Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals set for 2016 album, world tour

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals will follow up their 2015 reunion tour with Call It What It Is, their first new studio album in over eight years, set for release on April 8 via Stax Records.

The band also announced the initial leg of their forthcoming Call It What It Is World Tour, which kicks off April 2 in Port Chester, New York, and will take the band around the world throughout much of next year.

Every online ticket order for the tour will include a CD of Call It What It Is upon its release. Visit www.benharper.com for information.

"Making music again with the Innocent Criminals has been a priority for a while now," Harper told Rolling Stone last year. "It was time."

Tracing their roots back to 1993, the Innocent Criminals (percussionist Leon Mobley, bassist Juan Nelson, drummer Oliver Charles, keyboardist Jason Yates and guitarist Michael Ward) were involved in most of Harper's projects before going on hiatus in 2008. The band toured the globe nonstop, earning legions of fans thanks to explosive live performances and a succession of acclaimed studio albums including Fight For Your Mind, The Will to Live, Burn to Shine, Diamonds on the Inside and the GRAMMY® nominated Lifeline, their last studio album together in 2007. The Innocent Criminals also backed Ben and The Blind Boys of Alabama on the two-time Grammy-winning collaborative album There Will Be A Light in 2004.

Tour Dates:

Feb 24 TSB Bank Arena Wellington, New Zealand
Feb 26 Vector Arena Auckland, New Zealand
Feb 27 Mission Estate Winery Napier, New Zealand
Feb 29 Horncastle Arena Christchurch, New Zealand
Mar 2 Opera House Forecourt Sydney, Australia
Mar 5 Riverstage Brisbane, Australia
Mar 8 Kings Park Perth, Australia
Mar 11 Entertainment Centre Adelaide, Australia
Mar 12 Sidney Myer Music Bowl Melbourne, Australia
Apr 2 Capitol Theater Port Chester, NY
Apr 3 9:30 Club Washington, D.C.
Apr 4 9:30 Club Washington, D.C.
Apr 7 Beacon Theater New York, NY
Apr 9 House of Blues Boston, MA
Apr 10 The Fillmore Philadelphia, PA
Apr 12 Métropolis Montréal, QC, Canada
Apr 13 Massey Hall Toronto, ON, Canada
Apr 15 Royal Oak Music Theatre Royal Oak, MI
Apr 16 Riviera Chicago, IL
Apr 17 House of Blues Cleveland, OH
Apr 19 Tivoli Theatre Chattanooga, TN
Apr 20 Tennessee Theatre Knoxville, TN
Apr 22 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN
Apr 23 Orange Peel Asheville, NC

http://www.benharper.com