The trio of Natalie Maines, Martie Seidel and Emily Robison have added several new dates in recent weeks, including stops in Denver, San Diego, Los Angeles and Oakland, Calif. The outing, which kicked off June 1 in Canada, has been hugely successful, selling out all but two gigs in support of their current album, Fly.

The album is only the Chick’s second, but has reached multi-platinum status – as did their first, Wide Open Spaces.

This is the Chicks’ first tour as an arena headliner and they haven’t disappointed fans, mounting an elaborate stage and light show designed by Luc Lafortune of Cirque du Soleil fame.

To date, the group is averaging grosses of more than $550,000 per show and has pulled in more than $22 million over 41 reported dates.

In a year’s time, they have received two Grammy Awards, two Country Music Association awards and an American Music award.

Not bad for three women who were playing banjo, guitar and a dobro on street corners in Dallas just a few scant years ago.

Even once they graduated to regional touring with their mixture of bluegrass, cowgirl music and western swing, gigs included barbecue joints and even nursing homes. They had to share motel rooms on the road.

“We’d all three stay in the same room and flip a coin to see who’d sleep with Emily because she’s a cover hog,” Maines said. “Even when we got our own rooms we were still in sleazy motels – the kind that have the little machine by the bed to drop quarters in and make the bed shake.”

That’s all changed.

“Where I used to have to count my money all the time, now I know I can eat the $5 M&Ms out of the hotel mini-bar and it’s OK,” Maines joked.