McGraw, Hill announce opening acts, second stage

With the kickoff of this year's Tim McGraw /Faith Hill tour just days away, the superstar couple has selected opening talent for the mainstage while announcing a second stage that will feature up-and-coming performers.

Openers for the Soul2Soul Tour, which kicks off June 5 with two nights in Omaha, NE, will consist of Lori McKenna , Taylor Swift and The Warren Brothers , with McGraw and Hill promising "a few surprises along the way."

"We wanted to continue to grow and expand the experience for the fans," the couple said in a press release. "We have a personal connection with all of these artists and their music and look forward to them joining us on tour."

A second stage outside arenas on the tour will feature talent handpicked by McGraw himself, according to the tour's publicist. The "MyGIG Infotainment Stage" will feature Halfway to Hazard and Lance Miller, whose Warren Brothers-produced debut single, "She Really Loves Me," was recently released on WB Records.

The trek, which now comprises 44 dates, is scheduled to make stops at arenas across the US and Canada through mid-August. The nine-show Canadian leg marks McGraw and Hill's first string of co-headlining stops throughout that country.

The two-and-a-half-hour Soul2Soul production again will be configured in the round and include several first-time performances by the couple as well as many solo hits by each singer.

Last year's Soul2Soul outing was the highest-grossing country music tour in history and the 12th highest-grossing tour of all time, according to concert-industry publication Pollstar.

Between the two of them, McGraw and Hill have sold more than 64 million albums. Last month, McGraw released his 11th set, "Let it Go," which is his ninth consecutive record to debut at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. Hill's last three albums, including 2005's "Fireflies," each debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart as well as the magazine's Top Country Albums chart--a first for a female artist.

McGraw and Hill recently announced that they will play their only outdoor gig this year at the Sept. 1 Country Rocks the Hill event in Moncton, New Brunswick.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]
 tour dates and tickets
June 2007
5, 6 - Omaha, NE - Qwest Center
8 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Center
11 - Salt Lake City, UT - Delta Center
13 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden Arena
14 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
16, 17 - Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place
19, 20 - Edmonton, Alberta - Rexall Place
21 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Credit Union Centre
22 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - MTS Centre
25, 26 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
27 - Ottawa, Ontario - Scotiabank Place
29 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
30 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center

July 2007
5, 6 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden
7 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
9 - East Rutherford, NJ - Continental Airlines Arena
11 - Detroit, MI - The Palace
12 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena
13, 14 - Chicago, IL - United Center
17 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
18 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena
20 - Greensboro, SC - Greensboro Coliseum
21 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
22 - Jacksonville, FL - American Airlines Center
24 - Sunrise, FL - BankAtlantic Center
25 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
27 - Biloxi, MS - Mississippi Coast Coliseum
28 - Lafayette, LA - Cajundome
29 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
31 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center

August 2007
2 - San Diego, CA - San Diego Sports Arena
3 - Phoenix, AZ - Jobing.com Arena
4 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden
6 - Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena
7 - Fresno, CA - Savemart Center
8 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
10, 11 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center

September 2007
1 - Moncton, New Brunswick - Country Rocks the Hill


 tour dates and tickets
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