Atlantic/LAVA/Ardent/INO rockers Skillet launched their "COMATOSE" headline tour this past weekend to packed houses and sell out crowds. Both Minneapolis (1609/Club 3 Degrees) and Kalamazoo, MI (2850/Wings Stadium) shows were SOLD OUT, with packed houses in Des Moines (1656/Val Air Ballroom) and the band’s hometown area of Chicago (1142/House of Blues).

"As long as you don't mind answering the phone, you're gonna love bringing the Skillet tour to your town," remarked WAYK Station Manager Rich Anderson, promoter of the Kalamazoo show. "First it was dozens and dozens of calls from people begging for tickets because we sold out 8 days in advance of the show; Then it was calls and e-mails from the ecstatic 2,850 who got to experience the tour."

Here's a few comments from some of the e-mails WAYK received:

'SKILLET ROCKED!!!! Thanks, WayFM for bringing them here to West Michigan. It was so awesome to see so many kids and parents totally rockin’ out and having a great time. I have seen many concerts in my day and let me tell you, they are definitely on top of my list and I can't wait to see them again. I am a fan for life!'

'The concert WAS AWESOME!!! My son, daughter & their friends were down in front of the stage and are still saying "huh? I can't hear you." Wow, it was LOUD, but I wouldn't have it any other way! Will said it's the best weekend he ever had! Isn't that great? Each band probably talked about 2 minutes about how they loved Jesus and Rock & Roll in that order. It was really awesome.'

Hitting approximately 30 cities, including New York City,’s Grand Ball Room, also features Thousand Foot Krutch and special guest Decyfer Down, the tour will run through May 11, 2008. Tour dates are listed below and more information can be found at http://www.skillet.com and http://www.myspace.com/skilletmusic.

Criss-crossing the country over the past year and a half with other bands like Flyleaf, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace and on Winter Jam, Skillet is excited to be out on their own tour. As their GRAMMY-nominated COMATOSE continues to be one of the best-selling projects in Christian music, still in the top 10 after 77 weeks of release and 320,000 units scanned, Skillet is also nominated for a GMA Dove Award for ARTIST OF THE YEAR and ROCK RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR ("Comatose").

Skillet's current rock hit is already #2 on the Christian rock chart with a bullet on their song from the COMATOSE Deluxe Edition, "Live Free Or Let Me Die," and they’ll be releasing "Those Nights" to CHR this month. In addition, Skillet will headline several rock stages and pre-closing slots at top summer festivals including Creation East and West, Kingdom Bound, Soulfest, Cornerstone, Icthus, NewSong, Rock the Universe, Spirit West Coast, Sonshine, LifeFest Alive, Red Letter Rockfest, and many more.

Skillet’s explosive 2006 Lava/Atlantic/Ardent/INO Records GRAMMY-nominated release, Comatose follows 2004’s Collide, which launched the group into the public eye and garnered the band their first prestigious Grammy nomination. A critical fave, Comatose has become their best-selling project to date, doubling the sales of Collide in half the time. In follow up to packed out headline club shows, a tour with FlyLeaf, and summer festivals Skillet spent last fall opening for mainstream rockers Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace. In the process of becoming one of the hardest working, most rocking, and broadly appealing acts of its generation, radio welcomed Comatose with open arms, as the first single, "Rebirthing" spent seven-weeks at No.1 on Christian Rock. Their second single, "The Last Night," also took the top spot, this time at both Rock and CHR (CRW/R&R), while their latest singles, "The Older I Get" (CHR/Rock) and "Comatose" have become their third and fourth consecutive No. 1 singles. At the end of 2007 the band was lauded with R&R’s No. 1 Christian CHR Song of the Year for "The Last Night", which was also R&R’s No. 2 Christian Rock song of the year. In addition, Skillet was named 2007s No. 2 top artist on both the CHR and ROCK year end lists.

COMATOSE TOUR DATES (*all dates subject to change)

Apr 1 2008 6:30P

Coronado Theater - Comatose Tour Rockford, Illinois

Apr 2 2008 7:00P

Memorial High School - Comatose Tour Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Apr 3 2008 7:00P

Paramount Theater- Comatose Tour Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Apr 4 2008 8:00P

The Avenue - Comatose Tour Tipp City, Ohio

Apr 5 2008 7:00P

Reynoldsburg UMC - Comatose Tour Columbus, Ohio

Apr 8 2008 7:00P

Remingtons - Comatose Tour Springfield, Missouri

Apr 10 2008 7:00P

New Daisy Theater - Comatose Tour Memphis, Tennessee

Apr 11 2008 7:00P

The Underground - Comatose Tour Forrest Park, Ohio (Cincinnati)

Apr 12 2008 7:30P

Reardon Hall/Anderson University - Comatose Tour Anderson, Indiana

Apr 13 2008 6:30P

Elco Theater - Comatose Tour Elkhart, Indiana

Apr 17 2008 7:00P

Northway Auditorium/North Country Commons - Comatose Tour Clifton Park, NY (Albany)

Apr 18 2008 7:00P

New Life Christian Fellowship - Comatose Tour Portland, Maine

Apr 19 2008 7:00P

Grand Ballroom (Hammerstein) - Comatose Tour New York, New York

Apr 20 2008 6:00P

North Hagerstown High school - Comatose Tour Hagerstown, Maryland

Apr 24 2008 7:00P

S.E. Belcher Jr. Performance Center - Comatose Tour Longview, Texas

Apr 27 2008 6:00P

Abilene Civic Center - Comatose Tour Abilene, Texas

Apr 29 2008 7:00P

Ist Baptist Of Raytown - Comatose Tour Kansas City, Missouri

May 1 2008 7:00P

Samfordwright Center - Comatose Tour Birmingham, Alabama

May 2 2008 7:00P

War Memorial Auditorium - Comatose Tour Greensboro, North Carolina (no TFK)

May 4 2008 7:30P

Cricket Arena - Comatose Tour Charlotte, North Carolina

May 6 2008 7:00P

Murray Hill Theatre - Comatose Tour Jacksonville, Florida

May 8 2008 7:00P

Mobile Civic Center Theatre - Comatose Tour Mobile, Alabama

May 9 2008 7:30P

Tivoli Theatre - Comatose Tour Chattanooga, Tennessee

May 11 2008 7:00P

LMHS Fine Arts Center - Comatose Tour