Lyrics Born hits Northwest club circuit

Hip-hop act Lyrics Born has launched a handful of club shows next month behind his most recent release, last summer's "Variety Show Season Pho."

Lyrics Born--the stage name of Japanese American rapper Tom Shimura--will hit the road for a Feb. 4 show in Park City, UT. The eight-date run focuses on the Northwest, finishing up with a Valentine's Day concert (2/14) in Victor, ID. Details are shown below.

The club tour will also feature Constance Lopez and DJ Icewater.

The Berkeley, CA-based performer, who gained underground success in the late '90s for his work in the group Latyrx before issuing his debut solo album in 2003--is supporting his most recent studio effort, "Variety Show Season Pho," the fourth installment of a mixtape series that hit shelves in July. "As U Were," a new studio set, is slated for release sometime this year, according to the Lyrics Born website.

"I came up in a tradition where you made records, then you toured," the musician explained in a statement posted at his MySpace page. "I like seeing people having a good time. That's how I feel like I'm moving forward, that things are in motion. I'm a performer--it's part of who I am."