Since Billy Bob Thornton’s show next Saturday was moved to the Pantages, a more musically beloved three-name bubba, Texas country hero Jerry Jeff Walker, had the honor of wrapping up this year’s Music in the Zoo series. What a perfect finale. The weather was gorgeous, the Summit beer was flowing, the amphitheater was packed and everything that’s right and wonderful about the zoo shows hit home (as did the one negative: the $37 ticket price was on par with other high prices out there this summer).

Always a party starter, Walker seemed extra playful after opening with “Gettin’ By” and “PickUp Truck.” He soon went right into “Mr. Bojangles” and “L.A. Freeway” but had plenty to offer in the latter half of the set. One of the highlights was a cover of his acolyte Todd Snider’s “Alright Guy.” He also encored with a terrific spin through Dylan’s “One Too Many Mornings.” No stranger in Dylan country, Jerry Jeff recounted his gig history here, starting with “some coffeehouse in Dinkytown in ‘77 or ‘78″ (anybody remember that one?), then the Cabooze, Guthrie and the Medina Ballroom. He showed just how well he knows his way around by supplanting Grain Belt for Shiner beer during “Redneck Mother.”

What did you think of the Music in the Zoo series this year? Suggestions for next year?

I’m debating whether Brad Paisley was better this year or last at the State Fair. No question that last year’s opening acts were superior, especially Taylor Swift and even Kellie Pickler, who in retrospect fared fabulously compared to  Chuck Wicks. And Taylor tops Jewel.

Last year was an eye-opener in terms of Paisley’s range, depth, versatility and creativity. But maybe this year’s show was better because he has more quality songs and more fun and exciting videos and animation.

Which show did you like better — 2008 or 2007?

Here’s the set list from Friday:

1. Mud on the Tires 2. Better Than This 3. You Are the World 4. Wrapped Around 5. Waitin on a Woman 6. Celebrity/Guitar Zero 7. Mr. Policeman/In the Jailhouse 8. A Country Boy Can Survive/I’m Still a Guy 9. Letter to Me 10. Im Gonna Miss Her (Fishin Song) 11. Throttleneck and another instrumental 12. Whiskey Lullabye (w Alison Krauss on virtual video) 13. The Way Love Goes w Jewel 14. When I Get Where Im Going 15. Online 16. Alcohol ENCORE 17. Ticks 18. She’s Everything 19. Let the Good Times Roll (w BBKing on video)

What did you think of the show? Please post your comments here:

Now, I’m not up on all the polling and the plethora of democraphic numbers related to this year’s election, but this just seems really really stupid to me: Sheryl Crow is the main artist used for the Rock the Vote 2008 campaign. You can see the campaign at www.rockthevote.com/sherylwantsyoutovote.

Kudos to Sheryl for doing the good work, but is she really someone who reaches out to voters who don’t often vote? Are there a lot of inner-city Sheryl Crow fans I don’t know about? Is she the hot new thing for MySpace/Facebook-plugged 19 year olds? I honestly can’t help but wonder if the carefully apolitical Rock the Vote organizers went for someone safe because a hip-hop/R&B artist or a hip young rock band would be too obviously in favor of Obama’s campaign. 

For whatever unexplained reason (do you know that he is a superstar?), Lupe Fiasco has dropped out of the Take Back Labor Day festival on Harriet Island. L.A. rap vets the Pharcyde have been added in his place. I’ve always dug the Pharcyde, but I’d hardly say they’re headliner material. Anyway, it’s hard to complain when tickets are $10 and the rest of the lineup still includes Mos Def, Atmosphere, Tom Morello, Steve Earle, Billy Bragg and Allison Moorer.

Breathtaking, said one friend. Jaw-dropping, said another, adding that it was probably the greatest of many great shows she’s seen at First Avenue.

Rodrigo y Gabriela, two acoustic guitarists working in tandem. She usually played the (percussive) rhythm, he the lead. Fast, furious, complex, subtle. What talent! What coordination and chemistry between the two. Many of the pieces — they were all instrumentals save for the encore when the audience sang Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” as Rob y Gab played guitar — were Latin and flamenco flavored originals. Often, Rodrigo would sneak in snippets from classic rock songs (a little Deep Purple here, Nirvana there). He started “Stairway to Heaven” by himself before Gabriela carried him to the next level. 

To add drama to this highly entertaining and musically enthralling performance, the duo used strobe lights occasionally and often black-and-white live video behind them (usually closeups of his fretting and long shots of her manic rhythm making).

For nearly 2 hours, Rodrigo y Gabriela, who started out in a Mexican metal band before going acoustic in Ireland, kept a near full-house entranced. Even though this was a hipster gig, I could see this duo being a sensation playing at the State Fair bandshell. 

What did you think of the concert? Please post your comments here: 

I’m no Tim Gunn, so I go for the music and stay for the fashion and the party to support a great cause, children’s cancer research. During Macy’s fash bash on Friday at the Orpheum, I wanted more Cyndi Lauper and less MC Hammer.

She looked great (what shoes! what legs! gee, I am sounding like a Tim Gunn-type) but this unstoppable performer really didn’t connect with the crowd the way she usually does. When she dashed into the audience, they didn’t embrace her. Granted, few Glam-goers probably knew her new disco song, “Into the Nightlife,” but they all knew her “Girls Just Want To Have Fun,” during which a gaggle of female models tried to dance but ended up just jumping up and down with Cyndi. One more number from Lauper — “Time After Time” or “True Colors” — would have made the night.

As for Hammer Time, well, the early ’90s rapper can still entertain as long as he’s accompanied by 10 dancers half his age. Wearing a bandana headband and baggie white sweatpants (that he retied at some point in front of everybody), Hammer threw down for a trio of songs, including “2 Legit 2 Quit” (which he reminded everyone that he recorded at Prince’s Paisley park; too bad he was lip synching on “Legit”, though) and “U Can’t Touch This.” He can still shake it.

As for the after-party, it was fun, fun, fun even though the DJ’s ADD style (a verse, a chorus and then we’re on to the next song) drove many Glam-goers crazy.

What did you think of Glamorama? Please post your comments here: