It has been nearly two decades since Ben Harper made his solo debut with the killer one-two punch of 1994’s Welcome to the Cruel World and 1995’s Fight For Your Mind, and while the 41-year-old California native has certainly collaborated with other musicians in a fair share of side projects (Relentless 7 or Fistful of Mercy, anyone?), it’s safe to say that Harper is ready to show the world that he can still do it alone.

“I’ve made records that I have known haven’t been better than Fight For Your Mind,” he recently told Faster Louder. “As a matter of fact [this new one] may be the first that rivals Fight For Your Mind.” That new one is Give Till It’s Gone, which drops May 17th, and it’s Harper’s first solo disc since 2006’s Both Sides of the Gun. We got a free taste of the 11-track effort’s first single in March, and now Harper has announced that he’s taking it all on a very long and winding road.

Following a slew of shows across Europe and stateside appearances at Wakarusa and Summerfest, Harper will launch a North American headlining tour in San Francisco on August 25th. From there, the singer-songwriter will play eight more dates of the left side of North America (complete with an August 28th stop in Vancouver) before heading to the East coast to play shows in Philly, Boston, and New York City. A two-night stand in the nation’s capital is booked for the first week of October, and while his stateside itinerary doesn’t include the South or Southeast, a press release does say that more dates have yet to be revealed.

Tickets to the affair are priced at just under $50, and on-sale dates and times vary for the various stops. Admission to select dates is available at SeatGeek. Pre-orders for Give Till It’s Gone are happening at Amazon.com, but über-fans can spring for an ultra-deluxe package that includes a Winston Tseng-designed skateboard deck, t-shirt, limited-edition seven-inch, and a Ben Harper guitar slide at this website.

Ben Harper 2011 Tour Dates:
06/04 – Ozark, AR @ Wakarusa Festival
06/05 – Kansas City, MO @ Crossroads
06/06 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre (SOLD OUT)
06/07 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre (SOLD OUT)
06/12 – Fes, MO @ Festival de Fes
06/30 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre (SOLD OUT)
07/01 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre (SOLD OUT)
07/02 – Sioux City, IA @ Saturday in the Park
07/03 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
07/05 – Toronto, ON @ The Sound Academy (SOLD OUT)
07/06 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Bluesfest
07/08 – Quebec City, QC @ Quebec International Summer Festival
07/16 – Aix-les-Bains, FR @ Festival Musilac
07/18 – Lucca, IT @ Piazza Napoleone
07/19 – Rome, IT @ Fiesta Ippodromo delle Capannelle
07/20 – Milan, IT @ Arena Civica
07/22 – Nimes, FR @ Festival de Nimes
07/25 – Saint-Malo-du-Bois, FR @Festival de Poupet
07/28 – Luzerne, CH @ Blue Balls Festival
07/29 – Tarvisio, IT @ Piazza Unita
07/30 – Verona, IT @ Castello Scaligero Di Villafranca
08/05 – Avenches, CH @ Festival Rock Oz’Arenes
08/06 – Colmar, FR @ Festival Foire aux Vins d’Alsace
08/07 – Dranouter, BE @ Festival Dranouter
08/25 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
08/26 – Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheatre
08/27 – Seattle, WA @ Marymoor Amphitheatre
08/28 – Vancouver, BC @ Malkin Bowl
09/02 – Stateline, NV @ Harvey’s Lake Tahoe
09/03 – Las Vegas, NV @ Pool at Cosmopolitan
09/04 – Del Mar, CA @ Del Mar Racetrack
09/10 – Dana Point, CA @ Doheny Days Music Festival
09/27 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
09/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
09/30 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
10/01 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
10/04 – Washington, DC @  9:30 Club
10/05 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club