update 11/20/00: Offbeat alt-rockers Weezer [ tickets ], who are currently at work on their third album, will open a 20-city tour of the U.S. in February. Tickets to the Yahoo!-sponsored tour will be sold exclusively on the Internet through the end of the year.

Ticket sales for tour stops in Milwaukee and Chicago began Friday, 11/17. Tickets for Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa, Denver and San Diego began with little fanfare on Monday, 11/20.

A weekend update to the Yahoo! Outloud shifted the official onsale date to Monday, 11/27, but a Monday press release changed the onsale date again to Monday, 11/20. An hour after the intended sale time, only four of the remaining 18 shows on the itinerary had been released. Tour representatives were not immediately available for comment.

Weezer re-entered the public eye in 2000 with appearances on the Vans Warped Tour and some U.S. club dates. The band hasn't released a new album since 1996's "Pinkerton," but did perform some new material on tour this year.

Weezer recently signed with Geffen Records. Ric Ocasek (The Cars), who produced the band’s 3 million-selling debut album, is producing the forthcoming album. No release date has been announced, but Ocasek is expected to join the band in the studio in December, according to Weezer’s official website.

Geffen plans to release a new song titled "The Christmas Song," which will be on a two-song promotional CD that Geffen plans to send to radio stations soon, according to the band’s website.