Nine 2012 Tours to Care About

Things may seem ultra-quiet on the concert front at the moment, what with all of our favorite artists taking a well-earned vacay after worldwide NYE blowouts, (although quite a few of them are currently partying in the Bahamas with Holy Ship!), but the 2012 tour season is ramping up as we speak, (or, you know, as we type and you read). While tour dates for EDM biggies including Deadmau5, Skrillex and Tiësto have not yet been announced, these nine upcoming tours should grace the initial lineup of your 2012 concert calendar.

Justice
Although the critical response to the French duo’s sophomore LP Audio, Video, Disco has been, how do you say, lukewarm, our memories of their Cross tour indicate that the live show experience transcends the album in every way that matters. (Read: lights, dancing, booze, tres attractive people). The US leg of Justice’s worldwide spring tour commences with a pair of shows in NYC in March, and a rumored headlining spot at the Coachella music festival in April is (knock on wood) nearly guaranteed.

Tickets: On Sale Now

The College Tour: Rusko
Mad Decent dub-stepper Rusko will invade campuses throughout the east coast and Midwestern United States (so sorry south, southwest, etc), for an ambitious (28 shows in 29 days –it’s a leap year!--) college tour. Rusko (aka Christopher Mercer) himself graduated from school with a degree in musical performance. That seems to be working out for him.

Tickets: On sale now

Porter Robinson
Although no dates are confirmed on young Porter’s 2012 tour schedule, late last year he tweeted that he was going to take a month off before getting back on the road again in a big way. We’re monitoring our Twitter feed closely for the announcement.

Tickets: Not yet

The Deadmeat Tour: Steve Aoki + Datsik
Seasoned road warrior (some industry insiders have called his schedule “insane”), Steve Aoki hits the road with dub kid Datsik for the ambitious (‘cause this is Aoki we’re talking about here) two month, 34 date Deadmeat Tour. Special guests will include Alvin Risk, Angger Dimas, Autoerotique and Dirtyphonics.

Tickets: On sale now

IDentity
IDentity –the first ever traveling EDM festival in the United States-- thrilled more than 180,000 people last summer as a caravan of artists including Pretty Lights, Pete Tong, Aoki, Rusko and many more criss-crossed the country, leaving a trail of glow sticks and dance sweat in their wake. And damn if it wasn’t a hip-shaking sub-bass sonic frenzy of a good time. 2012 dates and artists have not yet been announced, but we do know that IDentity will once again send audiences coast to coast crazy (in a good way) with a revolving lineup of some of the genre’s best known legends and hottest newcomers.

Tickets: Not yet

House for Hunger Tour: Avicii
2011 was the year when the world gave Avicii (aka Tim Bergling) the praise he deserves for breathing fresh, Nordic life into house music. 2012 is the year that Bergling gives back. His “House for Hunger” tour --which kicked off yesterday in Detroit-- will hit 26 cities North American cities in 27 days and donate a million dollars of the profits to the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, Feeding America.

Tickets: On sale now

The End Is Near Tour: 12th Planet
12th Planet keeps up the momentum from a major 2011, (he was dubbed the “US Godfather of Dubstep” by Mixmag and opened 50 sold out shows for Skrillex), with a 28 day spring tour behind his The End is Near EP, out January 18.

Tickets: On sale now

Paradise Lost: Diplo + Sleigh Bells
For reasons not totally clear, Diplo and noise pop duo Sleigh Bells will embark on a mini-tour of Florida in February. And the Sunshine State will never be the same.

Tickets: On Sale Now

Paul van Dyk
It’s just four days in February, but if you happen to live in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco, you can see the Berlin-based EDM legend on this mini-tour in support of his sixth studio album Evolution, due out in March.

Tickets: On sale now