AC/DC gets fans ready to rock

The promotions machine is working overtime as AC/DC gets ready to release its new album and roll out a North American tour.

The veteran rockers' first studio set in eight years, "Black Ice," will hit Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores on Monday (10/20). To make sure fans are paying attention, Wal-Mart has created a "Rock Again AC/DC Store" in each of its 3,500 locations and will stock shelves with the new album in addition to AC/DC merchandise including apparel, DVDs and catalog albums. A gaming station will also be available so fans can try their hand at rocking the new AC/DC-themed "Rock Band" video game.

"This is the first time in our history where we've taken such a large area within our store to celebrate a legendary band, and we invite fans of all ages to come out with us and get ready to rock," Wal-Mart Senior VP of Entertainment Gary Severson said in a statement.

Wal-Mart has also partnered with Columbia Records and MTV to create "AC/DC Rock Band Store" locations in Los Angeles and New York City. The pop-up stores will open at 12:01 a.m. Monday (10/20) to start selling "Black Ice" and other AC/DC merchandise. The outlets, located at the MTV Store in NYC's Times Square and the Hollywood and Highland complex in L.A., will remain open through Jan. 4, according to a press release.

In case that's not enough, a series of interactive "Black Ice" trucks have been dispatched on the streets of Los Angeles and New York City to fill the air with AC/DC tunes and allow fans to listen to the forthcoming album. The vehicles, which will become retail outlets once the album is released, will also demo the new "AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack" game, which is due next month.

As previously reported, AC/DC will support "Black Ice" with a North American tour that launches Oct. 28 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The trek is set to visit US cities from coast to coast as well as a couple of Canadian provinces through late January. Stops include two-night stands in New York City; Rosemont, IL; Oakland, CA; and the Los Angeles area.

Most of the shows, which are listed below, are already sold out, according to AC/DC's website. The band has also assembled a European jaunt that stretches from February to April.

TOUR DATES
 tour dates and tickets
October 2008
28 - Wilkes-Barre, PA - Wachovia Arena
30 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena

November 2008
1 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena
3 - Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
5 - Auburn Hills, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills
7 - Toronto, Ontario - Rogers Centre
9 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden
12, 13 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
15 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
17 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
19 - East Rutherford, NJ - IZOD Center
21 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
23 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
25 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
28 - Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place
29 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena
30 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome

December 2008
2, 4 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
6, 8 - Inglewood, CA - The Forum
10 - Phoenix, AZ - US Airways Center
12 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center
14 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
16 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
18 - Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena
20 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Bank Atlantic Center
21 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum

January 2009
5 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
7 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
9 - Toronto, Ontario - Rogers Centre
11 - Cincinnati, OH - U.S. Bank Arena
13 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
15 - Omaha, NE - Qwest Center Omaha
17 - Fargo, ND - Fargodome
19 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
21 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
23 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
26 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
28 - Little Rock, AR - ALLTELL Arena
30 - Memphis, TN - FedEx Forum
31 - Nashville, TN - Sommet Center


 tour dates and tickets
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