Tesla maps new U.S. dates as guitarist heads to rehab

Tesla returns to the road for more shows that back its first new album in more than a decade, but one member of the quintet will be sitting out the run.

"Our friend, brother and band mate Tommy Skeoch is taking some time off from the band to seek treatment for addiction, an illness that cannot be defeated without help," the band said in a statement. "We hope you will all join us in wishing him a very healthy recovery so that he is able to return to the band."

Guitarist Scott Johnson will fill in for Skeoch during the upcoming tour dates, which include a mid-August appearance at a radio-station festival, as well as a round of September headlining shows and a late-September radio-festival performance. Details are shown below.

Skeoch's battle with addiction led to his firing from the group in 1995. Tesla broke up the following year, but Skeoch and the other four original members--vocalist Jeff Keith, guitarist Frank Hannon, bassist Brian Wheat and drummer Troy Luccketta--reunited in 2000, and have toured steadily ever since.

In March, Tesla released "Into the Now," its first collection of new material since 1994's "Bust a Nut." The set debuted at No. 31 on The Billboard 200 album chart, and at No. 4 on Billboard's Top Internet Albums chart.