Dave Matthews Band unveils 2009 dates, Avetts, Roots and Old Crow to open

Dave Matthews Band fans will catch a little relief from the sweltering summer heat this year — the band is going back to playing late spring dates with stops in Raleigh and Charlotte.

The band will play Time Warner Cable Music Pavillion at Walnut Creek (whew! deep breath...) on Wed., April 22 followed by Charlotte's Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on Friday, April 24.

Opening those dates, as well as a handful in Texas and the southwest are Carolina favorites The Avett Brothers. The Roots, Old Crow Medicine Show and Jason Mraz will open the rest of the dates announced so far.

Tickets to the two North Carolina shows will go on sale Friday, January 17, at 10am.

Dave Matthews Band's as-yet-untitled new album will be out on April 14. The album, the group's first since LeRoi Moore's death last year, was produced by Rob Cavallo — who you may remember from Green Day's American Idiot. It will certainly be interesting to see how longtime fans respond to this one. Are we in store for another Glen Ballard-style revolt? (P.S. I thought Everyday was a good album. Don't tell.)

04.14.09 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden !
04.15.09 - East Rutherford, NJ - IZOD Center !
04.17.09 - Charlottesville, VA - John Paul Jones Arena #
04.18.09 - Charlottesville, VA - John Paul Jones Arena #
04.20.09 - Pelham, AL - Verizon Wireless Music Center #
04.22.09 - Raleigh, NC - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion $
04.24.09 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre $
04.25.09 - Nashville, TN - Vanderbilt Stadium
04.26.09 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz Heritage Festival
04.28.09 - Alpharetta, GA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre $
04.29.09 - Alpharetta, GA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre $
05.01.09 - The Woodlands, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion $
05.02.09 - Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center $
05.05.09 - Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion $
05.06.09 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Wireless Pavilion $
05.08.09 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena %
05.09.09 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena %

! w/ the Roots
# w/ Old Crow Medicine Show
$ w/ The Avett Brothers
% w/ Jason Mraz