Mike Ness goes it alone
Social Distortion frontman Mike Ness has nailed down plans for a solo tour in May.
The So. Cal punk icon will kick things off with a May 2 performance at the Stagecoach country music festival in Indio, CA. From there, he'll head South and then East, winding his way back to the western US by the end of the month. Ness also has Irvine, CA's Hootenanny on his schedule in early July. Details are listed below.
Ness, who's been fronting Social Distortion for three decades, released his debut solo album, "Cheating at Solitaire," in 1999 to pay homage to the classic country, blues, rockabilly and folk that shaped him as a songwriter. That record scored a modern rock hit with the Bob Dylan-penned "Don't Think Twice."
Later that same year, Ness put out "Under the Influences," a collection of cover tunes further showcasing his love of American roots music. The artists to which he pays tribute on that record include Hank Williams, Marty Robbins and Carl Perkins.
Last year, Ness took Social D on the road to support the band's first career-spanning hits album, which surfaced in June and broke into The Billboard 200. The retrospective, titled "Greatest Hits," covers three decades worth of material, from the early punk track "Mommy's Little Monster" to the 2004 radio hit "Reach for the Sky." The set's tracklist includes '90s mainstream singles "Story of My Life," "Ball and Chain" and "I Was Wrong," in addition to the band's cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." It also includes the new song "Far Behind," which reached the Top 20 on modern rock radio charts.
Social Distortion's most recent studio album, 2004's "Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll," marked its first collection of new material since 1996's "White Light, White Heat, White Trash." Ness has told various reporters that the band expects to drop a new record this year.
May 2008
2 - Indio, CA - Empire Polo Field/Stagecoach
5 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
6 - Houston, TX - Meridian
7 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
9 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
11 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live!
12 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero Theatre
13 - New York, NY - The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
16 - Asbury Park, NJ - The Stone Pony
19 - Detroit, MI - Saint Andrews Hall
20 - Chicago, IL - Park West
23 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
25 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up Aspen
26 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
July 2008
5 - Irvine, CA - Oak Canyon Ranch/The Hootenanny
- Artist Links:
Live Review: Social Distortion in San Francisco [January 2008]
Social Distortion moves into House of Blues [November 2007]
The Killers, Muse highlight San Diego Street Scene lineup [June 2007]
Social Distortion preps for 'Greatest Hits' with more gigs [June 2007]
Social Distortion to ride 'Greatest Hits" on summer club tour [May 2007]
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