English heavy metal band Judas Priest is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its classic album "British Steel" with a lengthy summer tour. Since first announcing their plans in early spring, the self-proclaimed Metal Gods have added dozens of concerts to their itinerary, which now stands at roughly 40 dates.
Eight weeks of the summer will be dedicated to the trek, from Judas Priest's solo opening show on June 29 at Murat Center in Indianapolis, IN, through the tour closing concert on August 23 at Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion in Gilford, NH.
Highlights of the summer trek include a July 7 concert at Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA, a July 9 performance at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto, ON, a July 31 show at Sleep Train Pavilion in Concord, CA, an August 11 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO, and August 22 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD.
Whitesnake will appear on most dates of the tour as a special guest. The lineup will also feature Pop Evil as an opener for both bands on 26 dates.
On tour, Judas Priest will be performing their 1980 album "British Steel" from cover to cover, in addition to playing a set of other material from the band's catalogue. The group's most recent studio album is the June 2008 release "Nostradamus."
A new live album, "Judas Priest: A Touch of Evil," is also scheduled to hit store shelves in July. According to a statement, the record was recorded from 2005 to 2008 during Judas Priest's world tour dates