The Toronto-based band begins its tour with two nights at Calgary’s Southern Jubilee Auditorium Jan. 5-6, From there the band moves on to a two-night stand in Edmonton at the Northern Jubilee Auditorium Jan. 7-8.

Following Edmonton, the band embarks on a series of one-nights, playing places like the Interior Savings Centre in Kamloops, BC, Jan. 9; the Eric Harvie Theatre in Banff, AB, Jan. 11; the Enmax Centrium in Red Deer, AB, Jan. 12 and the Enmax Centre in Lethbridge, AB, Jan. 14.

Other stops include Saskatoon, Regina, Thunder Bay, Moncton, Barrie, Ottawa, Belleville and Winnipeg. The band also has two nights planned for Ontario towns Toronto (Massey Hall Feb. 2-3), Belleville (Empire Theatre March 7-8) and Peterborough (Showplace Perf. Centre March 10-11).

Last date listed on the band’s schedule is April 10 in Sault Ste. Marie at the Essar Centre.

Blue Rodeo’s new album – The Things We Left Behind – appears in stores Nov. 10 and includes 16 songs spread over two CDs. Fans can choose from several options, including a double CD set as well as a double vinyl package.

But it’s the band’s digital offering via iTunes that caught our attention. By offering a special iTunes LP package, fans downloading the band’s latest album from Apple’s music store will receive interactive album notes, exclusive band members photos, portraits of their instruments, special acoustic performances of four new songs from the album and a song-by-song commentary from Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor. The band’s aim is to re-create those days when vinyl ruled the music universe and a double-record set more than doubled your bang for the buck.

As an added value, everyone who buys a ticket will help reduce illiteracy in Canada through the Canwest Raise-A-Reader Concert Series. Presented by Country Inns & Suites by Carlson and created with Live Nation, Raise-A-Reader provides artists with a platform for supporting literacy in Canada. Partial proceeds from Blue Rodeo’s tour will directly benefit literacy programs throughout the provinces.

For more information on Blue Rodeo, The Things We Left Behind and the tour, please click here for the band’s website.