The National 2010 Headlining Dates

In anticipation of the band’s upcoming fifth studio album, The National has announced its first tour dates of 2010, with shows lined up in both North America and Europe.

After taking more than half a year off the road, the Brooklyn-based indie rock band has plans to kick off 2010 with a March 28 appearance at the Tennessee Theatre as part of the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tenn. The fest is being co-curated by The National guitarist Bryce Dessner, who is also curating the MusicNow fest in his hometown of Cincinnati, March 30-April 1.

The next month the band performs its first headlining gig of the year at, fittingly, The National in Richmond, Va., April 22-23.

The National then heads for Europe, playing Royal Albert Hall in London (May 6), opening for Pavement at Zenith Paris (May 7) and playing Astra in Berlin (May 9).

Returning to the States, the band plays a few gigs in California with shows at The Wiltern in Los Angeles (May 22), Spreckles Theatre in San Diego (May 23) and Fox Theatre in Oakland (May 27), followed by a round of East Coast dates.

The East Coast dates include House of Blues Presented by Foxwoods Resort Casino in Boston (June 2), Electric Factory in Philadelphia (June 5), DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. (June 6), Massey Hall in Toronto (June 8) and Radio City Music Hall in New York (June 16).

More dates will be added soon.

In May The National release its as yet untitled new album, the follow-up to 2007’s Boxer.

Click here for The Nationals’ Web site.