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U2 to launch U.S. tour in San Diego, taps Kings of Leon to open
U2 has nailed down a late-March kick-off for the first leg of its world tour behind last year's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb."
Though the full itinerary won't surface until Monday (1/24), the group plans to launch "The Vertigo Tour"--named after the new album's Grammy-nominated single--in San Diego on March 28; the first leg of shows reportedly will wrap up in Boston two months later.
Tickets will hit the box office on Jan. 29, according to a press release. A summer European trek will follow before the band returns to the states for 30 arena dates in the fall.
As was the case with the group's 2001 "Elevation Tour," the upcoming shows will feature approximately 1,700 general-admission seats on the floor.
Tennessee rockers Kings of Leon will fill the opening slot during the tour's opening leg. The group drops its sophomore album, "Aha Shake Heartbreak," on Feb. 22, and will mount a winter headlining tour before hooking up with U2.
"The Vertigo Tour" will likely be a shot in the arm for the concert industry, which suffered a disappointing 2004; the "Elevation" tour was 2001's top-grossing tour, taking in $109.7 million, according industry trade publication Pollstar.
Released in November, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart after logging first-week sales of about 840,000 copies. Lead-off track "Vertigo" is nominated for three Grammy awards: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Rock Song and Best Short Form Music Video. U2 will be on hand to perform the song during the 47th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony, which will air Feb. 13 on CBS.
Two weeks before launching "The Vertigo Tour," U2 will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during a March 14 ceremony in New York City.
