The Black Crowes tour to follow ‘Goodnight’ concerts with indefinite hiatus 

This year marks the 20th anniversary of “Shake Your Money Maker,” the commercial hit and debut effort by The Black Crowes. But the veteran band’s celebration of that milestone will be bittersweet.

Co-founded by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, the Crowes plan to begin an indefinite hiatus after releasing a new album this summer and completing a four-month tour. After filling the next few months with scattered festival gigs and one-offs, the Crowes will officially launch their pre-hiatus tour on August 13 at Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee, WI.

The Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys Tour will visit 50 markets across the United States and Canada. Dates are booked through the end of the year, with the itinerary ultimately wrapping with a six-night block at The Fillmore in San Francisco, CA.

The band is booked for two-night stands on October 19-20 at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT; October 22-23 at the House of Blues in Boston, MA; November 13-14 at 9:30 Club in Washington, DC; and November 19-20 at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA. A longer engagement is also planned for New York City, where the Crowes will play five nights from October 31 through November 6 at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square.

The Crowes will open most nights of their tour with a full acoustic set before plugging in and amping up for a full-length electric set.

Public onsales for the Say Goodnight Tour begin May 14, with additional onsales following later in the season. While face values vary from market to market, most of Ticketmaster.com‘s current listings put ticket prices in the $35 to $55 range. Additional tour and ticketing details are available on the Crowes’ official Web site.

The band has been on an almost non-stop touring circuit for the past couple of years with 2008’s Euphoria or Bust Tour and 2009’s equally lengthy Stuck Inside Utopia Tour. In an interview with Rolling Stone, frontman Chris Robinson said he found the arrangement fulfilling if not entirely sustainable.

“If we kept going, we might be playing with fate too much,” Robinson commented. “It would be nice to have a 30th anniversary. But we should walk away from this while everyone’s in a good mood.”

But the singer would not specify how long he thought the hiatus could last. He explained, “To me, ‘hiatus’ means there is no plan. We haven’t said, ‘Let’s get back together in 2012.’ And we haven’t said, ‘Let’s not.'”

Coinciding with the summer tour, the Black Crowes will release a new studio album, “Croweology.” The two-disc set, their first all-acoustic effort, is scheduled to drop August 3.

The Black Crowes itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)

* Electric shows only.