Taking time off from finishing up a book with Billy Bob Thornton and formulating one with Willie Nelson, Kinky Friedman will visit 14 cities in the Midwest, West and Southwest, starting November 29.

In addition, the tour is bookended with two fundraisers in Salado, TX, for the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch, one on November 26th featuring BJ Thomas (with Kinky as host), and the other on December 17 with Rodney Crowell and Billy Joe Shaver (Kinky will perform a full show on this one).

Like any good Jewish troubadour, Kinky will be selling his latest books, hawking hilarious new tour posters and touting the impending arrival of the kinkiest of new Kinky products, high-grade, top-shelf tequila. Perhaps more importantly, Kinky is finally stepping into the 21st century with the ultra new Kinky Nano, which contains more than 200 of his songs, as well as snatches from his extraordinary live performances. He will also have with him the just-as-exciting Kinky Jump Drive, which holds three complete Kinky Friedman audio books (all read by Kinky himself). Kinky fans well know of Kinky's abhorrence of computers and the Internet — yes, he still writes on a portable typewriter — but he has firmly committed to co-existing with the 21st century. For those who, like the Kinkster, still prefer curling up with a real book, Kinky will also be carrying . . . real books.

To promote and celebrate Hanukkah, the tour, and all these new products, look for a new Kinky "single" to be released to radio in front of the holidays, a hysterical and poignant reading from one of the audio books. As he has proven with recent such releases, radio listeners still love a good laugh every now and then. And, with Kinky doing the reading, it's all music to the ears.

On the tour, Kinky will be performing solo, singing all the tunes for which he is famed, including "They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore," and "Ride 'Em Jewboy," and, naturally, he will continue his long-running commentary on current politics and the state of the union, as well as give a book reading. An official signing party will occur after each performance. Kinky vows he "will sign anything but bad legislation." Test him on this.

As thousand of folks have discovered or rediscovered over his last tours, Kinky Friedman is the real deal, an amazing performer, and one of America's brightest literary lights. Kinky Friedman is the troubadour of our times.

The dates:
Tues., Nov. 29 FORT WORTH, TX The Aardvark
Wed., Nov. 30 MEMPHIS, TN Memphis Studios; fundraiser for Folk Alliance
Thurs., Dec. 1 KANSAS City, MO Knuckleheads
Fri., Dec. 2 ST. LOUIS, MO Off Broadway
Sat., Dec. 3 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 400 Bar
Sun., Dec. 4 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK The Blue Door
Mon., Dec. 5 TULSA, OK Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame; fundraiser for Hall of Fame
Sun., Dec. 6 DES MOINES, IA Vaudeville Mews
Mon., Dec. 7 EVANSTON/CHICAGO, IL SPACE
Tues., Dec. 8 DENVER, CO Oriental Theater
Wed., Dec. 9 TUCSON, AZ Plush
Thurs., Dec. 10 SANTA FE, NM Santa Fe Sol Live (T)
Fri., Dec. 11 ASPEN, CO Belly Up
Sun., Dec. 13 HOUSTON, TX Mucky Duck