Dylan And Asleep At The Wheel Link Up For Small-Market Tour

Bob Dylan will embark on a month-long tour that will take him to a number of off-the-beaten-path towns. Among the 21 stops planned for the tour are two cities in Idaho, three in Montana and four in the Dakotas.

The jaunt opens with two shows on March 10 at the Sun Theater in Anaheim, Calif. The tour's only multiple-date engagement is a March 15 and 16 stand in Santa Cruz, Calif. Tickets are now on sale in most markets.

Last month, the Dylan track "Things Have Changed" turned up on the soundtrack to the film "Wonder Boys." It was the first new Dylan song to be released since his 1997 album "Time Out of Mind," which garnered an Album of the Year Grammy in 1998, along with two others.

Dylan has been very active on the road in the past three years, touring with an eclectic list of supporting acts and co-headliners that includes Paul Simon, Natalie Merchant, Phil Lesh, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Ani DiFranco, Jann Arden, Dave Alvin, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Lucinda Williams.

Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel--who picked up six Grammy nominations this year thanks to the guest-star-laden album "Ride With Bob"--will open for Dylan on most of the dates. (The ''Bob'' in the album's title refers to cowboy fiddler Bob Wills.) The band won Grammys last month for Best Country Instrumental (for the track "Bob's Breakdowns") and for Album Packaging. Asleep at the Wheel's full itinerary is available at the band's official website.