The tour continues throughout the U.S. and Canada before heading for an extensive overseas swing that will carry the Ladies into 2001 and beyond.

It’s been two years since the group released its breakthrough single, “One Week,” and the multiplatinum Stunt album won them widespread fame and fans, but the band has always been best-known and loved as a live act.

The Ladies have been around since the early ‘90s and their popularity has exploded in recent years. According to Pollstar’s statistics, the band played 44 North American shows in 1997 for close to 128,600 thousand fans. In 1998, they performed about the same number of shows, but for approximately 246,100 concert-goers. Things really exploded at the box office last year, when more than 436,800 Ladies lovers turned out for 38 performances.

Before they officially hit the road, the band plays the V2000 Festival outside London August 19 and 20, and returns to the States for the annual Farm Aid show near Washington, D.C., September 17.

There are 24 dates on the first leg of the 2000 tour and the band expects to add to the itinerary shortly.