Over the past few months, Beck has played secret shows, West Coast gigs, an impromptu jam session in a taqueria and a massive headlining slot at Japan's Fuji Rock Festival. He has not, however, played a single gig on a proper North American headlining tour.

But that won't be the case for long. On Monday (August 15), a spokesperson for Beck's management confirmed that the shaggy-haired Guero master will be hitting the road on a full-scale tour that kicks off September 19 at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The announcement was a long time in coming: Beck himself mentioned plans for a headlining tour way back in May (see "Beck Takes A Page Out Of Mad Magazine For 'Girl' Video"), and then grudgingly let out a few additional details when further pressed last month (see "'Dirty And Ragged' Beck Elusive About Lyrics, Secret Gigs").

Tickets for the first nine gigs on Beck's North American tour go on sale Saturday through Ticketmaster.com — and additional dates and opening acts are expected to be announced shortly. Beck's only other scheduled fall gigs are three shows opening for the Rolling Stones, plus a just-announced headlining slot at the Across the Narrows festival in Brooklyn, New York.

The dates for Beck's North American tour, according to his management:

  • 9/19 - St. Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium
  • 9/20 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
  • 9/21 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
  • 9/22 - Detroit, MI @ State Theatre
  • 9/24 - Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena (with the Rolling Stones)
  • 9/25 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
  • 9/26 - Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre (with the Rolling Stones)
  • 9/29 - Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion
  • 10/1 - Hershey, PA @ Hershey Park Stadium (with the Rolling Stones)
  • 10/2 - Brooklyn, NY @ KeySpan Park (Across the Narrows festival)
  • 10/5 - Fairfax, VA @ Patriot Center
  • 10/8 - Camden, NJ @ Tweeter Center at the Waterfront