Along side support group N.E.R.D. [ tickets ], hip-hop king-maker Jay-Z [ tickets ] made Fresno, CA, the place to be on Saturday night (11/7) when he kicked off a new tour in support of his 11th studio set, "The Blueprint 3."

The new album, which is the final installment of the "Blueprint" trilogy, debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 after its release in September, reportedly selling over 500,000 copies during its first week out. It's not a stretch, then, to expect sold out shows for Jay-Z as fans clamor to hear the new material performed live.

Tomorrow night (11/10) Jay-Z will be performing in Austin, TX, before heading north to Champaign, IL on Thursday (11/12). LiveDaily photographer Tim Mosenfelder was in Fresno for the aforementioned tour launch, and here are some of his shots.