'Mandatory Fun' Tour Speculation

[Alinite27]

Since there has been an official announcement today of 'Mandatory Fun' dropping July 15, I thought I would open up a tour speculation topic.

Once we know more about 'Mandatory Fun', we'll have more specific things to discuss. However, some topics we can go at now:

Since the album drops in July, when do you think Al tours again? He has said that he is taking this year off. However, in the last interview where he dropped the bit about Iggy, he cut himself off and said that he was holding off for the new album. Could we see a Fall Tour? Or does Al hold off until next Spring, or even Summer?

We can also discuss what your setlist would be. We'll know the new album's songs, in a few weeks, but we could discuss what classics or random originals may be included. What would you like to see?

Also, are there any different merchandise items that you would like to see? Anything you think would sell well that Al hasn't released before, or in awhile?

Just a couple topics to get some tour speculation going.

[TMBJon]

As always, I'm hoping Al and the band play I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead and/or Everything You Know Is Wrong.

In general, I would really be happy with a complete revamp of the setlist. Other than a handful of previous lead singles, I'm not particularly tied to most of the songs on the last tour.

When will he tour again? I've been operating under the assumption that the tour would be sometime in 2015, but perhaps with an album out in July that's crazy and a short 2014 fall tour would be in order. Let's hope!

[Killingsworth]

My best guess is that Al's next tour will be the summers of 2015/2016. I could see Al going back out on the road this fall like he did for Alpocalypse three years ago, but I don't think he'd be eager to do that.

[QuantumError]

Straight Outta Lynwood was released the end of September '06 and he didn't hit the road back on tour until nearly mid-March 2007.

But this is a bit different, we're just entering Summer and the release won't be until Summer is nearly through..I'd imagine Summer is when the venues are making more money since kids are out for school(plus Summer is the best for concerts in my opinion!). But (tentatively, assuming the new album is being released late July) for Al to wait 6 months till early March or so again before getting his material out there with a tour, I have a hard time believing that a "Fancy" parody will still be as popular to go and see by then. I hope at the least Al does a brief late Summer to Fall mini-tour just to start building hype.

[Killingsworth]

The same argument could've been made in W&N back in '06 but luckily it turned out to be Al's biggest hit ever (and the original still proves to be somewhat well remembered eight years later). That parody could've felt pretty stale by the spring of '07 if it didn't prove to have massive staying power. I don't see the same happening with "Fancy" at the moment, but we'll just have to wait and see what form Al's version takes.

[QuantumError]

Yeah, you make a good point.

Concerning White and Nerdy, between the massive exposure it got (in part, maybe anticipated even more so due to the whole Pitiful ordeal), it made a huge impact on the people who heard it, and YouTube kept it alive real well, so the wait between release and tour was a bit more tolerable...
I think for this album to keep relevant, Al is either going to need to start the tour this year, even if only for a handful of major cities, or promote the hell out of it for the next few months so it doesn't sink below consumer interest by time he tours.

[yankochick38]

I feel like/hope there will be at least a little bit of a fall 2014 tour but that the bulk of the tour won't be until 2015. Maybe!?

[OneWAY]

I kind of want a massive 2015 tour with a Fall tour tease this year, like how he did the Alpocalypse tour, except bigger.

[minnick27]

The difference with the fall tour is Al was already out on the road at the time. Granted he added dates, but the truck was already packed and the crew already working. Hes stated several times he was taking this year off from touring while at the time saying the album would most likely be out this year.

[OneWAY]

Yeah, but if Al pulls a SOL tour again, we're looking at several months of nothing.

That wasn't a big deal with an album out in September, but July means it could possibly be even longer, unless Al hits the road in January/February. I think Al should swoop in sooner, to get maximum ticket sales and whatnot. Peoples' interest in the new tour is going to slow down in six months.