Billy Joel [ tickets ] has rolled out a half-dozen new dates for his early 2006 roadtrip, tickets for most of which will hit the box office this weekend.

Among the new shows is a Jan. 7 performance in the Ft. Lauderdale area that now represents the kick-off for the tour, dates for which are scattered through early April.

Also confirmed are new stops in Syracuse, NY; and Hartford, CT; as well as additional performances in Boston, Philadelphia and New York City, where Joel is now scheduled to play a total of four shows at Madison Square Garden.

Tickets for all of the new dates except Syracuse are scheduled to go on sale Saturday (12/3); those for Syracuse will surface on Dec. 10.

Joel's winter tour marks his first major solo outing since his 1998-99 trek, during which he played for 1.1 million fans over the course of 64 shows, and grossed $47 million, according to a press release.

His major concert appearances since that outing have generally been co-headlining dates with fellow singer/pianist Elton John. The two last toured together in 2003, and grossed $46 million from just 24 shows.

Last week, Columbia Records issued "My Lives," a four-CD collection that chronicles Joel's career "from his early '60s Long Island bar bands through his biggest hits to his most recent classical compositions," the label said in a press release. The set clocks in at more than five hours, and includes demos, live cuts, alternate takes, covers and more.