LOS ANGELES, Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Van Halen, Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductees and one of the most important and influential rock bands of all time, announced their return to the live stage with an extraordinary 2012 North American tour. The announcement was made late last night, during a once-in-a-lifetime performance, at the intimate Cafe Wha? in New York City. Known around the world for some of the most iconic live performances in music history, the legendary rock band will begin their tour on February 18. Kool & The Gang will join Van Halen for select tour dates.

Tickets for the Live Nation-promoted tour go on sale beginning January 14 at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.

In addition, Van Halen confirmed their new album, A Different Kind Of Truth, will be released in the U.S. by Interscope Records on February 7. The first single from the album, “Tattoo”, and its accompanying video will be debut simultaneously on Tuesday, January 10th, with album pre-orders starting that day. A Different Kind Of Truth is Van Halen’s first original studio album with singer David Lee Roth since the band’s classic multi-platinum album 1984.

Fans can expect Van Halen to perform selections from A Different Kind Of Truth alongside songs from their arsenal of epic hits that include: “Eruption,” “Running with the Devil,” “Jamie’s Cryin’,” “You Really Got Me,” “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love,” “Everybody Wants Some,” “Unchained,” “And The Cradle Will Rock,” “Beautiful Girls,” “Mean Street,” “Somebody Get Me A Doctor,” “Jump,” “Panama,” “Hot For Teacher,” “I’ll Wait,” and more from their classic albums Van Halen, Van Halen II, Women and Children First, Fair Warning, Diver Down and 1984.

Van Halen – who the Los Angeles Times recently called “a force of nature” and “one of the flat-out greatest rock bands on the planet” – was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in March of 2007.

Formed in Los Angeles in 1974, Van Halen changed the rock and roll landscape forever with the release of their self-titled, 1978 debut album displaying unparalleled stage presence, revolutionary musicianship, and extraordinary songwriting abilities. With more than 75 million albums sold worldwide, the band’s record of achievement is hard to top. Among a long list of awards, recognition and accolades, Van Halen joins an elite short list of two time Diamond Award honorees in the history of the music industry. Presented with two Diamond Award RIAA Certified Status’ for their albums Van Halen and 1984, the band has produced a repertoire of hits that remain some of the strongest and most influential rock songs ever written that fans will admire for decades to come.

Kool & The Gang found a special sound at the unique intersection of jazz, R&B, funk and pop. Their music has been created by the same core of players for over thirty years: Robert “Kool” Bell, his brother Khalis Bayyan, their longtime friends Dennis “DT” Thomas and George “Funky” Brown.

VIP Packages will also be available through VIP Nation, including premium seats, exclusive merchandise and more. For more information please visit: www.VIPNation.com

VAN HALEN 2012 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES:

Date    City                Venue                      On Sale Date
2/18/12 Louisville, KY      KFC Yum! Center            January 16
2/20/12 Detroit, MI         The Palace of Auburn Hills January 14
2/22/12 Indianapolis, IN    Bankers Life Fieldhouse    January 14
2/24/12 Chicago, IL         United Center              January 14
2/28/12 New York, NY        Madison Square Garden      January 14
3/1/12  New York, NY        Madison Square Garden      January 14
3/3/12  Uncasville, CT      Mohegan Sun Arena          January 14
3/5/12  Philadelphia, PA    Wells Fargo Center         January 14
3/9/12  Buffalo, NY         First Niagara Center       January 14
3/11/12 Boston, MA          TD Garden                  January 14
3/15/12 Montreal, QC        Bell Centre                January 14
3/17/12 Toronto, ON         Air Canada Centre          January 14
3/21/12 Ottawa, ON          Scotiabank Place           January 14
3/24/12 Atlantic City, NJ   Boardwalk Hall             TBA
3/28/12 Washington, DC      Verizon Center             January 14
3/30/12 Pittsburgh, PA      Consol Energy Center       January 14
4/1/12  Rosemont, IL        Allstate Arena             January 14
4/10/12 Fort Lauderdale, FL BankAtlantic Center        TBA
4/12/12 Tampa, FL           St. Pete Times Forum       TBA
4/14/12 Orlando, FL         Amway Arena                TBA
4/16/12 Jacksonville, FL    Jacksonville Arena         TBA
4/19/12 Atlanta, GA         Philips Arena              TBA
4/21/12 Greensboro, NC      Greensboro Coliseum        TBA
4/25/12 Charlotte, NC       Time Warner Cable Arena    TBA
4/27/12 Nashville, TN       Bridgestone Arena          TBA
5/1/12  Tulsa, OK           BOK Center                 TBA
5/5/12  Tacoma, WA          Tacoma Dome                TBA
5/7/12  Vancouver, BC       Rogers Arena               TBA
5/9/12  Calgary, AB         Scotiabank Saddledome      TBA
5/11/12 Edmonton, AB        Rexall Place               TBA
5/17/12 Winnipeg, MB        MTS Centre                 TBA
5/19/12 St. Paul, MN        Xcel Energy Center         TBA
5/22/12 Kansas City, MO     Sprint Center              TBA
5/24/12 Denver, CO          Pepsi Center               TBA
5/27/12 Las Vegas, NV       MGM Grand Garden Arena     TBA
6/1/12  Los Angeles, CA     STAPLES Center             TBA
6/3/12  Oakland, CA         Oracle Arena               TBA
6/5/12  San Jose, CA        HP Pavilion                TBA
6/12/12 Anaheim, CA         Honda Center               TBA
6/14/12 San Diego, CA       Viejas Arena               TBA
6/16/12 Phoenix, AZ         US Airways Center          TBA
6/20/12 Dallas, TX          American Airlines Center   TBA
6/22/12 San Antonio, TX     AT&T Center                TBA
6/24/12 Houston, TX         Toyota Center              TBA
6/26/12 New Orleans, LA     New Orleans Arena          TBA