Grace Potter [ tickets ] and the Nocturnals are heading back to the road for a slate of fall shows in the US and Canada.

The Vermont-based roots-rockers are scheduled to open for The Black Crows in Oregon and Washington next week before launching into a 20-date outing that will stop by clubs and theaters from coast to coast. The itinerary also features a couple of festival performances, including the Sept. 20 Farm Aid benefit in Mansfield, MA. Details are listed below.

In addition to its 2008 roadwork, the band is looking ahead to next year, when it will enjoy some fun at sea on the 2009 Jam Cruise. The star-studded, five-night voyage is set to leave from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Jan. 4 and visit Belize City, Belize, and Costa Maya, Mexico.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals continue to ride the buzz behind their Hollywood Records debut, "This Is Somewhere," which cracked The Billboard 200 last summer and snagged the No. 1 spot on the magazine's Top Heatseekers chart.

The album showcases the band's wide array of influences--from vintage rock and roll to blues, funk, soul, jazz, country and pop--as well as frontwoman Grace Potter's prowess on the Hammond B3 organ and guitar. The sound has prompted comparisons to Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams and Nora Jones, among others. A few songs from the set are streaming at Grace Potter and the Nocturnals' MySpace page.

Over the past six years, the group--which also features guitarist Scott Tournet, bassist Bryan Dondero and drummer Matt Burr--has made a name for itself through grassroots touring and self-released albums on its own Ragged Company label. Its intense live performance was recognized in 2006 with a Jammy Award for Best New Groove.