Today’s recap includes tour, concert and festival updates and more as compiled by TicketNews on December 17, 2008.

Rocker Bryan Adams will hit Canada early next year for two very different rounds of tour dates: acoustic solo shows and full-band arena concerts. … The 40th annual Jazz & Heritage Festival in New Orleans has announced its lineup for the seven-day, two-weekend event. Performers include Aretha Franklin and Dave Matthews Band, though exact performance dates have not been announced. … The economy has claimed another victim in the form of the Santa Clarita Symphony. The California-based symphony was forced to cancel its 2009 season in favor of smaller events scattered throughout the year.

Those are the full stories for the day. However, many more touring acts have outlined new treks and updated their 2009 itineraries. Read on for more news in brief.

Wanda Sykes is lining up a comedy tour for 2009. The comedienne will cue up the laughs on February 28 at Pala Casino in Pala, CA, and continue on the road through a June 5 set at Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL. Only seven shows have been announced so far, including a March 31 show at Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill, NY, a March 28 set at Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, NV, and a May 30 show at the Borgata in Atlantic City. More dates are expected to come in 2009.

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Yes will perform one more show this year before taking a break for the holidays. But the classic prog-rockers will be back in 2009 for a handful of new U.S. concerts. The next gig is slated for tonight (December 17) at the Seminole Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL. Next year’s outing kicks off on February 9 at the House of Blues in Houston, TX, and continues on to another Blues venue in Texas for a February 10 performance in Dallas. From there, Yes and new lead singer Benoit David hit the Paramount Theatre for a February 12 concert in Denver, CO, followed by a Valentine’s Day show at Aladdin Theater in Portland, OR. More dates will be added in the coming weeks.

Morrissey recently announced plans for U.S. and UK tour dates in 2009. The Smiths frontman has now added more U.S. dates and a block of European shows to his spring itinerary. The new U.S. concerts are set for March 4 at Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg, FL, on March 7 at Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA, on March 11 at DPAC in Durham, NC, and on March 17 at Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh, PA. After completing his UK dates, he has 14 additional shows across the mainland over the summer. The new leg of concerts begins June 2 at Grand Rex in Paris, France, and wraps July 1 at B-1 Maximum in Moscow, Russia. Highlights for the run include a June 8 show at Salle Reine Elizabeth in Antwerp, Belgium, a June 12 concert at Columbiahalle in Berlin, Germany, and June 29-30 gigs at Manezh in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Missy Higgins is beginning to lay out plans for more tour dates in 2009. The Australian singer is scheduled for a few February concerts in the States, as well as a couple April gigs in her native country. The singer-songwriter’s outing begins at two House of Blues venues in Texas on February 19 in Houston and on February 21 in Dallas. Higgins continues on for a two-show run in Florida with a February 25 concert at the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale and a February 26 gig at the House of Blues in Lake Buena Vista. The slate is clean until April when Higgins hits two festivals in Australia, first appearing at the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival in Byron Bay on April 13, followed by an April 18 performance at the West Coast Blues & Roots Festival in Perth.

Cheap Trick has added a few new live dates to its 2009 itinerary. The classic rockers are slated for a January 14-16 run at Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee, WI, followed by at least two more shows. The next is booked for February 7 at Harrah’s in Atlantic City, NJ, followed on the band’s itinerary by an April 4 gig at the Arizona Bike Week at WestWorld Events Center in Scottsdale, AZ.

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