Matchbox Twenty cranks out fall dates

Pop-rock radio phenom Matchbox Twenty has unveiled the first leg of a late-2003 tour in support of "More Than You Think You Are," their third album.

The new dates kick off Sept. 24 in Florida and work up the East Coast into Canada through the first week of October. The run follows a week-long sprint to England, Scotand and Germany in early September. According to the band's publicist, the tour will continue through December.

The band postponed a European tour earlier in the year, citing concerns over traveling and performing at the height of the international furor due to U.S. military operations in Iraq.

In the spring, Matchbox Twenty joined with labelmates Sugar Ray for a 10-week U.S. tour. The tour ranked as the No. 18 top-grossing tour of the first half of the year, according to Pollstar. The new run is expected to push the band's full-year ranking much higher.

The band's latest single, "Unwell," currently tops VH1's video rotation and has retained the No. 1 slot on the Adult Top 40 radio charts for 16 weeks, according to a press statement.