George Strait boards tour bus for North American trek
As sales of his recent best-of album continue to mount, country singer George Strait has launched his latest round of tour dates, which will keep him on him on the road through early April.
The outing kicked off with a sold-out, Thursday night (11/13) gig in Charlotte, NC, and upcoming shows in Lafayette, LA; Richmond, VA; Lubbock, TX; and Austin, TX have also sold out, according to Strait's publicist.
While tickets for most shows are already on the market, on-sales are still ahead for the tour's last six dates. Details are in the itinerary below.
Strait's new best-of collection, "50 Number Ones," hit stores in October, and spent two weeks atop The Billboard 200 album chart. The set features previously released tracks that span from his first No. 1 hit--1982's "Fool Hearted Memory"--to 2002's "She'll Leave You with a Smile." Besides the 50 previous chart toppers, the set also includes his new No. 1 country single, "I Hate Everything."
Dierks Bentley , who opened all of Strait's North American dates in 2004, will again support. Up-and-comer Amber Dotson is also on the bill.
Bentley's self-titled 2004 debut album spawned the hit singles "What Was I Thinkin'?" "My Last Name" and "How Am I Doin'?" Besides opening for Strait and headlining his own shows, Bentley--who played more than 200 dates in 2004--also toured with Kenny Chesney.
Dotson's debut single, "I'll Try Anything," is expected to surface early this year. Strait chose the Garland, TX, native for the tour after hearing some of the songs from her upcoming debut album, according to a press release.
January 2005
14 - Birmingham, AL - BJCC Arena
15 - Lafayette, LA - Cajundome
20 - Richmond, VA - Richmond Coliseum
21 - Knoxville, TN - Thompson Boling Arena
22 - Cincinnati, OH - U.S. Bank Arena
27 - Lubbock, TX - United Spirit Arena
28 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center
February 2005
3 - Las Cruces, NM - Pan American Center
4 - Phoenix, AZ - America West Arena
5 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand
17 - Greenville, SC - BiLo Center
18 - Orlando, FL - TD Waterhouse Centre
24 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena (on sale 1/29)
25 - Charleston, WV - Charleston Civic Center (on sale 1/15)
26 - Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse (on sale 1/15)
March 2005
3 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena (on sale 1/22)
4 - Kansas City, MO - Kemper Arena (on sale 1/29)
5 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center (on sale 1/22)
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