A post-Super Bowl tradition that has become as predictable as the Gatorade shower and the going-to-Disney-World ad, this year's half-time performer Beyoncé announced her world tour first thing Monday, including a July 18 date at Xcel Energy Center. Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster and the arena's box office starting Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. for $252, $127, $87 and $47.
Dubbed "The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour" -- a nod to her marriage to rap mogul Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter -- the trek will begin April 15 in Serbia and end Aug. 3 at the new Barclays Center in New York, home to the Brooklyn Nets NBA team, which counts Jay-Z as one of its owners. This will be her first time at the X, but she has played Target Center as recently as 2009.
Reaction to Beyoncé's fiery half-time performance was generally favorable, with all eyes not already transfixed by her skimpy outfit locked onto her mouth to see if she lip-synced (she didn't). Her version of the national anthem at President Obama's inauguration two weeks ago was confirmed to be pre-recorded. She brought back her old group Destiny's Child to the field in New Orleans. No word of them joining her on tour.
Locally, Beyoncé's tour itinerary sets up quite a scheduling conflict for pop fans: British boy-band One Direction's long-sold-out Target Center concert is also July 18. Also, Target Center had to move its July 13 date with New Kids on the Block, 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men to July 20 due to a last-minute shuffling in that tour's itinerary.
Other concert news Country star George Jones will bring his farewell tour to Mystic Lake Casino on Sept. 27. Michael Nesmith of the Monkees does a solo show April 5 at the Fitzgerald Theater and Garbage rocks Mill City Nights on April 5. Country starlet Kellie Pickler is set for April 25 at Mystic Lake.
