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Ozzfest XI tour schedule takes shape

Ozzfest organizers have hammered out the itinerary for this summer's 11th edition of the touring metal festival, and have announced on which dates the tour's namesake singer will appear.

The run kicks off June 29 in Auburn, WA, and two-dozen dates are stacked up through mid-August, venues for all of which have now been confirmed.

The tour's main-stage lineup features tour founder Ozzy Osbourne , System of a Down, Disturbed , Hatebreed , Lacuna Coil and a "major main stage band to be announced on May 23," according to a press release.

Black Label Society--fronted by Osbourne's guitarist, Zakk Wylde--will headline the tour's second stage, which will also feature Atreyu, Unearth, Bleeding Through, Norma Jean, A Life Once Lost, Strapping Young Lad, The Red Chord, Full Blown Chaos, Walls of Jericho, All That Remains, and Between the Buried and Me.

As previously reported, Osbourne will headline only 10 shows on the tour, nine of which are already locked in. Details are included in the itinerary below.

In a statement, Osbourne said he isn't appearing on all of the tour's dates "because after 10 years I feel it's time to let someone else share the headlining spotlight. We want to shake it up a bit this year. I've closed virtually every Ozzfest performance for a decade now, and I feel I can finally let other artists headline our festival and that's my intention for the future."

Ozzy headlined Ozzfest with Black Sabbath in 2004 and 2005. This year's Ozzfest appearances will mark his first solo concerts in three years.
During the tour, he is expected to debut a new song that will appear on a new album that he and Wylde are currently working on.

Meanwhile, Roadrunner Records has set a July 3 release for Black Label Society's new disc, "Shot to Hell."

TOUR DATES
 tour dates and tickets
June 2006
29 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre (w/ Ozzy)

July 2006
1 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre (w/ Ozzy)
2 - Marysville, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre
7 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Pavilion
8 - Devore, CA - Hyundai Pavilion (w/ Ozzy)
11 - Selma, TX - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
14 - Somerset, WI - Foat-Rite Park
15 - Maryland Heights, MO - UMB Bank Pavilion
16 - Tinley Park, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre (w/ Ozzy)
18 - Pittsburgh, PA - Post Gazette Pavilion
19 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
21 - Columbus, OH - Germain Amphitheater
22 - East Troy, WI - Alpine Valley Music Theatre (w/ Ozzy)
23 - Noblesville, IN - Verizon Wireless Music Center
26 - Scranton, PA - Toyota Pavilion
27 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake PAC
29 - New York, NY - Randall's Island (w/ Ozzy)
30 - Hartford, CT - New England Dodge Music Center

August 2006
1 - Mansfield, MA - Tweeter Center (w/ Ozzy)
4 - Camden, NJ - Tweeter Center at the Waterfront (w/ Ozzy)
5 - Virginia Beach, VA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
6 - Bristow, VA - Nissan Pavilion (w/ Ozzy)
9 - Raleigh, NC - Alltel Pavilion
13 - West Palm Beach, FL - Sound Advice Amphitheatre

 tour dates and tickets