Briefly: Van Halen, Sugarland, The Police, Steve Earle

The intermittent rumblings of an ostensible Van Halen reunion tour with original singer David Lee Roth at the helm are picking up yet again, with the group reportedly in the process of mapping a fall arena run.

Billboard reports that arenas in several major markets are holding dates open for the potential Van Halen shows, and Melodicrock.com claims that the band is currently expected to hit the road in September.

The group had announced earlier this year its plans for a summer tour with the reinstated Roth--along with new bassist Wolfgang Van Halen, guitarist Eddie Van Halen's teenage son, who has replaced original bassist Michael Anthony--but that train got derailed in March when Eddie checked himself into a rehab facility. The guitarist has since emerged from the rehab stint, and has been photographed looking much healthier than he has in recent years.

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Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles has been sidelined with a severe case of tonsillitis that has forced the group to scrap a trio of shows this week. Affected are the group's stops in Mountain View and Sacramento, CA, as well as a Fourth of July performance in Troutdale, OR. The band has not yet determined if the shows will be rescheduled, according to a press release.

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The Police's in-progress reunion generated the most interest among Ticketmaster's users this year, according to the company, whose data earned the band the rank of the most-requested act during the first half of 2007. Kenny Chesney was the second most-requested musical act, and fourth most-requested Ticketmaster event overall; Dave Matthews Band, Jimmy Buffett, Tool, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's Soul2Soul Tour, Gwen Stefani, John Mayer, Justin Timberlake and Rush comprised the remainder of the Top 10 most-requested concerts.

The rankings are based on "online page views, information requests and ticket sales through Ticketmaster sales channels," according to a press release.

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Steve Earle has announced a Sept. 25 release date for his next album. Titled "Washington Square Serenade," the set is Earle's first release for New West Records, which plans to issue the recording in several configurations, including a deluxe CD/DVD edition and a 180-gram vinyl record, according to the company.