Van Halen finishes rehearsals, gears up for still-growing tour

With their final dress rehearsal behind them, the members of Van Halen are on the verge of launching a summer tour that continues to grow.

On Thursday (6/3), the group added to its itinerary stops in Louisville, KY; Green Bay, WI; Biloxi, MS; Atlanta; and Cincinnati. Tickets for the Louisville stop hit the box office on Saturday (6/5), while tickets for the Green Bay show go on sale June 12. On-sale dates for the remaining new stops have not been announced.

The run, which is Van Halen's first with singer Sammy Hagar since the mid '90s, kicks off in Greensboro, NC, on June 11, and dates are stacked up into late September. Tickets for all of the shows announced prior to Thursday (6/3) are already on sale.

On Tuesday (6/1), Van Halen held its final dress rehearsal at a closed soundstage in Southern California. Pictures from the event, as well as the setlist and additional details, are posted at the Van Halen News Desk fan website.

Among the songs that the group reportedly performed during the rehearsal were three new tracks that will appear on "The Best of Both Worlds," a two-disc hits compilation due out on July 20. One of the three new cuts, titled "It's About Time," hit radio stations last month, and debuted at No. 10 on trade publication Radio & Records' latest rock chart.

Hagar, who split with Van Halen on bad terms in 1996, told reporters last month that his return to the group doesn't feel like a reunion.

"It's really funny, 'cause a reunion would have maybe been pressure, but, for some reason, the second we got together, it felt like a continuation," he said. "It did not feel like we had to reinvent anything or out-do anything. It just was so there."

[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
June 2004
11 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum
13 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium
14 - Buffalo, NY - HSBC Arena
16, 17 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
19, 20 - Worcester, MA - Worcester's Centrum Centre
22, 23 - East Rutherford, NJ - Continental Airlines Arena
25 - Washington, DC - MCI Center
26 - Albany, NY - Pepsi Arena
28 - Hartford, CT - Hartford Civic Center
29 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena

July 2004
1 - Indianapolis, IN - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
2 - Cleveland, OH - Gund Arena
3 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
6 - Louisville, KY - Freedom Hall (on sale 6/5)
7 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
9 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena
10 - Detroit, MI - Joe Louis Arena
11 - Auburn Hills, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills
19, 20 - Chicago, IL - United Center
22 - Saint Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
23 - Green Bay, WI - Resch Center (on sale 6/12)
25 - Oklahoma City, OK - Ford Center
26 - Kansas City, MO - Kemper Arena
28, 29 - Saint Louis, MO - Savvis Center
31 - Omaha, NE - Qwest Center Omaha

August 2004
1 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
3 - Salt Lake City, UT - Delta Center
5 - Phoenix, AZ - America West Arena
6, 7 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay Events Center
10 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
11 - Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena
13 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Arena
14 - Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center
16 - Anaheim, CA - Arrowhead Pond
17 - San Diego, CA - Coors Amphitheatre
19, 20 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

September 2004
5 - Biloxi, MS - Mississippi Coast Coliseum (on sale tba)
8 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Office Depot Center
9 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
11 - Jacksonville, FL - Veterans Memorial Arena
17 - Atlanta, GA - Phillips Arena (on sale tba)
18 - Cincinnati, OH - US Bank Arena (on sale tba)
23 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
25 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Arena
28 - San Antonio, TX - SBC Arena
29 - Lubbock, TX - United Spirit Arena

 tour dates and tickets
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