It looks like that will be changing in September, however. The Beasties have announced three West Coast dates – in Long Beach, Calif., San Francisco, and Seattle – and an October New Orleans gig is also on the books. Talib Kweli is confirmed to open on the September dates, and the Boys promise they’ve “got more coming.”

The dates are widely regarded as the first sprinklings of a full-fledged North American tour, and some rumors suggest the band will head to the U.K. afterward.

The group hasn’t done a major tour since 1998, when they supported Hello Nasty on a two-month U.S. jaunt with A Tribe Called Quest.

The Beasties largely shunned live instruments for To The 5 Boroughs, which includes few traces of the instrumental jams and full-band efforts of their last several albums. No word on whether this fall’s live performances will be similar back-to-basics affairs, although this summer’s appearances with Mix Master Mike have all been of the three-MCs-and-one-DJ variety.