Last Sunday, we here at the TMT offices decided to take a little break from the daily news grind and go out for a picnic. After packing as many staffers as we could in the TMT Winnebago, we hit the road for the nearest state park. I’m not saying some writers didn’t get left behind (the interoffice feuds have been getting awfully heated lately), but what I am saying is that a good time was had by all. Tunes were bumped, volleyballs were tossed, white hots were roasted, and some staffers (I’m looking at you Reviews) even had a little 4/20 fun on an extended nature hike. Even after P put us all to shame with his fabulous beach bod (photos to come), we still managed to find room for a S’more and Creamsicle nightcap.

In fact, our TMT staff picnic went so well that The Roots decided to have a picnic of their own June 7 in Philly. Unlike us, who invited only each other and our parents, The Roots are bringing along Gnarls Barkley, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Santogold, Deerhoof, J*Davey, Diplo, Esperanza, The Cool Kids, and YOU. Tickets are $50, but since you’ll be getting them from Ticketmaster or LiveNation.com, they’ll probably end up costing somewhere in the thousands.

And if you can’t make it, it’d be awfully charitable to play The Roots’ new record Rising Down at a picnic of your own sometime after it comes out April 29. Then again, maybe not. But you do have a chance to check them out on tour, a majority of which will be shared with Erykah Badu, who released New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) (TMT Review) earlier this year.

The Roots have an awful lot of free time:

04.23.08 - Raleigh, NC - Duke University 04.24.08 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues 04.25.08 - Charlotte, NC - Amos’s Southend Music Hall 04.26.08 - Towson, MD - Tigerfest @ Towson University 04.29.08 - New Haven, CT - Yale University 05.02.08 - Memphis, TN - Beale Street Music Festival 05.03.08 - New Orleans, LA - Jazz &Heritage Festival 05.04.08 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theater # 05.06.08 - Montreal, QC - Cepsum @ University of Montreal # 05.08.08 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theater # 05.09.08 - New York City, NY - Radio City # 05.10.08 - Baltimore, MD - Pier Six Concert Pavilion # 05.11.08 - Allentown, PA - Crocodile Rock 05.14.08 - Washington, DC - Constitution Hall # 05.15.08 - Washington, DC - Constitution Hall # 05.16.08 - Norfolk, VA - Chrysler Hall # 05.17.08 - Richmond, VA - Landmark Theater # 05.20.08 - Boca Raton, FL - Mizner Park # 05.23.08 - Atlanta, GA - Fox Theater # 05.24.08 - Chillicothe, IL - Summer Camp Music Festival 05.25.08 - Los Angeles, CA - UCLA Jazz and Reggae Festival 05.27.08 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium # 05.29.08 - St. Louis, MO - Fox Theater # 05.30.08 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theater # 05.31.08 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theater # 06.02.08 - Denver, CO - The Fillmore # 06.04.08 - Eugene, OR - Cuthbert Amphitheater 06.05.08 - Seattle, WA - Marymoor Park # 06.07.08 - Philadelphia, PA - The Roots Picnic @ Festival Pier 06.08.08 - Oakland, CA - Paramount Theater # 06.10.08 - San Diego, CA - Humphrey’s # 06.12.08 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theater # 06.13.08 - Birmingham, AL - City Stages Festival 06.14.08 - Phoenix, AZ - Mesa Amphitheatre # 06.17.08 - Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theater 06.18.08 - Dallas, TX - Nokia Theater 06.19.08 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues 06.22.08 - Rochester, NY - Rochester International Jazz Festival 07.04.08 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest 2008 07.20.08 - Commerce City, CO - Dick’s Sporting Goods Park 08.08.08 - Jersey City, NJ - All Points West Festival @ Liberty State Park

# Erykah Badu