Dave Matthews Band [ tickets ], beginning the year with a flurry of activity, is preparing for a 33-date spring tour of North America, and will soon begin work on a new studio album.

The tour kicks off in Washington, D.C., on April 4, and will work its way through arenas and amphitheaters in most major markets.

Tickets for the tour outing are initially available through a lottery system at Dave Matthews' official fan club, the Warehouse, beginning at midnight on Jan. 18, and continuing through noon on Jan. 28. Tickets will go on sale to the general public in February, but specifics haven't been announced.

In the coming days, the band will begin work on the follow-up to 2001's "Everyday," which is at No. 90 on the Billboard 200 Album chart after 45 weeks. The band will produce the album with longtime engineer Steve Harris. No release date has been announced for the as-yet-untitled album.

The band take a small break from recording to perform at the opening of the medals plaza at the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City in February.

Dave Matthews Band's summer tour ranked at No. 4 on Pollstar's list of the top-grossing concert acts of 2001, taking in $60.5 million.

Discuss the tour on liveDaily's Dave Matthews Band Message Board.