Music On-Sales: U2, Depeche Mode, Dave Matthews Band, and more.

Let’s see… what’s to lead with… what to lead with… hmmm… oh yea:

U2!

Get out your giant inflatable lemons and your MacPhisto makeup because muther-f-ing U2 is doing stadiums again! Arguably (though, its tough to argue once you’ve seen them) the best live band in the world, (even Spin agrees with me on this, and we never agree on anything), U2 has announced their “360 Degrees” tour where the band will play “in the round” at soccer and”American Football ” stadiums around the planet.

• This will be the first time the band has played such large venues in the states since their critically bashed, but still kinda cool “Pop Mart” tour in 1997. The band has worked with Live Nation to keep the tickets relatively cheap (10,000 tickets at each show will be under $40) and have promised that the tour will bring something new and exciting to audiences. The tour starts in Barcelona on June 30th and will hit the US starting September 12th in Foxboro, MA. While only a few US dates are up, the band is expected to announce stadium dates throughout the country. Among the openers announced are Glassvegas, Elbow, The Kaiser Chiefs, Snow Patrol and The Black Eyed Peas (one of these things are not like the other one’s, not like the other one’s, not like the…). You can see all dates, info and the bands Dethklok- looking staging plans here. Tickets for Europe start going on sale this weekend and US dates should be on sale in the coming weeks.

DEPECHE MODE

• Depeche Mode isn’t going to let U2 corner the 1980′s United Kingdom Rock Band market this summer as they have announced their “Tour of The Universe” which begins in, like all great tours, Luxembourgin early May. After a few weeks in Western Europe, the  band hits North America with a date in Toronto on July 24th, then winds through the lower 48 before ending the tour September 5th in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. You can find all dates and on sale information here, as most tickets go on sale either this or next weekend. No word on openers yet or if the band will put their money where their mouth is on this “Tour of the Universe” boast and announce any dates on Venus or Alpha Centauri. And that, my friend, is the most obvious joke in the history of mankind…

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND

• In the least shocking news of the season, the Dave Matthews Band have, per tradition, announced a summer tour of amphitheaters and arenas. The tour begins at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York on April 14th and will include dates at Fenway Park in Boston, The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, London, Paris, Irvine and all spots in between before ending on October 2nd. Six months, wow. You got to hand it to the DMB, who know how to mount a long, full tour. Maybe they want to take full advantage of Holiday Inn’s cinnamon roll breakfasts’ around the country. As usual, the tour features a wide variety of openers such as The Roots, Jason Mraz, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Willie Nelson, The Hold Steady, Switchfoot and others. Most tickets go on sale on Saturday and you can check out local dates here.

ALKALINE TRIO/ SAVES THE DAY

• Reason  I wish I lived on the East Coast: The Alkaline Trio will be headlining a brief tour next month thru the mid-west and Northeast with Saves The Day (I thought they broke up) opening. The tour starts on April 18th in Minneapolis and ends April 30th in Philadelphia. You can buy tickets here.

AGAINST ME

• Reason I wish I lived in the South: Against Me! has announced a brief headlining tour of southern states starting April 11th in Gainesville, Florida and ending May 1st in Columbia, South Carolina. In between the band will play dates in North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia. I guess they don’t want to be too far away from a Krystal Burger at all time. Off With Their Heads will open all shows. You can see the dates here and buy some of the tickets here.

BRAND NEW/ GET UP KIDS

• Reasons I wish I lived in Alaska: The Get Up Kids are opening for Brand Newat the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage.  Outside of maybe The Arcade Fire and Rage Against the Machine being tacked onto a U2 show, this might be the best lineup I’ve heard in a long time.  If your in Alaska or want to travel you can buy tickets here. Anyone up for a road trip? We’ll probably see a moose or a black bear on the way, that would cool…

MICHAEL JACKSON

• While there has been promises of a full Michael Jackson world tour this year (I’ll believe that when the actual scientists who make pigs fly begin to fly themselves), right now all that has been announced is twenty odd nights at the 02 Arena in London. That’s that famous arena where Led Zeppelin reunited and Prince played for like 30 nights last year (it’s been mentioned in every other article so why not this one too). If you really have to see Michael Jackson this year and you have the money to travel (though honestly if you have the money to do so I suggest you choose the Brand New/ Get Up Kids show in the tundra instead), you can get ticket info here.