Merle Haggard's US tour dates announced, I Am What I Am

By April MacIntyre Apr 30, 2010, 0:22 GMT

The Hagg is coming to town.

Merle Haggard has just released his first new solo album in nearly three years and both the fans and critics are singing his praises.

"I am what I am" enters Billboard’s Country Chart at #18 and the Top 200 Chart at #76 this week, marking his highest solo recording Billboard debut in over quarter century!

Critical rave reviews are pouring in for the latest effort of Merle's on both sides of the pond with 4 stars reviews in Rolling Stone, “Country legend shakes a fist, tugs heartstrings, cracks wise…” and Mojo, “Haggard’s now 73 and I Am What I Am is as good as anything he has ever done.”

Elsewhere Spin online noted: “His lead guitar forever flinty, his baritone beautifully distressed, the man has made a masterpiece,” while the Boston Herald declared, “He’s country music’s Frank Sinatra…”

Haggard performed this past weekend at Stagecoach on the Palomino stage to an overflowing ecstatic crowd for over an hour as his set was being broadcast live internationally via Sirius/XM Radio’s Country Outlaw channel.

That concert will be re-broadcast May 1 at 6pm eastern and May 2 at 10pm eastern.

I Am What I Am tour dates below:

4/28/2010        Eugene, OR – Silva Concert Hall

4/29/2010        Wenatchee, WA – Town Toyota Center

4/30/2010        Tacoma, WA – Emerald Queen Casino

5/01/2010        Pendleton, OR – Wild Horse Gaming Resort

5/06/2010        Boise, ID – Idaho Botanical Gardens

5/07/2010        Wendover, NV – Peppermill Casino

5/08/2010        Las Vegas, NV – The Cannery Casino        

5/09/2010        Mesa, AZ – Mesa Performing Arts Center

6/03//2010       San Juan Capistrano, CA – Private Event

6/11/2010        Long Beach, CA – 2010 Ink N Iron Festival

6/12/2010        Napa, CA – The Uptown Theater

6/13/2010        Lemoore, CA – Tachi Palace Casino

6/16/2010        Saratoga, CA – The Mountain Winery

6/17/2010        Grants Pass, OR – Rogue Theatre

6/18-19/10       Lincoln City, OR – Chinook Winds Casino Resort

6/20/2010        Bend, OR – Les Schwab Amphitheatre

7/13/2010        Mescalero, NM – Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino

7/15/2010        Grand Island, NE – Heartland Events Center

7/16/2010        Cuba, MO – Crawford County Fair

7/18/2010        Sault Ste Marie, MI – Kewadin Casino

7/20-21/10       Rama, ON – Casino Rama Entertainment Centre

7/22/2010        Trumansburg, NY – Fingerlakes Grassroots Festival

7/23/2010        Richmond, VA – The National

7/24/2010        Renfro Valley, KY – Renfro Valley Entertainment Center

7/25/2010        Meridian, MS – The Riley Center @ MSU