Limp Bizkit [ tickets ] will play free concerts in 10 major U.S. markets to usher in the release of the band's forthcoming album "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water," which is scheduled for release in August. The tour will be sponsored by Napster.com, a company in the news of late because of its distribution of controversial MP3 file sharing software.

Napster is fronting an estimated $1.8 million for the undertaking, which will cover tour expenses such as buses, hotels, trucks, venue rentals and security. Limp Bizkit and the other bands on the bill won't make money from their participation, according to the tour announcement.

The "Back to Basics" tour, to run from July 4 through August 6, will also feature Cypress Hill [ tickets ] and another opening act to be announced. According to a statement issued by Limp Bizkit, the jaunt will include multiple nights in 3,000 to 5,000 seat venues in Chicago, Dallas, Minneapolis, Denver, Detroit, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, New York and Los Angeles.

The band hasn't announced specifically how the free tickets will be distributed, but it will be a first-come, first-served set-up. "We wanted to play smaller venues with open floors so we can get closer to the fans," Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst said in a statement. "We would like things to be as hassle-free as possible: the shows get announced, the fans line up, and the first ones there get to see the show.''

Venues and dates will be announced on Limp Bizkit's website and on radio as the concert dates approach, according to the statement.

In aligning with Napster, Limp Bizkit has taken a position to contrary to that of many in the recording industry, most notably Metallica [ tickets ], which has filed a copyright infringement and racketeering lawsuit against the company. And Durst's position is especially surprising considering that he has a vice-president title with Interscope Records.

"We believe that the Internet and Napster should not be ignored by the music industry as tools to promote awareness for bands and market music," Durst said in a statement. "We could care less about the older generation's need to keep doing business as usual; we care more about what our fans want, and our fans want music on the Internet.''

This isn't the first time Limp Bizkit has taken an unusual promotional tack. The band first gained widespread coverage in the trade press in 1998, when label Flip/Interscope paid rock station KUFO in Portland to play the single "Counterfeit."