for those not familiar with The Hives think a garage band like The Vines but with talent!
Swedish rock combo the Hives will launch a North American tour July 20 in Washington, D.C., the same day its as-yet-untitled new album arrives via Interscope. Fellow countrywomen Sahara Hotnights and Memphis-based the Reigning Sound will support on the trek, which wraps Aug. 4 in San Diego.
Beforehand, the Hives will play sporadic European festival and headlining dates beginning June 3 in London, plus Los Angeles radio station KROQ's Weenie Roast on June 12 in Irvine, Calif. The group will head straight from its North American tour finale to Japan's Summer Sonic Festival, set for Aug. 7 in Osaka and Aug. 8 in Tokyo.
The upcoming set is the Hives' first for Interscope after releasing its previous albums in North America via a complicated series of licensing deals with Epitaph and Warner Bros. It's the follow-up to 2002's "Veni Vidi Vicious," which reached No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. The single "Hate To Say I Told You So" reached No. 6 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks tally.
Here are the Hives' tour dates:
June 3: London (Electric Ballroom)
June 5: Donnington, England (Download Festival)
June 12: Irvine, Calif. (KROQ Weenie Roast)
June 19: Seinajoki, Finland (Provinssirock)
June 26: Scheesel, Germany (Hurricane Festival)
June 27: Neuhasen, Germany (Southside Festival)
July 2: Roskilde, Denmark (Roskilde Festival)
July 10: Kristiansand, Norway (Quart Festival)
July 20: Washington, D.C. (9:30 Club)
July 21-22: New York (Irving Plaza)
July 23: Boston (Avalon)
July 24: Toronto (Phoenix)
July 25: Detroit (Majestic Theatre)
July 26: Chicago (Metro)
July 28: Denver (Ogden Theatre)
July 29: Salt Lake City (County Fairpark)
July 30: Seattle (the Premier)
July 31: Portland, Ore. (Roseland Theatre
Aug. 1: San Francisco (Fillmore)
Aug. 4: San Diego (Soma)
Aug. 7-8: Osaka/Tokyo (Summer Sonic Festival)
Aug. 20: Dronten, Holland (Lowlands Festival)
Aug. 27-28: Reading/Leeds, England (Reading/Leeds Festival)
-- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.