Elton John adds North American shows

Elton John [ tickets ] has added a few new shows to his North American touring schedule this year outside of his ongoing "Red Piano" residency in Las Vegas.The veteran entertainer will tackle his next Vegas run later this month, kicking off a four-night stretch June 18. In July, John will head overseas for shows in Germany, Italy and the UK. John recently announced that he'll ship "Red Piano" across the ocean for a December European run; dates for those shows can be found at his website.In August, John will take a break from his Vegas production to deliver a trio of concerts on Canadian soil with his band, beginning Sept. 12 in Calgary, Alberta. He'll also play a pair of non-"Piano" shows Nov. 14-15 in Uncasville, CT. North American dates are included below.The July 21 gig in Vermont will mark a milestone for John, giving him bragging rights for playing every state in the US at least once, according to his website. It only took the Rocket Man 38 years to meet that goal, as he gave his first US performance in 1970 at Los Angeles' Troubadour Club.Last year, John revisited his top hits with "Rocket Man - Number Ones," which comprises 18 songs from the first 35 years of his career. The album accompanied the Grammy-winning singer's 60th birthday celebration, which he marked with a record-breaking 60th performance at New York City's Madison Square Garden. That concert is captured on the two-disc DVD collection "Elton John 60: Live at Madison Square Garden."Recently, two of John's classic early albums, 1970's "Elton John" and 1971's "Tumbleweed Connection," were reissued as deluxe 2-CD sets, with each containing a re-mastered version of the original studio album, plus a second CD featuring unreleased tracks and demos, as well as a booklet with new liner notes, photos and lyrics.