David Bowie

David BowieHours ... (Virgin 7243 8 48157 07)Some people never change, but David Bowie isn't one of them. Easily the most chameleonic pop star of his generation, he has offered himself in numerous guises over the years, each with its own distinct musical identity.Bowie's compulsive changeability has been useful in terms of keeping his audience from tiring of the same old shtick -- could you imagine having to sit through "Ziggy Stardust: The 25th Anniversary Tour"? -- but it does have its drawbacks.

Want to make your online home at The Yard?No problem, hon. The Baltimore Orioles begin offering their own nationwide dial-up Internet service today.The service offers O's fans their own "vanity" e-mail addresses and Web pages. So now you can be joe@theorioles.com. Or even mikemussinasbiggestfan@theorioles.com.Team officials are also planning to offer subscribers exclusive online chat sessions with coaches and players, live Web cams that broadcast batting practice, and the ability to listen in during the preseason draft sessions.

When Mick Jagger turned 50 a few years ago, only family and friends were invited to watch his famous lips blow out the candles. By contrast, almost anyone could attend David Bowie's 50th birthday bash -- provided they had a ticket.How so? Because Bowie, ever the shrinking violet, decided to celebrate his first half-century by throwing a concert (with guest stars) at Madison Square Garden. "David Bowie and Friends -- A Very Special Birthday Concert," which took place Jan. 9, is being broadcast this week on pay-per-view, beginning tonight at 9.Typically, what Bowie delivers is likely to both enthrall and infuriate fans -- possibly at the same time.

"The Crow: City of Angels" is nothing to caw about.Almost a remake rather than a sequel, it's another highly stylized but primitive story of a dead man's revenge on his killers against the backdrop of a city imagined by someone who's been to too many heavy metal concerts.This is the world according to Metallica, a vapor-befogged, litter-befouled landscape of post-industrial devastation where everyone looks like Keith Richards after an encounter with an ill-tempered Avon Lady, including Iggy Pop.Pop is one of a mob of drug droogs who, under the guidance of a nasty piece of work called Juda (Richard Brooks)

He may not be the trend-setter he once was, but David Bowie still seems full of surprises. A year ago, he and his band were sharing arenas with Nine Inch Nails; this Saturday, Bowie moves to the opposite end of the spectrum, playing a "ballroom" show at Washington's Capitol Ballroom.Unlike the last tour, which focused on his "Outside" album, this mini-tour -- just four shows altogether, with two in New York and one in Philadelphia in addition to the D.C. date -- promises an eclectic and unpredictable mix of material.

OUTSIDEDavid Bowie (Virgin 40711)Because the artistic reputation of David Bowie's "Berlin Trilogy" -- the three albums he recorded with producer Brian Eno in the late '70s -- has grown so over the years, it's easy to forget how difficult and uncommercial they seemed at the time. So it's entirely possible that "Outside," Bowie's current collaboration with Eno, will eventually seem just as brilliant. Until then, however, the album is likely to be slow going for all but the most adventurous listeners.

THE RED AND ORANGE POEMSGary Bartz (Atlantic Jazz 82720)Even though Gary Bartz's recent recordings have shown him to be one of the brightest and most distinctive alto players in jazz today, the true scope of his talent doesn't become clear until you hear him deliver something as fully realized and ambitious as "The Red and Orange Poems." It isn't just that the Baltimore saxophonist is, as critic Stanley Crouch enthuses, "one of the very best who has picked up the instrument." What makes this album so memorable is the way Bartz manages to pull such a strong sense of tone and community from the ensemble.

David Bowie has always had a weakness for arresting imagery. Of course, that probably seems obvious to his fans; how else could Bowie have come up with such visually striking creations as Ziggy Stardust or the Thin White Duke if he didn't know a thing or two about presentation and design?But few things catch the singer's eye as dependably as Benetton ads do. "Have you heard about the new campaign where they've taken famous personalities and changed the color of their skin?" he asks over the phone from Britain.

