Maryland rockers Clutch [ tickets ] and their instrumental, jazz-laden alter ego, The Bakerton Group, will hit the road next month for a trek around the eastern half of the US.

The outing is set to launch Feb. 11 in Huntington, WV, and visit 17 cities through early March. Openers include Willem Maker, Red Fang and Rev Peyton's Big Damn Band. The Chicago and Detroit shows will be headlined by The Bakerton Group with no Clutch performance, and the Feb. 14 Springfield, MO, gig is a Mudvayne show with Clutch supporting. The full itinerary is listed below.

Clutch's own label, Weathermaker Music, recently signed a deal with Sony/BMG-owned RED Distribution. The first release under the new alliance will be The Bakerton Group's full-length debut, "El Rojo!" which is due Feb. 17.

Clutch dished out three live albums last year, the latest one being the CD/DVD set "Full Fathom Five," which was recorded during the band's 2007/2008 world tour. The DVD has recently been featured on Comcast Cable's On Demand "Concert TV" channel.

Last April, the rockers released "Live at the Corner Hotel," capturing their March 2006 performance in Australia, where they have a rabid fanbase. That set followed February's "Heard It All Before - Live at HiFi Bar," which was also recorded in Australia.

Clutch's most recent studio effort is 2007's "From Beale Street to Oblivion," which reached No. 52 on The Billboard 200, No. 4 on the Top Independent Albums chart, and spawned the mainstream rock single "Electric Worry."

Following their US tour, the musicians will return to the studio to record the next Clutch album, according to a press release.

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