Wu-Tang Back on the Road

It’s been nearly a year since the Wu-Tang Clan dropped their fifth album, 8 Diagrams, on us last December, but there was never a tour to support the record. But not long after releasing the concert DVD Live at Montreux 2007, they’ve finally announced that they’re hitting the road again. Labeled the 8 Diagrams US Tour, it’s not clear if all eight living members will appear at each venue, but let’s not taint the good news with the bad just yet.

First up is the documentary Wu: The Story of the Wu-Tang Clan (not quite the most original title, I know), which will premiere on BET on Nov. 13. Shortly after, it will be available on DVD. The piece documents the group’s history all the way from the beginning in the projects to their modern incarnation. Wu will feature archival footage and interviews with surviving members of the Clan. On Nov. 18, a companion soundtrack disc will land in stores with old tracks by both the Wu collective and solo material from Ghostface Killah, ODB, Raekwon and Cappadonna.

Then on Nov. 29, the group will begin a thirty-city tour spanning both coasts. Method Man will miss some shows since he’s currently out on the Still High Tour with Redman supporting their upcoming album, Blackout 2, due in December. GZA is on tour as well, but none of his dates overlap with those of Wu, so he might appear at all of them. But then again, it’s never a certainty that all eight will show up on any given night, so just hope for luck.

8 Diagrams may have been a relatively minor effort in the Shaolin canon, but eleven and a half months is a long time to wait for the tour, and even a good-but-unspectacular Wu-Tang record is worth hearing. Let’s just hope they can get along for the entirety of the tour; never forget that shows are subject to change…and cancellation. Dates and venues for the tour are listed below:

11/29 - Portland, OR - Roseland Ballroom
11/30 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
12/1 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
12/3 - San Francisco, CA - The Grand Ballroom at the Regency Center
12/4 - West Hollywood, CA - House of Blues
12/5 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
12/6 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
12/7 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee
12/8 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
12/10 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
12/14 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
12/15 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
12/17 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
12/18 - Rochester, NY - Main Street Armory
12/19 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
12/20 - New Haven, CT - Toad's Place
12/21 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
12/23 - New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom
1/1 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
1/2 - Providence, RI - Lupo's
1/4 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
1/7 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
1/8 - Richmond, VA - Toad's Place
1/9 - Greensboro, NC - N Club
1/10 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm
1/11 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend
1/12 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
1/13 - Columbia, SC - LEVEL
1/14 - Atlanta, GA - TBD