Chickenfoot ready to step out on tour, drop new album

[Refugee 7]

Recently formed supergroup Chickenfoot--featuring former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani--has begun rolling out dates for the band's inaugural tour.

The club-and-theater jaunt, currently comprises nine dates during the last half of May that are split between the East and West Coasts, and includes a pair of Canadian stops. Ticket prices will average out at $50, according to a press release. Details are shown below.

The upcoming jaunt will provide fans with a preview of music featured on Chickenfoot's self-titled debut, which is due in stores June 9.

"We spent a lot of time together in the recording studio working long hours to make Chickenfoot live up to expectations," Satriani said in a prepared statement. "We really feel like we've mastered it and recorded a great album but now we're especially excited to take the show on the road and see how the fans react to it live. I think we are really going to feed off of the fans' energy. We're really that type of band."

Satriani, Hagar, Anthony and Smith recorded the album with producer Andy Johns, whose resume includes works by Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. Hagar and Anthony had previously worked with Johns on Van Halen's 1991 album, "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge."

Chickenfoot sprouted from some recreational shows that Hagar, Anthony and Smith performed at Hagar's Mexican nightclub, The Cabo Wabo Cantina, located in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

"I really wasn't looking to have a real band," Hagar said in a bio posted at the group's MySpace page, "but when I got involved with these guys, only a fool would say, 'No, I'm not going to do this.' The minute we started jamming, it was obvious, like, 'This is something that needs to be heard.'"

"We were just having fun," Anthony added. "After Sammy and I left Van Halen, we'd get together with musicians, and certain people seemed to really gel. Chad came down [to Cabo] and we got on well with him. Gradually, we started talking about doing something more serious, but we needed a guitarist. Somebody smokin'--somebody who could take us to the Promised Land."

The budding group recruited Satriani, who said he felt "an immediate connection unlike anything I'd ever experienced before" when he linked up with Hagar, Anthony and Smith. "After just a few songs, it became stunningly obvious that we shared an overall musical agenda.

Chickenfoot's May 14 tour launch in Seattle coincides with the release of the group's first single, "Oh Yeah." The song is one of three tracks streaming at the band's website.

"Chickenfoot" the album will be available through major retailers and digitally on June 9, and pre-sale orders can be placed through Best Buy as of April 18, according to the group's publicist.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]

May 2009

14 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon

15 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom

17 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore

19 - West Hollywood, CA - The Roxy Theatre

22 - Chicago, IL - Park West

24 - Toronto, Ontario - The Mod Club Theatre

26 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East Upstairs

28 - New York, NY - Fillmore @ Irving Plaza

29 - Philadelphia, PA - TLA

[LizzieB 0]

I'm seeing them in London at the end of June. I think I'm looking forward to it, lol. I've never been a big Joe Satriani fan, but I do like Sammy and Chad. I'm just medium on Michael Anthony. It's a small GA venue, so I hope I get close.

[Echosoftom 3]

^ I'm a big Sammy fan too. Lizzie you'll have to tell us all about it when you get back. The SF Fillmore is tempting me, lol.