Fresh off its Tailgate 2008 summer tour, hard-working rock/funk/reggae outfit Pepper [ tickets ] is preparing to head out for more shows in the US and a jaunt through the UK.

The band will start in early October with a pair of fair/festival performances and then launch the "Here Comes the Law Tour" Oct. 9 in Tucson, AZ. The trek will hit nearly 20 clubs and theaters across the US through the end of the month. Special guests include Law Records labelmates Passafire from Savannah, GA, and The Supervillains from West Palm Beach, FL. Dates are listed below.

Following the US outing, Pepper is scheduled to join Less Than Jake for 15 November performances in the UK. Details about those gigs can be found at Pepper's website. The Hawaiian-bred, Southern California-based trio plans to return to the road in January to complete the Pacific Northwest portion of the "Here Comes the Law Tour," according to a press release.

Unfortunately, Hawaii's annual Kona Town Music Festival featuring Pepper had to be canceled this year because of environmental concerns and increasing fuel costs. The active volcano on the Big Island has been spewing out sulfuric acid and causing respiratory problems for residents and especially tourists who are not used to it, according to a blog at the band's MySpace page. The musicians apologized and said they are working on getting to the islands for a spring tour.

Pepper has been out supporting its fifth studio album, "Pink Crustaceans and Good Vibrations," which was released on its own Law Records imprint in July. The set was produced by The Butthole Surfers' Paul Leary, who also helped produce the group's previous effort, 2006's "No Shame."

Last year, the trio also put out "To Da Max," a b-sides collection that comprises unreleased songs, demos and live performances recorded between 1997 and 2004.

Pepper members Yesod Williams, Bret Bollinger and Kaleo Wassman formed the band in the islands and then relocated to Southern California in 1999, thanks to a promotional deal with surf/skate/snow-lifestyle company Volcom Entertainment. The group has since sold more than 400,000 records independently, and its music has appeared in movies, television shows and video-game soundtracks, according to a press release.