The One Band Show will hit the road March 7 in Birmingham, Ala., and mosey across the country through early summer. Each show is to be packed with over two-and-a-half hours of music from Tim and the boys.

For his recent album Tim McGraw and The Dancehall Doctors, McGraw broke with Nashville tradition by eschewing the standard session-musician formula in favor of using his longtime touring band in the studio. The Dancehall Doctors have been with McGraw throughout most of his career, and he’s hoping the authentic feel of the album will translate well in concert.

“This is the most ambitious tour we’ve ever set out to do. I want this tour to look and feel different than anything we’ve done in the past,” McGraw said. “We want the time and space to go deeper musically – to play album cuts & all kinds of songs that we jam on in rehearsal, but never get to play in concert. We want fans to get to see the side of us as a band that we enjoy the most – hanging out and playing music all night with no time constraints.” Acknowledging the scope of his task, McGraw added, “The challenge is to take a show that’s twice as long and keep up our own standards of what it needs to be visually and dynamically.”

If recent events are any sign of things to come, 2003 should be a stellar year for McGraw: the same day he learned that Tim McGraw and The Dancehall Doctors had gone double platinum, he performed with Elton John to a standing ovation at the American Music Awards before taking home his third consecutive prize for Favorite Male Country Artist.