Nick Carter will launch his first solo tour on February 17, and from the looks of it, he's going to have to get used to playing much smaller stages than he did with the Backstreet Boys.

Carter will kick things off with a date at the Staircase in Pittston, Pennsylvania. The 17-date theater tour in support of his solo debut, Now or Never, is

currently scheduled to run through a March 9 date at the Fillmore in San Francisco, according to his spokesperson.

The solo stint comes on the heels of a $75 million lawsuit Backstreet Boys filed in November against their label, Zomba Recording Corporation (see [article id="1458898"]"Backstreet Boys Sue For $75 Million, Release From Contract"[/article]), in which the group sought release from its 1994 contract. BSB claimed they received little support from their label, Jive, in choosing songs for the album and that Jive was more focused on Carter's album.

Nick Carter tour dates, according to his spokesperson: