After enjoying the afterglow of their criminally underrated masterwork Game Theory, perennial road warriors the Roots are finally going on tour. The four month jaunt has already begun in Great Britain and winds through Ireland, South Africa, Japan and Canada before reaching the U.S. in February. It will represent the group’s nationwide tour since Game Theory dropped last August.
As an added bonus, Chicago skateboard enthusiast Lupe Fiasco will open a handful of U.S. dates. Though he has completed several spot dates since issuing Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor in September, fans will have to wait a little bit longer for a full-fledged national jaunt.
In related news, Questlove has wrapped up an intriguing remix of Pharrell Williams’ solo debut In My Mind. Similar to what the Neptunes did to the original version of N.E.R.D.’s In Search Of… by adding Spymob to the mix, Questlove reworked an album that drew mixed reviews and disappointing record sales. (However, it did get a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album.) He also logged studio time with the Rev. Al Green.
While we’re on the subject of Grammy nominations, the Roots garnered two nods for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (for “Don’t Feel Right”). Lupe Fiasco logged three nominations, too, for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Solo Performance (“Kick, Push”). Despite the nominations, however, it seems like one of the greatest hip-hop bands of all time deserves more.
Here are the U.S. tour dates:
- 2/03: Showbox, Seattle, WA
- 2/05: Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
- 2/07: The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
- 2/08: The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
- 2/10: Gibson Ampitheatre, Los Angeles, CA
- 2/12: House of Blues, San Diego, CA
- 2/14: House of Blues, Anaheim, CA
- 2/16: Harry O’s, Salt Lake City, UT
- 2/17: The Fillmore, Denver, CO
- 2/19: Gypsy Tea Room, Dallas, TX
- 2/20: Stubbs, Austin, TX
- 2/22: House of Blues, New Orleans, LA
- 2/24: House of Blues, Orlando, FL
- 2/25: Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
- 3/03: House of Blues, Myrtle Beach, SC
- 3/04: The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA
- 3/07: Norva Theater, Norfolk, VA
- 3/08: Meyerhoff Hall, Baltimore, MD
- 3/09: Constitution Hall, Washington, DC
- 3/10: Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY
- 3/13: Avalon, Boston, MA
- 3/17: Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL
- 3/18: The Rave, Milwaukee, WI
- 3/20: Myth, Minneapolis, MN
- 3/22: The Pageant, St. Louis, MO
- 3/24: Kool Haus, Toronto, ON
- 3/27: Metropolis, Montreal, QC
- 4/03: Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, PA
- 4/04: Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, PA
2/17, 3/04, 3/08-3/10, 3/17: w/Lupe Fiasco
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