LOS ANGELES, Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Van Halen, Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductees and one of the most important and influential rock bands of all time, announced their return to the live stage with an extraordinary 2012 North American tour.  The announcement was made late last night, during a once-in-a-lifetime performance, at the intimate Cafe Wha? in New York City.  Known around the world for some of the most iconic live performances in music history, the legendary rock band will begin their tour on February 18.  Kool & The Gang will join Van Halen for select tour dates.

Tickets for the Live Nation-promoted tour go on sale beginning January 14 at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.

In addition, Van Halen confirmed their new album, A Different Kind Of Truth, will be released in the U.S. by Interscope Records on February 7. The first single from the album, “Tattoo”, and its accompanying video will be debut simultaneously on Tuesday, January 10th, with album pre-orders starting that day.  A Different Kind Of Truth is Van Halen’s first original studio album with singer David Lee Roth since the band’s classic multi-platinum album 1984.

Fans can expect Van Halen to perform selections from  A Different Kind Of Truth alongside songs from their arsenal of epic hits that include:  “Eruption,” “Running with the Devil,” “Jamie’s Cryin’,” “You Really Got Me,”  “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love,” “Everybody Wants Some,” “Unchained,” “And The Cradle Will Rock,” “Beautiful Girls,” “Mean Street,” “Somebody Get Me A Doctor,” “Jump,” “Panama,” “Hot For Teacher,” “I’ll Wait,” and more from their classic albums Van Halen, Van Halen II, Women and Children First, Fair Warning, Diver Down and 1984.

Van Halen – who the Los Angeles Times recently called “a force of nature” and “one of the flat-out greatest rock bands on the planet” – was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in March of 2007.

Formed in Los Angeles in 1974, Van Halen changed the rock and roll landscape forever with the release of their self-titled, 1978 debut album displaying unparalleled stage presence, revolutionary musicianship, and extraordinary songwriting abilities. With more than 75 million albums sold worldwide, the band’s record of achievement is hard to top.   Among a long list of awards, recognition and accolades, Van Halen joins an elite short list of two time Diamond Award honorees in the history of the music industry.  Presented with two Diamond Award RIAA Certified Status’ for their albums Van Halen and 1984, the band has produced a repertoire of hits that remain some of the strongest and most influential rock songs ever written that fans will admire for decades to come.

Kool & The Gang found a special sound at the unique intersection of jazz, R&B, funk and pop. Their music has been created by the same core of players for over thirty years: Robert “Kool” Bell, his brother Khalis Bayyan, their longtime friends Dennis “DT” Thomas and George “Funky” Brown.

VIP Packages will also be available through VIP Nation, including premium seats, exclusive merchandise and more. For more information please visit: www.VIPNation.com

VAN HALEN 2012 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES:

Date City Venue On Sale Date
2/18/12 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center January 16
2/20/12 Detroit, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills January 14
2/22/12 Indianapolis, IN Bankers Life Fieldhouse January 14
2/24/12 Chicago, IL United Center January 14
2/28/12 New York, NY Madison Square Garden January 14
3/1/12 New York, NY Madison Square Garden January 14
3/3/12 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena January 14
3/5/12 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center January 14
3/9/12 Buffalo, NY First Niagara Center January 14
3/11/12 Boston, MA TD Garden January 14
3/15/12 Montreal, QC Bell Centre January 14
3/17/12 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre January 14
3/21/12 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place January 14
3/24/12 Atlantic City, NJ Boardwalk Hall TBA
3/28/12 Washington, DC Verizon Center January 14
3/30/12 Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center January 14
4/1/12 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena January 14
4/10/12 Fort Lauderdale, FL BankAtlantic Center TBA
4/12/12 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum TBA
4/14/12 Orlando, FL Amway Arena TBA
4/16/12 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Arena TBA
4/19/12 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena TBA
4/21/12 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum TBA
4/25/12 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena TBA
4/27/12 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena TBA
5/1/12 Tulsa, OK BOK Center TBA
5/5/12 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome TBA
5/7/12 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena TBA
5/9/12 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome TBA
5/11/12 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place TBA
5/17/12 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre TBA
5/19/12 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center TBA
5/22/12 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center TBA
5/24/12 Denver, CO Pepsi Center TBA
5/27/12 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena TBA
6/1/12 Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center TBA
6/3/12 Oakland, CA Oracle Arena TBA
6/5/12 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion TBA
6/12/12 Anaheim, CA Honda Center TBA
6/14/12 San Diego, CA Viejas Arena TBA
6/16/12 Phoenix, AZ US Airways Center TBA
6/20/12 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center TBA
6/22/12 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center TBA
6/24/12 Houston, TX Toyota Center TBA
6/26/12 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena TBA

INTERSCOPE GEFFEN A&M:

Combining the legacies of three of the most influential record labels in modern music history, Interscope Geffen A&M embarked on a new tradition of musical achievement with its unification on January 1, 1999.  Headed by Chairman Jimmy Iovine, Interscope Geffen A&M is a major force in global music, developing chart-topping artists across a wide range of musical genres including rock, rap, pop and alternative. Interscope Geffen A&M Records is part of Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company.

ABOUT LIVE NATION ENTERTAINMENT:
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment and eCommerce company, comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Front Line Management Group and Live Nation Network.  Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world’s top five eCommerce sites, with over 26 million monthly unique visitors.  Live Nation Concerts produces over 20,000 shows annually for more than 2,000 artists globally.  Front Line is the world’s top artist management company, representing over 250 artists.  These businesses power Live Nation Network, the leading provider of entertainment marketing solutions, enabling over 800 advertisers to tap into the 200 million consumers Live Nation delivers annually through its live event and digital platforms. For additional information, visit www.livenation.com/investors.

SOURCE Live Nation Entertainment