Stereolab tours North America behind 'Sound-Dust'

Following a warm-up show in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Oct. 19, Brit-French pop combo Stereolab kicked off its North American tour earlier this week with two shows in San Francisco. The band will be in North America through November, hitting 20 cities.

Having just released "Sound-Dust"--the 14th full-length album of its prolific, critically acclaimed, 10-year career--Stereolab is touring as a six-piece led by founders Tim Gane and Laetitia Sadler, who has added trombone to her ever-growing group of instruments. The San Francisco shows leaned heavily on songs from "Sound-Dust," interspersed with synth-driven selections from previous releases such as 1997's "Dots and Loops" and 1996's breakthrough, "Emperor Tomato Ketchup."

French popsters Fugu are opening all dates through the first New York City show, after which indie duo Quasi and former Spinanes leader Rebecca Gates will take over as support acts.

Stereolab was to have kicked off this North American jaunt with an appearance at All Tomorrow's Parties, a music festival organized by Sonic Youth and scheduled for earlier this month at the University of California at Los Angeles. Following the attacks on Sept. 11, which left Sonic Youth's downtown New York studio inaccessible, the event was postponed to March 15-17. The final lineup will be announced next month, and Stereolab hopes to appear at the rescheduled dates.