It was only a few years ago when Lewis seemed to be testing the solo waters by playing occasional club dates across America. Sure, Staind fans checked him out, but more importantly, old-fashioned word-of-mouth combined with Internet chatter began acclaiming him as a poignant singer / songwriter. Guess you really can have the proverbial cake and munch it, too.

The tour begins at Boston’s House Of Blues Oct. 7, plays Sayerville, N.J., at the Starland Ballroom Oct. 8 and stops in New Bedford, Mass., at the Zeiterion Theatre Oct. 10. Other stops include New York’s Best Buy Theatre Oct. 11; Philadelphia at the Theatre Of Living Arts Oct. 12 and Portland, Maine, at Merrilll Auditorium Oct. 14. Other cities on the routing include Cleveland, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, St. Paul, St. Louis, Dallas, Houston and Abilene. Last date on the current schedule is Nov. 6 in El Cajon, Calif., at the Sycuan Showcase Theatre.

Lewis is also going on his first overseas USO tour, joining Pro Football Hall Of Famers Lynn Swann, Michael Haynes and Paul Krauss as they entertain troops stationed in the Persian Gulf.

Along with juggling two distinct careers, Lewis has pursued goals not necessarily related to music, having founded, along with his wife Vanessa, the It Takes A Community Foundation which helps revive rural communities through the artist’s native New England. ITAC recently helped the RH Conwell Elementary School in Worthington, Mass., to reopen its doors as a result of the August benefit concert the artist organized featuring performances by Brad Arnold and Chris Henderson of 3 Doors Down, Seether’s Shaun Morgan, LoPro and Brendan Kelly. So far, ITAC has raised $150,000 to help RH Conwell convert from a district-run facility to a community school.

“My family has been directly affected by school closures in our rural area due to state budget cuts,” Lewis said. “We have seen firsthand the necessity for smaller communities to have a voice and to determine their own local needs and priorities. Our foundation strives to do just that – to build a collective of local community members and empower them to take charge of their own community’s future.”

For more information on Lewis and the It Takes A Community Foundation, click here for the Staind website and here for the foundation’s Facebook page.