Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz [ tickets ] will precede his late-summer opening stint on Dave Matthews Band [ tickets ]'s late-summer tour with a headlining jaunt that also features Raul Midon, Makana and DJ Bob Neck Snapp.

The outing kicks off in Minneapolis on May 14, and dates are set through mid-June. His itinerary also includes a May 2 performance at the Music Midtown festival in Atlanta; a May 7 performance at Cityfest Live in Charlotte, NC; and a May 30 date with rock outfit Fuel in Anderson, SC.

Mraz then hooks up with Dave Matthews Band for a brief tour of duty that begins on Aug. 31 in Marysville, CA, and wraps up in Salt Lake City on Sept. 8.

Mraz continues to work the road in support of his 2002 debut, "Waiting for my Rocket to Come." The set features the cuts "You & I Both," "I'll Do Anything," "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" and "Curbside Prophet," all of which are streaming at Mraz's website.

Last Friday (4/9), Mraz sang the national anthem before the San Diego Padres' first home game of the season, and first-ever game at Petco Park, the team's new stadium. He described the experience in a message posted on his website, and shared his philosophy on how one should deliver that song.

"Just sing it straight and simple and get on with the game," he wrote. "These 48,000 fans are not here to see me or rock out to the four-second remedy clip that plays during my embarrassing introduction. The last thing on any sports fan's mind is, 'Who is that sensitive boy with the vocal trills wowing me right now? Forget the game honey, let's get to a record store and stay in tonight and make love to the sound of this kid's patriotic voice.' ...

"It was honor to even be there," he continued, "but to tell my grandkids someday that I was the first to sing our national anthem in that stadium is pretty cool too. ... I'll probably remember that one forever."