The partnership between EA and MTV for Rock Band has certainly helped in regard to trumpeting the upcoming music title to the masses, but it appears to have taken on even bigger proportions. Starting next week in Las Vegas with the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, Rock Band tour buses, similar to the one at Games Convention in Leipzig, will be going across America on a two-month tour to let would-be "Behind the Music" casualties get hands-on with the new game. The tour will span twenty-four US cities ranging from Seattle, LA and San Francisco to New York, Boston and Atlanta.

During the tour, aspiring bands will be able to compete for a live performance on MTV's "Total Request Live," where ubiquitous MySpace GIFs will be replaced by the screams of real teenagers. During the "Rock Off" event, bands will be filmed for a group of MTV casting directors. Two bands will be picked to appear on "TRL," then the winner will open for a current unannounced headliner at the game's official launch concert.

For those of you simply wanting to jam out on the game with your friends, here's a list of the tour dates, with specific locations forthcoming:

  • Las Vegas, NV
    September 9 - 16, 2007
  • Milwaukee, WI
    September 13 - 16, 2007
  • Sacramento, CA
    September 20 - 23, 2007
  • Columbus, OH
    September 20 - 23, 2007
  • Seattle, WA
    September 27 - 30, 2007
  • Chicago, IL
    September 27 - 30, 2007
  • Portland, OR
    October 4 - 7, 2007
  • Pittsburgh, PA
    October 4 - 7, 2007
  • Oakland, CA
    October 11 - 14, 2007
  • Cleveland, OH
    October 11 - 14, 2007
  • San Francisco, CA
    October 17 - 21, 2007
  • Philadelphia, PA
    October 18 - 21, 2007
  • San Diego, CA
    October 25 - 28, 2007
  • Baltimore, MD
    October 25 - 28, 2007
  • Los Angeles, CA
    October 31 - November 18, 2007
  • New York, NY
    November 1 - 4, 2007
  • Boston, MA
    November 8 - 11, 2007
  • New Jersey
    November 15 - 18, 2007
  • Phoenix, AZ
    November 27 - 30, 2007
  • Atlanta, GA
    November 27 - December 2, 2007
  • Austin, TX
    December 6 - 9, 2007
  • New Orleans, LA
    December 6 - 9, 2007
  • Dallas, TX
    December 13 - 16, 2007
  • Orlando, FL
    December 13 - 16, 2007