Touring It Up: Bruno Mars Releases ‘Doo Wops & Hooligans’ and Announces Tour Dates

Bruno Mars has announced his first-ever North American headline tour, which will kick off November 16th in San Francisco at Slims and will continue through to a November 30th date at Boston’s famed Paradise Rock Club (see itinerary below). Tickets for the “The Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour” are now available to the public and shows are selling out quickly. Special guests, as well as a slate of additional tour dates, will be announced shortly.

Bruno Mars has also officially released his new album, ‘Doo-Wops & Hooligans,’ as of Tuesday, October 5, 2010. Which will follow with his biggest U.S. tour schedule to date, supporting Maroon 5 & One Republic on the last three dates of the fall leg of their 2010 “Hands All Over Tour”.

From there, Mars will cross the Atlantic for an eagerly awaited European tour alongside Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen recording artist Travie McCoy, due to hit England, Scotland, Germany, Denmark, France, Sweden, and The Netherlands with dates running from mid-October through early November. The joint tour follows Mars and McCoy‘s recent series of high-profile TV performances of their collaborative Top 3 hit, “Billionaire,” including appearances on ABC’s The View, NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, VH1’s “Do Something Awards,” TBS’ Lopez Tonight, and Fox’s 2010 Teen Choice Awards.

Below is the schedule for his current tour dates:

October 14th – 16th Supporting Maroon 5 & One Republic
October 18th – November 3rd Supporting Travie McCoy
November 16th – 30th “THE DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS TOUR”

OCTOBER
14 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center
15 Sacramento, CA ARCO Arena
16 San Diego, CA Viejas Arena
18 Birmingham, England Academy 2
21 Oxford, England Academy 2
22 Manchester, England Academy 3
23 Glasgow, Scotland G2
25 London, England KCLSU
26 Cologne, Germany Gebaude 9
27 Berlin, Germany Magnet
28 Amsterdam, Netherlands Melkweg
29 Copenhagen, Denmark Rust
30 Stockholm, Sweden Göta Källar

NOVEMBER
1 Hamburg, Germany Beatlemania
2 Stuttgart, Germany Kellerclub
3 Paris, France Nouveau Casino
16 San Francisco, CA Slims
20 Phoenix, AZ Martini Ranch
23 Dallas, TX The Loft
24 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
26 Sauget, IL Pops
27 Chicago, IL Bottom Lounge SOLD OUT!
28 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
30 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club

Additional Headline Dates To Be Announced Soon….

For more information, please visit www.brunomars.com, www.myspace.com/brunomars, or www.elektra.com.

Touring It Up: Donell Jones Announces Tour & Drops New Album

R&B veteran Donell Jones’ newly-formed label ‘CandyMan’, was thrilled to announce the September 28th, 2010 release of his new studio album titled ‘LYRICS.’ The album was the long-awaited follow-up to ‘Journey Of A Gemini’ which included the hits, “I’m Gonna Be” and “Spend The Night.”

As those who tuned in for the R&B vet’s first feature, the soulfully apologetic Bad Boy, already know, Donell Jones isn’t just a skilled crooner; he’s also one hell of a smooth-talker. On his latest single, the Georgia native once again makes full use of his powers of persuasion, telling a hesitant female:

“I know you’ve been hurt before, but you’ve never had a Love Like This.”

Over his own lush instrumental, featuring steamy keyboard riffs, slow-jam percussion and even a dash of harp, Jones showcases more of the soft vocals that charmed readers back in December of 2009. Though the singer takes a seemingly counterproductive detour into confessional territory around verse two:

“I tried to hit every woman that I came in contact with out on the road / but I got that out of my system…”

May be honest, but it isn’t exactly confidence-inspiring, the finished product is plenty seductive enough to make up for a little over-sharing.

The new album will be Jones’ fifth offering to date. The new album is also set to include the first single, “Love Like This” which is already climbing the charts at Urban AC where it’s currently at #12 with a bullet, rapidly approaching Top 10.

Below is the schedule for his current tour dates:

September 28th Atlanta, GA
September 29th Chicago, IL
September 30th Milwaukee, WI
October 1st Bronx, NY
October 2nd Augusta, GA
October 4th New York, NY
October 5th and 6th Philadelphia, PA/Baltimore, MA/Washington, DC
October 9th Atlanta, GA
October 30th New York, NY
December 12th Dallas, TX

Check out the video below for his single, “Love Like This”….

What do you think?

Sources: Djbooth, OnSmash, YouTube

Touring It Up: Fantasia Announces ‘Back to Me’ Nationwide Tour Alongside Eric Benet and Kandi Burruss

R&B singer Fantasia Barrino, will kick-off her first headlining tour, entitled ‘Back To Me,’. The 30 city nationwide tour kicks off on November 4th in Richmond, VA making stops across the country in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Los Angeles, New York, Memphis and Chicago. It will conclude by bringing in the New Year on January 1st in St. Louis, MO.

