Foo Fighters eye small cities on "intense" tour

12/18/2007 7:16 PM, Reuters
Jonathan Cohen

After focusing on overseas crowds in recent years to the possible detriment of their fans at home, the Foo Fighters plan to tour "a lot more intensely," in the United States, said the band's bassist Nate Mendel.

The Dave Grohl-fronted group, which recently picked up five Grammy nominations for its latest album, will launch a North American arena tour on January 16 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. The jaunt is scheduled to run through March 30 in Vancouver, B.C.

Stops include Pensacola, Fla. (January 20), Fayetteville, Ark. (January 28), Reno, Nev. (February 1), and Binghamton, N.Y. (February 22).

"We've been concentrating on (playing) overseas for the last couple of records, and in a lot of people's mind's have kind of neglected the U.S., especially some of the smaller cities," Mendel said. "So this time we're going to be touring a lot more intensely in the U.S."

He added the group is "stepping it up" for the trek, which will boast a secondary stage for an acoustic set, mechanical gags and a huge production.

"We did this acoustic tour last year with an eight-piece band, and we're bringing that band along for our regular rock show this time."

The tour is in support of the band's sixth studio album "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace," which has sold 427,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Among its Grammy nominations was album of the year.

Reuters/Billboard