They don't have another Minneapolis gig on the books, but there will still be plenty of chances for Twin Cities fans to see the Jayhawks on their upcoming U.S. tour behind the new album, "Mockingbird Time." Most notably, the Minnesota twang-rock heroes have confirmed a Sept. 23 appearance on "The Late Show With David Letterman," just three days after the record hits stores. They also have booked two dates close to home at the Paramount Theater in St. Cloud (Sept. 15-16) and an outdoor show at Mankato's Riverfront Park (Sept. 17).
As for the rest of their tour, the itinerary shows that the recently reunited band clearly intends to go full-steam behind the album. They have two weeks of European dates already lined up starting tomorrow in England. After the Minnesota gigs, they have 27 more gigs booked for their full U.S. trek between a festival in Chatanooga, Tenn., on Oct. 8 and a final swing through Texas that includes a Nov. 17 date at magical Gruene Hall (the state's oldest dance hall, between Austin and San Antonio, where I once got to see Jerry Lee Lewis play; yep, I'm bragging). Another special stop on the outing is an Oct. 21 show with Rosanne Cash at the Beacon in New York. The band is bringing along a couple of Rosanne's worthy heirs, Tift Merritt and Jessica Lea Mayfield, as openers on different segments of the trek.
