail"), according to Kings of Leon's bio. It was also the first time that every member contributed equally to every song. It's all part of the band reaching a new level of maturity, according to Nathan Followill.

"There's nothing like touring with consummate pros like U2 [in 2005] and Bob Dylan and Pearl Jam [in 2006], that'll force a young band to grow up fast," he said.

A few songs from "Because of the Times" are streaming at Kings of Leon's MySpace page.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]
 tour dates and tickets
August 2007
2-3 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
5 - Chicago, IL - Grant Park/Lollapalooza

September 2007
2 - Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot Festival
4 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre
7 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
8 - San Diego, CA - SDSU Open Air Theatre
10 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
11 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint/Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
14 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
15 - Council Bluffs, IA - Stir Cove at Harrah’s Casino
19 - New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall
21 - Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theatre
23 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
28 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre
29 - Providence, RI - Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel

October 2007
4 - Detroit, MI - The Filmore
9 - Atlanta, GA - Fox Theatre
10 - Birmingham, AL - Alabama Theatre
18 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
28 - New Orleans, LA - Voodoo Island City Park

 tour dates and tickets
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