AC/DC mania continues as the hard rockers extend their long-awaited Black Ice World Tour into 2009 with 16 newly announced North American dates. The new set of shows picks up December 20 at Bank Atlantic Center in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and extends through to a January 31 performance at Sommet Center in Nashville, TN.

Highlights of the winter 2009 jaunt include a January 7 show at Mellon Arena in Pittsburg, PA, and two more concerts in Ohio: January 5 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland and January 11 at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. The trek also features a return performance at Rogers Center in Toronto, ON, on January 9, following the band’s scheduled November 7 show at the same venue.

The new dates follow the previously announced fall 2008 leg of the tour, which features stops in more than 20 major markets across North America. Public and fan club onsales for several new shows begin simultaneously on Saturday, October 4.

The rock troupe, led by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, already announced second shows in several major cities as part of the first round of touring. When the North American tickets initially went on sale, 18 venues sold out in record time, leading the band to extend their runs in Chicago, Los Angeles and Oakland to two nights.

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In addition to their record-breaking ticket sales, AC/DC made headlines again by using Ticketmaster’s paperless ticket technology for all seats purchased through the fan club. The technology requires the original ticket buyer to swipe the credit card used in the transaction and show personal identification at the door immediately before entering the venue with any accompanying guests.

Ticketmaster and Tom Waits debuted the paperless system in May for the singer’s Glitter and Doom Tour. The ever-popular Metallica introduced the system in Europe when all reservations for the band’s September 15 concert at the O2 Arena in London were processed as paperless tickets.

AC/DC itinerary update:
(Dates subject to change.)

December 20 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Bank Atlantic Center
December 21 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum
January 5 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena
January 7 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena
January 9 Toronto, ON Rogers Centre
January 11 Cincinnati, OH U.S. Bank Arena
January 13 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center
January 15 Omaha, NE Qwest Center
January 17 Fargo, ND Fargodome
January 19 Minneapolis, MN Xcel Energy Center
January 21 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
January 23 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
January 26 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
January 28 Little Rock, AR Alltel Arena
January 30 Memphis, TN FedEx Forum
January 31 Nashville, TN Sommet Center