Van Halen announces tour dates, officially christens Hagar

UPDATED 3/26, 3:30 pm PT: Van Halen has unveiled the itinerary for its upcoming summer tour, and has officially confirmed former lead singer Sammy Hagar's return to the band.

The group will launch the reunion tour on June 11 in Greensboro, NC, and dates are set through mid-August. Tickets for many of the shows will hit the box office on April 3. Details are shown below.

Ticket pre-sale information will be announced "shortly," according to a press release. The band also plans to offer "the ultimate fan experience featuring a variety of premium ticket packages" via a deal with iloveallaccess.com, the release said.

According to the band's official website, special ticket packages will be available beginning Tuesday (3/30).

The outing will, in part, support a forthcoming greatest-hits album that Warner Bros. Records will release in June. The set will include a new track titled "It's About Time," which the label plans to deliver to radio stations some time prior to the album's release; no specific release dates for the album or single have been announced.

The group's set list during the upcoming tour will include the Hagar-era Van Halen hits "Top of the World," "When It's Love," "Why Can't This Be Love," "Right Now," "Dreams," "Best of Both Worlds" and "Love Walks In," as well as the Roth-era cuts "Panama" and "Jump," according to the group's publicist.

The band's official website features a new picture of the reunited quartet, which, in addition to Hagar, features brothers Eddie Van Halen (guitar) and Alex Van Halen (drums), and Michael Anthony (bass).

The tour marks the group's first run with Hagar since its outing behind 1995's "Balance," which was Hagar's last album with the outfit before he and the band split on bad terms in June of 1996.

Hagar joined Van Halen in 1985 after original singer David Lee Roth left to launch a solo career. The group released four No. 1 albums with Hagar, as well as a two-disc live set. The group's 1991 album, "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge," won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal.

Van Halen has sold more than 75 million albums worldwide, has logged a dozen multi-platinum albums, and holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for the most No. 1 rock tracks (11) at album radio, according to a press release.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]
 tour dates and tickets
June 2004
11 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum (on sale 4/3)
13 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium (on sale 4/3)
16 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center (on sale 4/3)
19 - Worcester, MA - Worcester's Centrum Centre (on sale 4/3)
22 - East Rutherford, NJ - Continental Airlines Arena (on sale 4/3)
25 - Hartford, CT - Hartford Civic Center (on sale TBA)
26 - Albany, NY - Pepsi Arena (on sale TBA)
28 - Washington, DC - MCI Center (on sale 4/3)

July 2004
1 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena (on sale TBA)
2 - Cleveland, OH - Gund Arena (on sale TBA)
3 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre (on sale TBA)
6 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center (on sale TBA)
7 - Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse (on sale TBA)
10 - Detroit, MI - Joe Louis Arena (on sale 4/3)
11 - Auburn Hills, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills (on sale 4/3)
19 - Chicago, IL - TBA (on sale TBA)
22 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center (on sale 4/3)
26 - Kansas City, MO - Kemper Arena (on sale 4/3)
28 - St. Louis, MO - Savvis Center (on sale 4/3)
31 - Omaha, NE - Qwest Center Omaha (on sale TBA)

August 2004
1 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center (on sale TBA)
5 - Phoenix, AZ - America West Arena (on sale TBA)
7 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay Events Center (on sale 4/3)
10 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion at San Jose (on sale TBA)
11 - Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena (on sale TBA)
13 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Arena (on sale TBA)
14 - Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center (on sale TBA)
19 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center (on sale TBA)

 tour dates and tickets
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