Lady Gaga tour takes ‘Fame’ on road for headlining dates

Pop-shock artist Lady Gaga is filling in her 2009 itinerary with her first North American headlining tour. The Fame Ball tour kicks off March 12 at the House of Blues in San Diego, CA, and wraps April 9 at Center Stage in Atlanta, GA.

The 22-city trek will hit clubs and theaters from coast to coast over a period of four weeks. Electronica outfit The White Tie Affair and debut indie duo Chester French will provide support throughout the tour.

Highlights include a March 13 concert at the Avalon in Los Angeles, CA, a March 24 performance at the House of Blues in Chicago, IL, a March 31 set at Webster Hall in New York, NY, and an April 2 gig at 9:30 Club in Washington, DC. Four Canadian shows are booked for the jaunt, from a March 18 show at Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, BC, through a March 28 set at Metropolis in Montreal, QC.

The 22-year-old Lady Gaga is touring behind her 2008 release “The Fame,” which she wrote and composed. Since it’s August 18 debut, the record has hit No. 14 on the Billboard 200 and peaked atop the country’s electronic albums chart, largely driven by the success of the chart-topping single “Just Dance.”

Lady Gaga, whose real name is Joanne Stefani Germanotta, combines elements of pop and rock in her theatrical performances. Her pop-art style is influenced by artists like Queen and David Bowie, as well as fashionista Donatella Versace.

“I look at those artists as icons in art,” she explained in a statement on her Web site. “It’s not just about the music. It’s about the performance, the attitude, the look; it’s everything. And, that is where I live as an artist and that is what I want to accomplish.”

The singer-songwriter will bookend her headlining jaunt with a supporting role on the Pussycat Dolls‘ world tour dates. She’ll begin by opening the pop troupe’s winter shows in Europe and will rejoin the Dolls for a handful of late-May dates in Australia and New Zealand.

Lady Gaga itinerary:
(Dates subject to change.)