Mark Knopfler plots summer North American tour

Dire Straits frontman books 27 headlining dates for 2019 promoting new LP ‘Down the Road Wherever’.

Mark Knopfler announced a headlining North American tour for summer 2019. The Dire Straits frontman will kick off the 28-date trek on August 16th in Mashantucket, Connecticut and conclude September 22nd in Los Angeles, California.

Tickets for most shows will be available to pre-order on Monday, October 29th via Knopfler’s official site. The guitarist’s two dates at the Beacon Theatre in New York, New York (August 20th and 21st) go on sale Friday, November 2nd.

Throughout the jaunt, Knopfler will perform with an expanded 10-piece band: keyboardist Guy Fletcher, guitarist Richard Bennett, pianist Jim Cox, whistle and flute player Mike McGoldrick, fiddle and cittern player John McCusker, bassist Glenn Worf, percussionist Danny Cummings, drummer Ian Thomas, saxophonist Graeme Blevins and trumpeter Tom Walsh.

“My songs are made to be performed live,” Knopfler said in a statement. “I love the whole process of writing them alone and then recording them with the band, but ultimately the best part is playing them to an audience live. I enjoy the whole circus, traveling from town to town and interacting with this group of players is a total pleasure. I’m really looking forward to it.”

The tour will promote Knopfler’s ninth solo LP (and first in three years), Down the Road Wherever, out November 16th. He recently teased the album with a fly-on-the-wall video for new song “Good on You Son.”

Mark Knopfler Tour Dates

August 16 – Mashantucket, CT @ Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino
August 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Metropolitan Opera House
August 18 – Vienna, VA @ Filene Center at Wolf Trap
August 20 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
August 21 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
August 23 – Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
August 24 – Montreal, QC @ Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier
August 25 – Toronto, ON @ Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
August 27 – Indianapolis, IN @ Old National Centre
August 28 – Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
August 30 – Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theatre
August 31 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Riverside Theater
September 1 – Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre
September 3 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
September 4 – Atlanta, GA @ State Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
September 6 – Sugar Land, TX @ Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
September 7 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at The Moody Theater
September 8 – Grand Prairie, TX @ The Theatre at Grand Prairie
September 10 – Denver, CO @ Venue TBD
September 13 – Portland, OR @ Keller Auditorium
September 14 – Woodinville, WA @ Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
September 15 – Woodinville, WA @ Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
September 16 – Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum
September 18 – Berkeley, CA @ The Greek Theatre
September 20 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
September 21 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
September 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre

Source: rollingstone.com