Thursday, December 16, 2004

311 Sets Winter Road Rally

Modern rock act 311 will return to the road for a short slate of tour dates beginning Feb. 20 in Anaheim, Calif. The band's official Web site lists nine shows with three open dates to be determined.

The last confirmed show falls on March 11 -- or 3/11 -- a day the band has in the past celebrated with special shows for its fans. As in 2000 and 2002, 311 will perform on that date in New Orleans, with this year's show booked at UNO Lakefront Arena for the second time.

"Get ready for another 311 Day extravaganza," bassist P-Nut says on the band's site. "This will be a whole new experience, not just a dump truck load of songs, but songs of which you have only heard a few times live, or not at all. So get ready, this will be one for the memory books."

The 2002 show boasted a circus-like atmosphere with trapeze artists, fire-eaters, confetti and balloons. With 59 songs performed in nearly four hours, it is believed to be the longest set of the band's career. "We've already started preparing [for the 2004 concert], two months early," vocalist Nick Hexum adds. "We figure if there is one show that is for the true fans, this is it."

P-Nut also says that the band has been talking about filming the show "and making it sound as good as it can." Although a DVD project and/or audio release seems likely, no details were available at deadline.

Members of the band's "The Hive" online fan organization will have pre-sale access to tickets for the show beginning Thursday (Jan. 22), with general ticket sales set to begin Jan. 31. The band's Web site also offers information on special rates at New Orleans-area hotels in conjunction with the concert.

Pre-sales are already underway for most of the confirmed dates on the tour; at deadline only a March 3 Las Vegas concert and March 9 Tulsa concert are already on sale to the general public.

Like 311's 2003 summer and fall Unity tours, the winter trek comes in support of the band's latest Volcano album, "Evolver." Released in July, the set debuted at No. 7 on The Billboard 200 and has sold nearly 275,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

As previously reported, 311 has covered the Cure's "Love Song" for the 1980s-themed soundtrack to "50 First Dates." Hexum produced the track, as well as contributions by Seal and Jason Mraz for the set, due Feb. 3 via Maverick.

The new version of "Love Song" will also be included on a 311 best of collection due June 8. A video was recently shot in Huntington Beach, Calif., and features a cameo by Cure drummer Lol Tolhurst.

Here are 311's upcoming tour dates:

Feb. 29: Anaheim, Calif. (The Grove)
March 1: San Diego (RIMAC Auditorium UCSD)
March 3: Las Vegas (House of Blues)
March 4: Tuscon, Ariz. (Rialto Theatre)
March 5: Albuquerque, N.M. (Sunshine Theatre)
March 6: Las Cruces, N.M. (Pan Am Center)
March 8: Wichita, Kan. (The Cotillion)
March 9: Tulsa, Okla. (Brady Theatre)
March 11: New Orleans (UNO Lakefront Arena)
March 13: TBD
March 14: TBD
March 16: TBD

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