Pearl Jam unveils initial 2006 dates

Pearl Jam has announced dates for the first leg of its 2006 world tour, set to begin shortly after the May 2 arrival of the group's latest studio album.

The band will hit 11 cities on the tour's first leg, kicking off May 9 with the first of a two-night stand in Toronto. The tour will stop at major cities along the East Coast and in the Great Lakes region. Public on-sale dates for the shows will be announced in local markets over the coming weeks.

My Morning Jacket (whose latest album, "Z," hit stores last October) will provide support on the opening leg.

Pearl Jam's upcoming, self-titled album marks its eighth studio release, and is the band's first new album since 2002's "Riot Act." The new album is also the group's first for its new label, J Records.

"We've got all the instruments going full force, yet coexisting," the band said in a Q&A session posted on its website. "It's like we took our aggressions and shaped something positive from them in a very direct manner."

The album's first single, "World Wide Suicide," will be made available to radio stations March 8. It will also be available as a free, unrestricted download via Pearl Jam's official website for a limited time. The digital single will be available for purchase starting March 14.

Pearl Jam co-produced the album with Adam Kaspar at Studio X in Seattle. Kaspar also co-produced "Riot Act." The new album's tracklisting is available at the band's website.