The Straits, A New Band Formed From Dire Straits Members, Schedule First U.S. Tour
Founding Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler has had a successful and prolific solo career since the band's 1995 breakup, but many of the group's other members have remained under the radar in recent years. Now, two Dire Straits alumni, keyboardist Alan Clark and saxophone player Chris White, have formed a new group named, simply, The Straits, and will be hitting the road in late February for its debut tour of the U.S.
The Straits' lineup also features longtime Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers drummer Steve Ferrone, as well as singer/guitarist Terence Reis, bassist Mickey Féat, lead guitarist Adam Phillips, and multi-instrumentalist Jamie Squire. Clark is close friends with Ferrone, with whom he played in Eric Clapton's backing group and who is the godfather of his son and daughter. As you'd expect, the band's set is filled with classic Dire Straits songs, including "Sultans of Swing," "Money for Nothing," "Walk of Life," and "Tunnel of Love."
The Straits' U.S. trek starts on February 28 in Manistee, Michigan, and is plotted through a March 29 concert in Las Vegas. The tour will follow a two-week U.K. outing that gets under way February 1 in Barrow, England. For more information about the band, visit TheStraits.com.
Here are all of The Straits' confirmed U.S. dates:
2/28 -- Manistee, MI, Little River Casino
3/1 -- Annapolis, MD, Rams Head On Stage
3/2 -- Portland, ME, Asylum Nightclub Concert Venue
3/3 -- Buffalo, NY, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
3/4 -- Red Bank, NJ, Count Basie Theatre
3/5 -- Englewood, NJ, Bergen Performing Arts Center
3/7 -- St. Charles, IL, Arcada Theatre
3/8 -- Osceola, IA, Lakeside Casino
3/9 -- Grand Forks, ND, Chester Fritz Auditorium, University of North Dakota
3/15 -- Flagstaff, AZ, Twin Arrows Casino
3/16 -- Tucson, AZ, Fox Theatre
3/20 -- Lakeland, FL, The Lakeland Center
3/22 -- Albuquerque, NM, Isleta Casino
3/24 -- Seattle, WA, Neptune Theatre
3/25 -- Portland, OR, Alhambra Theatre
3/26 -- Tuolumne, CA, Black Oak Casino
3/27 -- Boise, ID, Egyptian Theatre
3/28 -- Stateline, NV, MontBleu Casino Resort
3/29 -- Las Vegas, NV, Cannery Resort and Casino