Nine dates are confirmed so far, but promoter House of Blues expects the caravan to be expanded to nearly 40 shows and run through August. The three groups will appear on all dates, while to-be-announced acts will make the tour a four-band bill.

The earliest confirmed date is June 16 at the Santa Barbara County Bowl. Other cities on the routing so far are Sacramento, San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Kansas City and Chicago. Pre-sale ticket registration is available via the House of Blues Web site.

The tour is expected to roll through Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Vancouver and Washington, D.C. though the dates and venues aren’t quite firmed up.

The tour supports the June 5 release of The Cult’s Beyond Good And Evil album and introduces new bassist Billy Morrison alongside Matt Sorum and original members Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy.

Currently, the band is warming up with North American club dates that wind down June 2 in Toronto.

Monster Magnet just seems to get stronger with age. The foursome has a new album out- God Says No – their sixth release. Though they recorded their first full-length disc in 1992, they didn’t really break out until their fourth effort, 1998’s Powertrip.

Stabbing Westward is another hard-rocker that has patiently built a following through relentless touring in the early years. The band’s second album, 1996’s Wither Blister Burn & Peel, spawned the hit single “What Do I Have to Do.”

The band got added exposure opening for such high-profile acts as KISS, Depeche Mode, and the Sex Pistols reunion tour. The Beyond Good And Evil trek will be Stabbing Westward’s first extensive tour in two years and will help promote the band’s self-titled fourth album, set for release May 22.