Branford Marsalis

It would be easy for bassist Rob Wasserman to be intimidated by the popularity of his current touring partner, guitarist Bob Weir, who usually leads the Grateful Dead on stage. What with the thousands of Dead Heads who follow Weir and his band across the country, who wouldn't be?But while "there are a lot of Grateful Dead fans coming to the shows . . . I wouldn't say it's all his crowd," says Wasserman, 38, who plays the unique Clevenger six-string electric bass that stands 7 feet high. "We're a little more low-key than the Dead."

Classical music Anne Arundel Community College, 101 College Parkway, Arnold. 410-777-2457. 8 p.m. tomorrow, Jan. 30-31, Feb. 1 and 2 p.m. Sunday: Opera AACC presents Franz Lehar's The Merry Widow. $8-$10. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive. 410-728-2820. 3:30 p.m. Sunday: Pro Musica Rara with soprano Judith Pannill. $10-$27. Free for ages 8-16. The Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, 5200 N. Charles St. 410-464-4000. 3 p.m. Sunday: The United States Naval Band. Free. Charlestown Community, Our Lady of the Angels Chapel, 711 Maiden Choice Lane, Catonsville.

When baseball's newest iron man officially went in the record books in the fifth inning last night, Orioles fans erupted with a heartfelt, 22-minute, 15-second ovation.For Cal Ripken, the spoils of his overtaking the legendary Lou Gehrig would come later -- after the Orioles' 4-2 victory over the California Angels was complete.In a post-game ceremony filled with lavish gifts and lengthy speeches, Ripken was given a solid mahogany pool table, a 2,131-pound marble stone, a Chevy Tahoe wagon, a Paul Picot watch and Waterford crystal.

In the middle of his 2,031st consecutive game, iron man Cal Ripken went the extra mile.Prodded by teammates Rafael Palmeiro and Bobby Bonilla, the Orioles' record-setting shortstop took a virtual victory lap around Camden Yards during a tumultuous 22-minute, 15-second ovation last night.Under a full moon and with President Clinton looking on, the bare-headed Ripken jogged along the warning track, shaking hands with fans, groundskeepers, security personnel and even the California Angels lined up in front of their dugout.

With the release of his latest album, "The Soul Cages," Sting has distinguished himself as one of the world's biggest touring rock star who hasn't written a rock song in eight years.Where its two predecessors, "The Dream of the Blue Turtles" and ". . . Nothing Like the Sun," were basically jazz fusion works laden with pop influences, "Cages" portrays a distant, almost new-age sound.Only two songs on this departure album bare any pop sounds at all; the bouncy "All This Time," wisely chosen as the first single, and the title track, which is led by the big drum sound of Manu Katche and the light guitar riffs of Dominic Miller.

How did Bruce Hornsby and Branford Marsalis wind up playing the national anthem before Cal Ripken's record-breaking game last night?Simple. They're Angels fans.Hornsby's relationship with the team goes back to a Grateful Dead show in 1991. "You know -- Wally Joyner and Dave Winfield on the stage, stuff like that," he says. So the pianist got into the habit of seeing the team at Camden Yards, the closest major-league stadium to his Williamsburg, Va., home."Every time the Angels come [to Camden Yards]

Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken played in his 2,131s consecutive game tonight, breaking a record that Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig established more than 50 years ago.Just before the start of tonight's game, attended by President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, Ripken walked out of the Orioles dugout to where his wife, Kelly, and two children were waiting, hugging them before going back into the clubhouse.Then, moments later, Ripken ran onto the field by himself - his teammates waited for several seconds before joining him. Bruce Hornsby and Branford Marsalis performed the national anthem, both pausing momentarily in the middle for the crowd to yell "O."

Here is a list of nominees for some categories for the 35th annual Grammy Awards announced yesterday.1. Record of the Year: "Tears In Heaven," Eric Clapton; "Achy Breaky Heart," Billy Ray Cyrus; "Constant Craving," k.d. lang; "Save the Best for Last," Vanessa Williams; "Beauty and the Beast," Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson.2. Album of the Year: "Unplugged," Eric Clapton; "Ingenue," k.d. lang; "Diva," Annie Lennox; "Achtung Baby," U2; "Beauty and the Beast," various artists.3. Song of the Year: "Tears in Heaven," Eric Clapton; "Achy Breaky Heart," Billy Ray Cyrus; "Beauty and the Beast," Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson; "Constant Craving," k.d. lang; "Save the Best for Last," Vanessa Williams.

His overall ratings were bad and getting worse. Young women -- the viewers advertisers most want to attract -- downright hated him. College students groaned when you said his name. If he hadn't announced his retirement a year ago himself, NBC might have had to step in and do it for him -- the affiliates wanted Johnny Carson out that badly."He performed horribly for us," said Arnold J. Kleiner, general manager of WMAR (Channel 2), the NBC affiliate in Baltimore. "The guy was a dog for us. The show was a dog for us."