Underground rapper Tech N9ne is hitting the road this week for the first performances of a lengthy spring jaunt. The Sickology 101 tour launches April 16 at Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins, CO, and closes June 12 at Blue Note in Columbia, MO.
More than 45 cities are on the spring itinerary, which includes an April 24 show at the Roseland Theatre in Portland, OR, a May 7 performance at the Catalyst Club in Santa Cruz, CA, a May 18 event at the House of Blues in San Diego, CA, a May 29 gig at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO, and a June 4 concert at the Pearl in Chicago, IL. Fellow independent rappers Murs, Kriss Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun and Short Dawg Tha Native will provide support throughout the tour.
Tech N9ne is touring in support of his ninth album, “Sickology 101,” set to hit stores on April 28. The rapper calls the guest-heavy disc a collaborative “appetizer” as fans await his next effort “K.O.D.,” which is tentatively scheduled for a Halloween release according to a February interview with ShockHound.
All of Tech N9ne’s music is put out through his own label, Strange Music. Despite not having the financial backing of a major label, Tech’s fan base continues to grow, which he credits to being in-tune with the listeners and actively reaching out to them through new projects and live performances.
“I stay in tune with my fans and what they’re listening to,” said Tech N9ne in a statement. “I’m on the road all the time and I’m not closed in, reclusive, in the house thinking I can just do my own thing. I’ve got my ear to everything.”
The artist’s ear-to-the-ground approach helped him sell-out most of his performances in 2008. According to press statistics on Tech N9ne’s web site, 94 percent of last year’s 148+ concerts were sold to venue capacity with a total audience of about 150,000.
Tech N9ne / Murs itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)
| April 16 | Ft. Collins, CO | Aggie Theatre |
| April 17 | Grand Junction, CO | Mesa Theatre |
| April 18 | Magna, UT | The Great Saltair |
| April 20 | Missoula, MT | Wilma Theatre |
| April 22 | Boise, ID | Knitting Factory |
| April 23 | Eugene, OR | McDonald Theatre |
| April 24 | Portland, OR | Roseland Theatre |
| April 26 | Wenatchee, WA | Toyota Center |
| April 27 | Seattle, WA | El Corazon |
| April 28 | Spokane, WA | Knitting Factory |
| April 30 | Bellingham, WA | The Wild Buffalo |
| May 1 | Bend, OR | Midtown Ballroom |
| May 2 | Chico, CA | Senator Theatre |
| May 3 | Reno, NV | New Oasis |
| May 4 | Orangevale, CA | The Boardwalk |
| May 5 | Santa Clara, CA | The Avalon |
| May 6 | Livermore, CA | The Burro |
| May 7 | Santa Cruz, CA | Catalyst Club |
| May 8 | Redway, CA | The Mateel Center |
| May 9 | Petaluma, CA | Phoenix Theater |
| May 10 | Salinas, CA | Fox Theatre |
| May 11 | San Luis Obispo, CA | Graduate |
| May 12 | Anaheim, CA | The Grove |
| May 13 | Ventura, CA | The Ventura Theatre |
| May 14 | Los Angeles, CA | The Key Club |
| May 18 | San Diego, CA | House of Blues |
| May 20 | Henderson, NV | Henderson Pavilion |
| May 21 | Tempe, AZ | Marquee Theatre |
| May 22 | Tucson, AZ | Rialto Theatre |
| May 23 | Farmington, NM | Gators |
| May 25 | Albuquerque, NM | Sunshine Theatre |
| May 27 | Tulsa, OK | Cain’s Ballroom |
| May 28 | Wichita, KS | Cotillion |
| May 29 | Morrison, CO | Red Rocks Amphitheatre |
| May 31 | Bismarck, ND | Civic Center Hall |
| June 1 | Duluth, MN | Grandmas Sports Garden |
| June 2 | Maplewood, MN | Myth |
| June 3 | Rochester, MN | Mayo Civic Auditorium |
| June 4 | Chicago, IL | Pearl |
| June 5 | Detroit, MI | Harpo’s |
| June 6 | Cleveland, OH | Peabody |
| June 7 | Columbus, OH | Alrosa Villa |
| June 9 | Cincinnati, OH | Bogart’s |
| June 10 | Edelstein, IL | The Hub |
| June 11 | St. Louis, MO | The Pageant |
| June 12 | Columbia, MO | Blue Note |
