The Decemberists announce world tour

The Decemberists have announced the first leg of their 2011 North American Tour and UK / European dates in support of The King Is Dead, their forthcoming Rough Trade Records album which will be released January 17. The 16-city run will kick off at New York's Beacon Theater on January 25, and culminate with a hometown show at Portland's Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on February 19. A limited presale for all dates is now underway here. Tickets will go on sale to the public beginning Friday, November 19 at 10am ET.

The band will also embark on a European Tour from March 4-16 that includes shows in Dublin, Glasgow, Amsterdam, and London. Presales for these dates begin November 17, with tickets going on sale to the public November 19. The King Is Dead will be released on Capitol Records in the US on January 18.

Gillian Welch has been announced as a special guest joining The Decemberists when they perform the new album's lead single 'Down by the Water' on Conan O'Brien's newly launched late show 'Conan' on US TV channel TBS this Thursday, November 18. A pre-order of The King Is Dead will launch at Decemberists.com beginning November 22.

The King Is Dead marks a deliberate turn towards simplicity after the band's wildly ambitious and widely acclaimed 2009 song-cycle The Hazards of Love. Produced once again by Tucker Martine, the album features Welch on seven tracks and R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck on three tracks. Rolling Stone has already called it "the most pastoral, rustic record they've ever made," while SPIN declared it "a bold, straight-up folk-rock record, perhaps their most accessible one yet." Check out a short video preview of the album here.

TOUR DATES:

January 25, Beacon Theatre, New York, NY*
January 28, House of Blues, Boston, MA*
January 29, House of Blues, Boston, MA*
January 31, Olympia De Montreal, Montreal, Canada*
February 1, Sound Academy, Toronto, Canada*
February 2, Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI*
Feburary 4, Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL*
February 5, Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, WI#
February 6, State Theatre, Minneapolis, MN#
February 7, Uptown Theatre, Kansas City, MO#
February 9, Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO#
February 10, Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO#
February 12, The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA#
February 13, House of Blues-San Diego, San Diego, CA#
February 14, Fox Theater, Oakland, CA#
February 18, Paramount Ballroom, Seattle, WA#
February 19, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR#
March 4, Vicar Street, Dublin, Ireland
March 5, ABC, Glasgow, UK
March 7, Birmingham Institute, Birmingham, UK
March 8, Bristol Academy, Bristol, UK
March 10, Manchester Academy, Manchester, UK
March 11, Leeds Academy, Leeds, UK
March 13, Trix, Antwerp, Belgium
March 14, Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
March 16, Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK