After separately dazzling the 2012 Essence Music Festival this weekend, R&B veterans D’Angelo and Mary J. Blige are teaming up for a co-headlining trek dubbed the Liberation Tour.
Although only four East Coast dates for the joint tour have been announced, Blige tells Rolling Stone that the run will be 20 dates long. The first announced date of the tour is Aug. 18 in Virginia Beach, and tickets are currently on sale through Live Nation.
For D’Angelo, the co-headlining tour marks another step in the comeback of a legendary, long-reclusive singer. D played his first U.S. show in over a decade when he made a surprise stop at Bonnaroo last month, and after performing at Essence Fest on Friday night, the singer is booked for Jay-Z‘s inaugural Made in America festival in September.