Announcing the news, she says:

“I’m so excited about this tour and having the chance to connect with my fans, the people that love me and have been supporting me through everything,” Fantasia states in a press release. “This tour is going to be a real special, intimate experience for them and for me.”

The former “American Idol” and reality star survived a drug overdose on August 9 and later shocked fans by revealing the scare wasn’t an accident and she meant to take her own life.

Barrino was quick to move forward with her music career; she took the first step toward putting the incident behind her with a Las Vegas concert on August 27 – her first performance after the suicide attempt – and the singer is pushing through her personal struggles by diving back into work.

Fantasia, an eight-time Grammy nominee, begins this tour after the critically acclaimed release of her third studio album, ‘Back To Me’ which debuted at #1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and #2 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album marks Fantasia’s first #1 R&B album and her highest Billboard Top 200 chart ranking.

PLEASE NOTE!: Subscribers of Fantasia’s newsletter can take advantage of a concert ticket pre-sale opportunity 1 day prior to general public on sales. The first round of presales for selected dates began on September 30th from 10:00am-10:00pm. If you’re not already signed up, make sure you sign up at FantasiaOfficial.com for up-to-date tour information and future pre-sale opportunities.

In 2004, the High Point, North Carolina native became the season three winner of Fox’s American Idol. Later that year, Fantasia released her platinum-selling debut album ‘Free Yourself’ on J Records.

Three-time Grammy Award nominee Eric Benet and Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter/producer Kandi Burruss will join Fantasia on tour.

“The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” says she’s looking forward to the upcoming tour, telling her Twitter followers, 

“I’m going on tour with my girl Fantasia in November! It’s gonna be so fun.”

Kandi Burruss’ sophomore effort ‘Kandi Koated’ is due in stores on November 23rd. Eric Benet is also planning to drop his new record, ‘Lost In Time,’ this fall.

Below is the schedule for her current tour dates:

Thur Nov 4 Richmond, VA Landmark Theater
Fri Nov 5 Norfolk, VA Chrysler Hall
Sat Nov 6 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre
Sun Nov 7 Baltimore, MD Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Wed Nov 10 Savannah, GA Johnny Mercer Theatre
Thur Nov 11 Atlanta, GA Fox Theater
Fri Nov 12 Tampa, FL Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
Sat Nov 13 Jacksonville, FL Moran Theatre
Sun Nov14 Miami, FL James L. Knight Center
Wed Nov17 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium
Thur Nov18 Greensboro, NC War Memorial Auditorium
Fri Nov 19 Columbia, SC Township Auditorium
Sat Nov 20 Birmingham, AL BJCC Concert Hall
Wed Nov 24 Los Angeles, CA Nokia Theatre L.A. Live
Fri Nov 26 San Diego, CA Copley Symphony Hall
Sat Nov 27 Oakland, CA Paramount Theatre
Thur Dec 2 Dallas, TX Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
Fri Dec 3 Southaven, MS DeSoto Civic Center
Sat Dec 4 New Orleans, LA Kiefer Uno Lakefront Arena
Sun Dec 5 Houston, TX Reliant Arena
Wed Dec 8 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
Thur Dec 9 Louisville, KY Louisville Palace Theatre
Fri Dec 10 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre
Sat Dec 11 Cincinnati, OH Procter and Gamble at Aronoff Centre
Sun Dec 12 Augusta, GA Bell Auditorium
Mon Dec 27 New York City, NY Beacon Theatre
Tue Dec 28 Washington, D.C. DAR Constitution Hall
Wed Dec 29 Cleveland, OH State Theatre
Thu Dec 30 Chicago, IL Auditorium Theatre
Sat Jan 1 St. Louis, MO Fox Theatre

Sources: Various Sources

Touring It Up: Sade Announces North American Tour Dates

Coasting on the success of their platinum-selling album ‘Soldier of Love’ released this past February, U.K. outfit Sade is shaping up to have a busy 2011. The band, led by singer Sade Adu, will hit the road for its first global tour in over a decade, kicking off the 50-city North American leg on June 16 at Baltimore’s 1st Mariner Arena.

Sade already has U.S. dates scheduled for Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles, with additional dates to be announced soon.

Below is the schedule for her current tour dates:

Jun. 16 – Baltimore, MD – 1st Mariner Arena
Jun. 19 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Jun. 21 – Uniondale, NY – Nassau Coliseum
Jun. 24 – East Rutherford, NJ – Izod Center
Jun. 28 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre
Jun. 30 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Jul. 06 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Aug. 05 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Aug. 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
Aug. 30 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center

Additional dates will be announced in the following markets soon: Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Calgary, AB; Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX; Detroit, MI; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Houston, TX; Kansas City, MO; Las Vegas, NV; Louisville, KY; Memphis, TN; Milwaukee, WI; New Orleans, LA; Oakland, CA; Orlando, FL; Phoenix, AZ; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR; Sacramento, CA; San Diego, CA; San Jose, CA; Seattle, WA; St. Paul, MN, Vancouver, BC.

We will keep you posted.

