STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet recently spoke with RockMusicStar.com about the band's recent appearance at the Rocklahoma Festival in Pryor, Oklahoma. He offered the following:

“Well, Rocklahoma was a good experience. Unfortunately, the numbers (attendance) that saw us play seemed a little low. I’m not sure if it is the economy, but I heard that the numbers were low all weekend long. But, other than that it was a one-off for us and it was the first time in a long time that we had played. We don’t do very well with one-offs. We are a band that needs to get together, rehearse two to three weeks and then get into the groove. It takes a couple weeks to do that. Then we are locked in and solid and hopefully some what tight. But as far as Rocklahoma, there were some bloopers in there and we were a little rusty and rough around the edges. But, we did have a good time. We always enjoy every opportunity we get to go out and play and give people hope and encouragement through our lyrics. But it was a tough gig with the low numbers and the heat. I don’t do well in high extreme humidity. It’s tough on you when you’re trying to run around and put on a show.”

As previously reported, on July 21st Stryper marked their 25th anniversary with the release of their new album, Murder By Pride. The have issued the following press release with regards to the upcoming tour in support of the record:

"Stryper will embark on a tour of the United States in September, hitting approximately 50 cities across America. This will be followed by international tour dates in January and February of 2010. The bands's 25th-anniversary tour will be a two-set show. The first set will be new Stryper material and include bassist Tracy Ferrie, along with original members Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, and Oz Fox. The second set will be classic Stryper hits and will be all four original members, including original bassist Tim Gaines. Michael Sweet Jr.'s band will be the opening band on the tour."

The band now have the following dates scheduled for their 25th Anniversary tour in support of Murder By Pride:

September

11 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
12 - Clifton Park, NY - Northern Lights
13 - Hartford, CT - Webster Theatre
16 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
18 - New York, NY - The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
19 - Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony
20 - Allentown, PA - Crocodile Rock
23 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club
24 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues Cleveland
25 - Mt. Clemens, MI - The Hayloft

October

1 - Greensburg, PA - Palace Theatre
4 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
15 - Falls Church, VA - The State Theatre
17 - Cary, NC - Koka Booth Amphitheatre
21 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade - Heaven
22 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theatre
24 - Saint Petersburg, FL - Jannus Landing
25 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - The Culture Room
28 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues
30 - Nashville, TN - Wildhorse Saloon

November

4 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
5 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
6 - San Antonio, TX - Scoutbar
10 - Denver, CO - Cervantes Ballroom
14 - Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia LA Live
16 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues - Anaheim
19 - Santa Clara, CA - Avalon Nightclub

January

15 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Apolo
16 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera
20 - Biel, Switzerland - Kongresshaus
22 - Prague, Czech - Retro Music Hall
23 - Utrecht Netherlands - Tivoli Oudegracht