The 21-city U.S. tour kicks off on Sept. 3 at White Water On The Horseshoe in New Braunfels, Texas, and runs through Oct. 9 at the Emerald Theater in Mount Clemens, Mich.

Along the way, the band also has stops at the House of Blues (how appropriate!) in Hollywood, Calif. on Sept. 16; The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas on Sept. 17; the House of Blues in Anaheim, Calif. on Sept. 21; and the Knitting Factory in Boise, Idaho on Sept. 30.

Though they haven’t released an album since 2009’s Approaching Normal, the band has 12 years of experience and an additional four studio albums to pull material from: The Answers (1998); Consent to Treatment (2000); History for Sale (2003); and Foiled (2006).

Check back soon for more information on Blue October tickets, events and more!

After searching for more information about their current tour, I came across an article written in the Houston Press that puts forth the question of Mr. Furstenfeld’s genuine intentions.  Is it all a dramatic publicity stunt to fuel his career?

Although the article was well written and proved that Justin’s actions with respect to his mental health are inconsistent and dramatic, there is little talk of the music or the band itself; with the exception of how the name Blue October originated.

At the beginning of my search I was eager to find out more about the Houston rock band, but now I find myself exhausted.  Justin’s over-reaction towards reporter John Lomax (in regards to asking him simply to prove his mental instability) has resulted in a loss of interest in the music. 

Mentally stable or not, the music should speak for itself.  Justin said himself, ” Some of the most magnificent artists and some of the most mad people in the world [suffer from schizophrenia].” 

If that is the case, then lets put the focus back on the music.  Blue October’s most recent album Approaching Normal sold only 140,000 copies.  That is a meager showing compared to the platinum success of 2007’s Foiled, which sold 1.4 million copies.

Check out the band live this summer to see for yourself what the music is all about.

Supporting “Approaching Normal,” the band has about 20 shows coming up , and they’re constantly adding more dates. 

Stay tuned for more information on Blue October Tickets.

“Making the record is great. For this album I loved sitting in control room, soaking up knowledge from Steve (Lillywhite)…being drawn into that creative state where you don’t even want to go outside,” said drummer/backup vocalist Jeremy Furstenfeld. “But with the live aspect, there’s a mass of people singing the lyrics to your song passionately and that’s amazing. People come up to us all the time and talk to us about our music. With “Hate Me” Justin got a lot of, “Man, you really saved my life.” It seems like we are making a difference.”

Don’t wait to get your tickets for this amazing Texas band!

Ok, blitz may too strong a word. But the band did nab an appearance to perform a “mini concert” on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight, March 25th. If you are in the Los Angeles area, you can get free tickets to the outdoor show through the band’s website. Otherwise catch it on TV tonight on ABC.

For this album, the band worked with producer Steve Lillywhite of U2 fame. It’s the follow up to their 2006 platinum selling release, Foiled. Songs bounce back and forth between expressions of joy, such as in “Jump Rope”, and self-torture and jealously that appear in “The End.” Other key tracks include the first single, “Dirt Room,” and “Blue Skies”.

When talking about the breadth of songs on the album, singer Justin Furstenfeld says, “What is normal? Everyone’s sense of normal is at risk over something, happiness or sadness or, god forbid, madness. Blue October is a mood. Whether you listen to the words or not, the music sets a tone and as for the lyrics, well, you either love it or hate it.”

Approaching Normal Track Listings:
Weight of the World
Say It
Dirt Room
Been Down
My Never
Should Be Loved
Kangaroo Cry
Picking Up Pieces
Jump Rope
Blue Skies
Blue Does
The End

Saturday, April 4 at Liberty Hall in Lawrence, KS
Sunday, April 5 at the Pageant in St. Louis MO

The show that was originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 25 at the Fillmore in San Francisco has been moved to Monday, March 16. All tickets will still be honored though, so enjoy the show!

You can get the single from iTunes.com or blueoctober.com. While you’re there, check out the free gift section. All you have to do is fill in your information, and you’ll get a free gift via Blue October on January 7. Who knows what surprise is in store…