Multi-platinum rock band Stryper will hit the road this spring, though presidential candidate Ted Cruz will not be part of the show. To the band’s surprise, frontman Michael Sweet found himself at the centre of the latest internet rumour last week when a social media post showed a side-by-side photo comparison of Sweet and the presidential candidate, questioning if they might be the same person. Within days, the post had gone viral, becoming a top trending topic on Facebook for over three days.

The viral post has received an incredible amount of media attention ranging from news outlets like CNN, Fox News and Breitbart, to entertainment coverage from Playboy, Perez Hilton, BuzzFeed, Esquire, The Daily Dot and many more.

"It is so mind boggling at times what goes viral," said Sweet, to NBC 5 in Dallas Fort-Worth, while admitting to CNN, “I don’t really see the resemblance.”

After spending most of 2015 off the road, Stryper will hit the road this spring in support of their new album, Fallen. Released in October and produced by Michael Sweet, Fallen is the band’s ninth studio album and their most critically acclaimed release to date, impressively landing near the top of the charts in three separate genres: Rock, Hard Music and Christian/Gospel.

Select dates have been announced, with more dates being added in the coming weeks:

April
15 - Osaka Club Quattro - Osaka, Japan
16 - Kawasaki Club Citta’ - Tokyo, Japan
17 - Kawasaki Club Citta’ - Tokyo, Japan
23 - Cannery Casino - Las Vegas, NV
24 - Whisky a Go Go - West Hollywood, CA

May
21 - Coushatta Casino - Kinder, LA

June
8 - EXIT/IN - Nashville, TN
10 - MIXX 360 Nightlife - Malden, MA
11 - The Chance - Poughkeepsie, NY
12 - Stage 48 - New York, NY
14 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH
16 - Altar Bar - Pittsburgh, PA
17 - The Forum, Hal Rogers Center - Hazard, KY
18 - BMI Speedway - Versailles, OH
20 - Skully’s Music Diner - Columbus, OH
21 - Plaza Theatre - Glasgow, KY
23 - The Rockpile West - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
24 - The Token Lounge - Westland, MI
25 - The Music Factory - Battle Creek, MI
30 - Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, OK

July
2 - The Rock Box - San Antonio, TX
30 - Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS

August
12 - Marquee Theatre - Mesa, AZ
13 - Avi Resort & Casino - Laughlin, NV

September
9 - Grand Rocktember IV Music Festival - Hinckley, MN
23 - Arcada Theatre - St. Charles, IL

October
30 - The Tree of Joliet - Joliet, IL

For additional dates and exclusive VIP Meet & Greet packages, visit stryper.com.

2016 marks the 30th anniversary of the band’s historic album release, To Hell With The Devil. Plans are in the works to celebrate with a special tour in late 2016. Details will be announced at a later date.

(Photo: Michael Boulerice, aka @therealkfm on Twitter)