Pitchfork

Photo by Natalie Kardos

With a spring full of college shows and festival appearances, including one at their very own Picnic, the Roots seemed in store for a fairly laid back season surrounding the release of new album Rising Down.

But we should have known better, because the tireless hip-hop troupe has announced another couple months' worth of dates to carry them into the summer. The Roots will open for Erykah Badu on most of the May and June dates, and they also have a trio of television appearances scheduled for April.

On April 13, they'll play at NYC's Beacon Theatre as part of the Jon Stewart-hosted "Night of Too Many Stars" on Comedy Central. Then on April 15, another Comedy Central appearance, this one on "The Colbert Report" as the show broadcasts from the Roots' hometown of Philadelphia as part of the show's Pennsylvania primary coverage. Finally, the Roots will play "The Late Show With David Letterman" on April 28.

Rising Down comes out the next day, April 29, via Def Jam.

The Roots:

04-11 Killington, VT - Pickle Barrel Night Club
04-12 Boston, MA - Northeastern University
04-16 West Lafayette, IN - Purdue University
04-17 Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Mellon University
04-18 St. Louis, MO - Webster University
04-20 Washington, DC - National Mall (Green Apple Festival)
04-23 Raleigh, NC - Duke University
04-24 Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
04-25 Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend Music Hall
04-26 Towson, MD - Towson University (Tigerfest)
04-29 New Haven, CT - Yale University
05-02 Memphis, TN - Beale Street Music Festival
05-03 New Orleans, LA - Jazz & Heritage Festival
05-04 Detroit, MI - Fox Theater *
05-06 Montreal, Quebec - Cepsum @ University of Montreal *
05-08 Boston, MA - Orpheum Theater *
05-09 New York, NY - Radio City *
05-10 Baltimore, MD - Pier Six Concert Pavilion *
05-11 Allentown, PA - Crocodile Rock
05-14 Washington, DC - Constitution Hall *
05-15 Washington, DC - Constitution Hall *
05-16 Norfolk, VA - Chrysler Hall *
05-17 Richmond, VA - Landmark Theater *
05-20 Boca Raton, FL - Mizner Park *
05-23 Atlanta, GA - Fox Theater *
05-24 Chillicothe, IL - Summer Camp Music Festival
05-25 Los Angeles, CA - UCLA Jazz and Reggae Festival
05-27 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium *
05-29 St. Louis, MO - Fox Theater *
05-30 Chicago, IL - Chicago Theater *
05-31 Chicago, IL - Chicago Theater *
06-02 Denver, CO - The Fillmore *
06-04 Eugene, OR - Cuthbert Amphitheater
06-05 Seattle, WA - Marymoor Park *
06-07 Philadelphia, PA - Festival Pier (The Roots Picnic)
06-08 Oakland, CA - Paramount Theater *
06-10 San Diego, CA - Humphrey's *
06-12 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theater *
06-13 Birmingham, AL - City Stages Festival
06-14 Phoenix, AZ - Mesa Amphitheatre *
06-17 Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theater
06-18 Dallas, TX - Nokia Theater
06-19 New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
06-22 Rochester, NY - Rochester International Jazz Festival
07-04 Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest 2008
07-20 Commerce City, CO - Dick's Sporting Goods Park
08-08 Jersey City, NJ - Liberty State Park (All Points West Festival)

* with Erykah Badu