Creed [ tickets ] will tour North America extensively in 2002, starting with a Jan. 14 appearance at the Lakeland Civic Center in the band's home base of Florida. The tour is expected to visit 19 cities by mid-February before pushing off for Australia in March.

The band's representatives are currently firming up the routing of the tour's January-February leg, and more details should be announced within a week.

After touring Australia, Creed is expected to play more North American dates in April. The band will tour Europe in May and June before returning to the U.S. for a July-November run. Sevendust is likely to support on some North American dates.

The tour will probably be one of 2002's hottest tickets. In 2000, Creed grossed $26 million over 79 North American shows, according to Pollstar.

Creed's new album, "Weathered," will enter the Billboard 200 chart at No. 1 next week, with sales of between 800,000 and 1 million units, according to industry sources. Its previous release, 1999's "Human Clay," sold more than 10 million copies.