Bearded blues-rock icons ZZ Top [ tickets ] will head out on the road this fall, exchanging their customary arena crowds for a run of more intimate dates in nightclubs and small theaters.

The band's upcoming schedule is filled with the sorts of venues that ZZ Top outgrew decades ago, but the group says it's doing the tour--which kicks off Sept. 26 in Wichita, KS--purely for the fun of it, not because of anything to do with fading popularity.

"Earlier this year, because of a routing quirk, we accepted a 'fill-in' date at a little old theater in Knoxville," guitarist Billy Gibbons said in a press statement. "That experience reminded us of our roots, both in terms of a stripped-down, gut-bucket musical approach and the direct connection with the people who came to see us. So we said, 'why not do this on a more extended basis and have some real fun?'"

The trek is set to hit 19 cities and concludes in early November. Details are included below.

ZZ Top has been busy since spring, touring the US and Europe and working on its follow-up to 2003's "Mescalero." In June, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers released their first live concert DVD/Blu-ray disc. "Live From Texas" features 17 songs, behind-the-scenes footage, a photo shoot and a poker game during which Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard talk about the band's history.

The band announced on its official website in July that it had signed a deal with Rick Rubin's American Records.

"We just inked a deal with Rick Rubin that will be announced shortly," Gibbons told metal news site Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles earlier this year. "And I'm sure he's got plans to make way to drag us off the touring trail back into the studio, which will be a nice excursion."