A package marked “Jeff Beck Japan tour 2009″ landed on our loading dock overnight, showing the guitar master playing a string of February dates in that country. Stops include two nights in Tokyo at Tokyo International Forum, Osaka on February 9 at NHK Hall, Yokohama on February 11 at NHK Hall, Nagoya on February 12 at Aichi Gaijyustu Hall, Kanazawa on February 13 at Ishikawa Koseinkin Kaikan, Fukuoka on February 16 at Zepp Fukuoka and Osaka on February 18 & 19 at Koseinenkin Hall.

Members of Avenged Sevenfold also have Japan on their minds. However, the band is playing that country next month instead of next year. Dates include October 15 in Osaka at Namba-Hatch, October 16 in Nagoya at Diamond Hall and October 20 in Tokyo at Studio Coast. After Japan it’s Jakarta on October 22 at Tennis Indoor Senayan and Singapore on October 24 at Max Pavilion @ Singapore Expo. Come November the band is back in the states, and new dates show them touching down in Casper, Wyoming, on November 4 at Casper Events Center, Billings, Montana, on November 5 at MetraPark Arena, Rapid City, South Dakota, on November 6 at Rushmore Plaza Civic Ctr. Arena, Fargo, North Dakota, on November 9 at Fargodome, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on November 12 at The Rave Eagles Club, La Crosse, Wisconsin, on November 16 at La Crosse Center Arena and Grand Rapids, Michigan, on November 18 at DeltaPlex Arena & Conference Center.

Little Feat updates this morning with new October and November engagements as well as a short string of early 2009 dates. October additions include October 17 in DC at the 9:30 Club, October 19 in Londonderry, New Hampshire at Tupelo Music Hall and October 30 in Seattle at Moore Theatre. New November adds include W. Hollywood on November 9 at House Of Blues and Solana Beach, California, at Belly Up. The new dates for 2009 are four in a row in Jamaica – January 23 – 26 at Grand Lido.

And we have a couple of new ones for Madeleine Peyroux for next year – March 7 in Tarrytown, New York, at The Tarrytown Music Hall, and March 28 in Los Angeles at Club Nokia L.A. Live.

During the first 90 minutes of biz we also updated the schedules for Mike Farris, Marty Stuart, Mercury Blue, Radar Bros., Old Crow Medicine Show, Eli Young Band, Bucky Covington, Charlie Robison, Del McCoury Band, Kanye West, Kevin Fowler, The Afromotive and The Hives.

But we’re just warming up and we have plenty more dates to research, clear and post before that first martini coffee break of the day. Don’t miss your Midday Update, posting around 12 noon.