Info. Source: Rap-Up.com

Touring It Up: J. Cole Announces Nationwide Tour Dates

J. Cole has officially announced that he will be Touring It Up this fall. Ahead of his anticipated debut’s late 2010 release, the ‘Who Dat’ rapper will embark on a nationwide 35-city tour on October 1 at Alabama A&M University, making his way across the U.S. before wrapping the trek at New York City’s Highline Ballroom on December 5.

Below is the schedule for his current tour dates:

Oct. 1 – Alabama A&M University – Normal, AL
Oct. 7 – Private Location – Hayward, CA
Oct. 8 – Rochester Institute of Technology – Rochester, NY
Oct. 9 – Greensboro Coliseum, NC A&T Homecoming – Greensboro, NC
Oct. 10 – Central Michigan University – Mt. Pleasant, MI
Oct. 12 – University of Louisiana – Monroe, LA
Oct. 15 – Nichols University – Dudley, MA
Oct. 16 – Private Location – New Brunswick, NJ
Oct. 17 – Penn State University – Behrend – Erie, PA
Oct. 21 – UNC Pembroke – Pembroke, NC
Oct. 2 – Private Location – State College, PA
Oct. 2 – SUNY Delhi – Delhi, NY
Oct. 24 – Kenne State College – Keene, NH
Oct. 27 – The Norva – Norfolk, VA
Nov. 3 – Promowest – Columbus, OH
Nov. 4 – Madison Theatre – Cincinnati, OH
Nov. 5 – The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
Nov. 6 – Western Michigan University – Kalamazoo, MI
Nov. 8 – The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI
Nov. 9 – University of Maine – Orono, ME
Nov. 11 – The Granada – Lawrence, KS
Nov. 12 – Karma – Minneapolis, MN
Nov. 14 – The Sokol – Omaha, NE
Nov. 16 – Belly Up – Aspen, CO
Nov. 17 – The Fox – Boulder, CO
Nov. 19 – Club House – Tempe, AZ
Nov. 20 – Key Club – Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 23 – Fortune Sound Club – Vancouver, BC
Nov. 24 – Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
Nov. 25 – Roseland Theatre – Portland, OR
Nov. 26 – Voo Doo Lounge – San Jose, CA
Nov. 27 – Haze Nightclub – Las Vegas, NV
Dec. 2 – Club 77 – Hamilton, ON
Dec. 4 – Syracuse University – Syracuse, NY
Dec. 5 – Highline Ballroom – New York, NY

Photos via Google Images

Touring It Up: Gucci Mane

Gucci Mane finally has a release date for his new album, “The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted,” which drops September 28th. He is currently on the road touring right now!

Below is the schedule for his current tour dates:

9/14: Philadelphia PA and Baltimore, MD
9/15: Washington, DC
9/16: Charlotte, NC
9/17: Pompano Beach, FL
9/18: Houston, TX
9/19: New Orleans, LA
9/20: Houston and Dallas, TX
9/21: Dallas, TX & Oklahoma City/Tulsa, OK
9/22: Little Rock, AR
9/23: Memphis, TN
9/24: Jackson/Biloxi, MS
9/25: Mobile, AL
9/26: Minneapolis, MN
9/27: New York, NY
9/28: Atlanta, GA

Touring It Up: Lil Wayne Teams up with Drake – Young Jeezy – Souljah Boy for America’s Most Wanted Tour

Four of Hip Hop’s most popular artists will share the stage this summer for a tour that is primed to sell out nationwide.

Headlined by New Orleans emcee Lil Wayne and joined by Young Jeezy , Drake and Soulja Boy , the four rappers will embark on the Young Money Presents: America’s Most Wanted Music Festival. With 21 confirmed dates thus far, the tour will begin in Scranton, Pennsylvania on July 27th and move throughout the country until their last show in Dallas, Texas on August 23rd.

This will be Weezy’s second headlining tour in 2009 as earlier this year he hit the road with R&B crooner T-Pain for the I Am Music Tour.

Tickets for the America’s Most Wanted Music Festival will be available on June 20th through Ticketmaster and Live Nation.

Below is the tentative tour schedule:
July 27th        Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion
July 29th        Saratoga, NY @ Performing Arts Center
July 30th        Pittsburgh, PA @ Post Gazette Pavilion
July 31st        Philadelphia, PA @ Susquehanna Bank Center
August 1st     Wantagh, NY @ Jones Beach
August 2nd     Virginia Beach, VA @Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
August 4th      Toronto, ON @ Molson Amphitheater
August 5th      Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
August 6th      Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Pavilion
August 7th      Bristow, VA @ Nissan Pavilion
August 8th      Raleigh, NC @ Walnut Creek Amphitheater
August 9th      Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood
August 12th    Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheater
August 13th    Los Angeles, CA @ TBD
August 14th    Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
August 15th    Oakland, CA @ Sleep Train at Concorde
August 17th    Vancouver, BC @ GM Place
August 18th    Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
August 20th    Denver, CO @ Fiddlers Green Amphitheater
August 22nd   Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
August 23rd    Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center.

Special Props to HipHopDX for the info via email