Following an intimate performance at Café Wha? last evening, January 5, Van Halen released the official schedule for its 2012 North American tour.
The legendary rock crew and original frontman David Lee Roth performed for press and invited guests at the 250-capacity venue in Greenwich Village as a tour warm-up. The band’s itinerary kicks off February 18 at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY, and concludes June 26 at New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, LA.
Over the course of the tour’s four months, Van Halen will perform 45 shows across the United States and Canada. While most markets will host the American rock icons for just one night, Van Halen will return to New York City for a February 28 and March 1 stand at Madison Square Garden.
In late December, Van Halen teased its upcoming tour with a series of video montages on the band’s official Web site.
In keeping with a date displayed in those videos, the tour’s ticket presales will begin January 10. Live Nation is distributing presale codes to those fans who RSVP on Facebook for Van Halen’s concerts.
Public onsales then will begin January 14 for tour dates booked through April 1, and January 16 for the Louisville opener. Onsales for the remainder of the tour are yet to be announced.
Ticket prices will run from $29.50 to $149.50 in most markets, according to event listings on Ticketmaster.com. However, the site only listed nine concert dates as of 12 p.m. on January 6; the face value range may vary more widely as the other markets reveal their pricing.
Highlights on the U.S. itinerary include February 24 at United Center in Chicago, IL; March 11 at TD Garden in Boston, MA; April 19 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA; April 27 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN; June 1 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA; and June 20 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX.
Seven of Van Halen’s 45 concerts will take place north of the boarder. Some of those dates include March 15 at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC; March 17 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, ON; May 7 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC; and May 11 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, AB.
Kool & The Gang will appear as a special guest on select tour dates.
The 2012 North American tour is Van Halen’s first outing since 2007-2008. The upcoming outing is expected to feature hits from the band’s decade-spanning career, as well as cuts from the new album “A Different Kind of Truth,” which is slated for release on February 7.
Van Halen itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)
| February 18 | Louisville, KY | KFC Yum! Center |
| February 20 | Auburn Hills, MI | The Palace of Auburn Hills |
| February 22 | Indianapolis, IN | Bankers Life Fieldhouse |
| February 24 | Chicago, IL | United Center |
| February 28 | New York, NY | Madison Square Garden Arena |
| March 1 | New York, NY | Madison Square Garden Arena |
| March 3 | Uncasville, CT | Mohegan Sun Arena |
| March 5 | Philadelphia, PA | Wells Fargo Center |
| March 9 | Buffalo, NY | First Niagara Center |
| March 11 | Boston, MA | TD Garden |
| March 15 | Montreal, QC | Bell Centre |
| March 17 | Toronto, ON | Air Canada Centre |
| March 21 | Ottawa, ON | Scotiabank Place |
| March 24 | Atlantic City, NJ | Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall |
| March 28 | Washington, DC | Verizon Center |
| March 30 | Pittsburgh, PA | Consol Energy Center |
| April 1 | Rosemont, IL | Allstate Arena |
| April 10 | Sunrise, FL | BankAtlantic Center |
| April 12 | Tampa, FL | Tampa Bay Times Forum |
| April 14 | Orlando, FL | Amway Center |
| April 16 | Jacksonville, FL | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena |
| April 19 | Atlanta, GA | Philips Arena |
| April 21 | Greensboro, NC | Greensboro Coliseum Complex |
| April 25 | Charlotte, NC | Time Warner Cable Arena |
| April 27 | Nashville, TN | Bridgestone Arena |
| May 1 | Tulsa, OK | BOK Center |
| May 5 | Tacoma, WA | Tacoma Dome |
| May 7 | Vancouver, BC | Rogers Arena |
| May 9 | Calgary, AB | Scotiabank Saddledome |
| May 11 | Edmonton, AB | Rexall Place |
| May 17 | Winnipeg, MB | MTS Centre |
| May 19 | Saint Paul, MN | Xcel Energy Center |
| May 22 | Kansas City, MO | Sprint Center |
| May 24 | Denver, CO | Pepsi Center |
| May 27 | Las Vegas, NV | MGM Grand Garden Arena |
| June 1 | Los Angeles, CA | Staples Center |
| June 3 | Oakland, CA | Oracle Arena |
| June 5 | San Jose, CA | HP Pavilion at San Jose |
| June 12 | Anaheim, CA | Honda Center |
| June 14 | San Diego, CA | Viejas Arena |
| June 16 | Phoenix, AZ | U.S. Airways Center |
| June 20 | Dallas, TX | American Airlines Center |
| June 22 | San Antonio, TX | AT&T Center |
| June 24 | Houston, TX | Toyota Center |
| June 26 | New Orleans, LA | New Orleans Arena |
