Pitchfork: Kanye West to Touch the Sky on the Road

With all the predictability of several sensitive piano ballads at a Coldplay concert, Kanye West has announced the inevitable U.S. tour in support of his blockbuster second album, Late Registration. The cashmere-clad rapper/producer will be taking on a hefty load: 44 shows throughout much of the U.S., along with two stops into Canada for good measure. The Touch the Sky tour will include old pal Common, "American Idol" heroine Fantasia, and hot new charmer Keyshia Cole as openers on all dates. Dropout Bear is also expected to make several cameos.

We're anxious to see the biggest rapper in the world rocking those polo shirts up close and personal, but Late Registration hardly needs promoting: it was number one on Billboard's Top 200 again this week, and the "Gold Digger" single grabbed the gold on quite a few charts, including the Pop, R&B;, Hot Digital Songs, and Ringtones charts. Alas, it was kept out of the top position in the Hot Rap Tracks chart by towering powerhouse Bow Wow.

So he's a Bush-bully and the self-proclaimed savior of all things hip-hop, he preaches whatever the hell he pleases, he wears pastels...is there really any reason to miss Kanyeezy live? Nope, especially if he's playing a university campus in your town�ahh, the irony.

George Bush don't like indie rockers:

10-11 Miami, FL - University of Miami Convocation Center
10-12 Tampa, FL - University of Southern Florida Sundome
10-13 Gainesville, FL - University of Florida O'Connell Center
10-15 Greenville, SC - Bi-Lo Center
10-16 Knoxville, TN - Thompson-Boling Arena
10-18 Columbia, MO - Mizzou Arena
10-19 Champaign, IL - Assembly Hall
10-21 Buffalo, NY - Alumni Arena
10-22 Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre
10-23 Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre
10-26 Kingston, RI - University of Rhode Island Ryan Center
10-28 University Park, PA - Penn State University Bryce Jordan Center
10-29 Cleveland, OH - Cleveland State University Convocation Center
10-30 Fairfax, VA - Patriot Center
10-31 Amherst, MA - Mullins Center
11-02 New York, NY - Theatre at Madison Square Garden
11-03 New York, NY - Theatre at Madison Square Garden
11-04 Baltimore, MD - First Mariner Arena
11-05 Hampton, VA - Hampton Coliseum
11-06 Philadelphia, PA - Temple University Liacouras Center
11-08 Pittsburgh, PA - AJ Palumbo Center
11-09 Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
11-11 East Lansing, MI - Michigan State University Breslin Student Events Center
11-12 Rosemont, IL - Rosemont Theatre
11-13 DeKalb, IL - NIU Convocation Center
11-14 Evanston, IL - Northwestern University Welsh Ryan Arena
11-15 Carbondale, IL - Southern Illinios University Arean
11-17 Duluth, GA - Gwinnett Center
11-18 Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum
11-19 Statesboro, GA - Georgia Southern University
11-20 Birmingham, AL - Birmingham Jefferson Convocation Center
11-22 Oklahoma City, OK - Ford Center
11-23 Memphis, TN - Mid-South Coliseum
11-25 Houston, TX - Reliant Arena
11-26 Dallas, TX - Nokia Live
11-27 Kansas City, MO - Kemper Arena
11-29 Denver, CO - Magness Lecture Hall
12-01 Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theatre
12-02 San Diego, CA - Cox Arena
12-03 Los Angeles, CA - Universal Amphitheatre
12-04 Los Angeles, CA - Universal Amphitheatre
12-06 San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
12-07 Las Vagas, NV - Mandalay Bay
12-09 Portland, OR - Memorial Coliseum
12-10 Everett, WA - Everett Event Center
12-11 Vancouver, British Columbia - GM Place