The five-week Tattoo Across America Tour launches August 2 – the same day Sing This hits the streets – at Po-Boys in Peoria, Ill., and will make stops in big cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Phoenix and San Diego, as well as smaller burgs like Longview, Texas.

Some might question his choice of venues, but as far as La Botz is concerned, playing non-traditional gigs helps keep things honest.

“It’s so much more interesting this way,” he said. “Playing tattoo parlors, you can be who you really are and relate directly to your fans.

“There are no dressing rooms, no backstage, nowhere to hide. In a way, this is an evolution of my roots – playing the streets and subways of my native Chicago. It keeps it real.”

And for those who might assume he’s a really gloomy guy from the title of his new album or tracks like “Depression Brings Me Flowers” and “The World Ended Yesterday,” La Botz says the point is actually to cheer people up.

“I’m not a sad-sack, I just believe it’s important for us to feel all of our emotions fully and then let them go rather than denying or clinging to them.

“Seeing depression as a pivotal part of the creative cycle has saved my life. My hope is that these songs could be a comfort to those who are struggling.”