It used to be that writing an unauthorized biography was fairl easy work, requiring little more than a box of press clippings and access to a few ex-toadies eager to dish the dirt on their former employer. Just add hype and stir: instant bio.Today's scandal-mongers need something more, though. They need an angle -- something juicy enough to get mentioned by the gossip columnists, and nasty enough to titillate even the most jaded fan.Finding that angle can be a real challenge when the subject of your sleaze-ography is someone as notorious as Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger.

Call it Zen and the art of hitting the high notes.That would be an appropriate description of David Sanborn's short over-the-phone explanation of how he soars to tones that border the musical stratosphere."

"American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert is anything but subtle. When the 27-year-old singer made his "Idol" debut, audiences couldn't help but notice Lambert's spiky mop of devilishly disheveled hair, his dark guyliner and darker fingernail polish. But Lambert wasn't about to tone himself down just to appeal to more people. And because of that, he never thought he'd get too far on the show. "I remember getting into the competition and feeling like, 'Oh, I hope I crack the top 10,' " he said.

Isn't it good to be Beyonce? One would think, right? With a No. 1 movie, Obsessed, with the honor of performing for the president and first lady's Inaugural dance, with Jay-Z as her lawfully wedded man. ... What's not to like about being B? Something, apparently. As the pop star launches her latest megatour, which comes to 1st Mariner Arena Tuesday, she's not exactly Beyonce. She's Sasha Fierce, a harder-edged, more aggressive, more in-your-face version of herself. Sasha, or Ms. Fierce, even has her own MySpace page that talks about how her influences are "life," "love," "empowerment," and "passion."

Actor Joaquin Phoenix says goodbye to film, hello to music Joaquin Phoenix says he's "not doing films anymore." He made the announcement Monday at a fundraising event for Paul Newman's camps for kids. Extra's Jerry Penacoli asked "Are you serious?" Phoenix answered, "Yeah. I'm working on my music. I'm done. I've been through that." Phoenix's rep confirmed the news to Extra with the response, "That is what he told me." The 34-year-old performer gave no further details on his career plans - but he has been working on a record for some time with Britain's The Charlatans, People reports on its Web site.

I dropped my MOTORAZR V3m phone in the parking lot a couple of months ago, splintering the little LCD screen. Such are the vortices of fate that change our lives. Now I'm considering an upgrade, but buying a mobile phone these days is an act of consumerism not to be taken lightly. This is a powerfully determinative choice that will - for the duration of the abusive, overpriced calling plan, at least - pin me to the demographic corkboard in a variety of ways: age, income, education, my relationship to the larger electronic culture.

NEW YORK -- David Bowie has been a rock god, a philosopher of the pop avant-garde, an actor, a talent scout. But he has a little trouble taking seriously the job description for his new gig: curator of the first High Line Festival. "I love that word `curate,'" he said with a slight sarcastic chuckle. "One of the definitions is someone who oversees a zoo." To put together the High Line, an 11-day series of music, film, comedy and art that begins on Wednesday with a performance by Arcade Fire at Radio City Music Hall, Bowie said he followed his own tastes, booking old and new friends like Laurie Anderson, TV on the Radio and the British comedian Ricky Gervais.

An update on the concert scene: newly announced shows and ticket availability. For ticket information and purchase, call Ticketmaster at 410-481-SEAT unless otherwise noted. Just announced The "Worship Alive Tour," starring Fred Hammond and Radical for Christ, Byron Cage, Rizen, Lisa McClendon and Seven Sons of Soul, makes a stop at Constitution Hall in Washington April 11. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10 a.m. Still available Sting at the Warner Theatre in Washington March 11. Ruben Studdard at Morgan State University's Gilliam Concert Hall March 13. Sheppard Pratt's annual Care for Kids Concert, featuring the Cornell Gunter Coasters, the Platters and the Elsbeary Hobbs Drifters, at Goucher College's Kraushaar Auditorium March 13. 410-938-4438.

David Bowie and Macy Gray / Patriot Center One is a legend whose chameleonic sound has embodied glam-rock, funk and edgy pop for more than 30 years. The other is on her way to legendary status with a tough, funk-fused sound all her own. David Bowie and Macy Gray play the Patriot Center Sunday night at 7:30. Tickets are $43-$58.50 and available through Ticketmaster by calling 410-481-SEAT or visiting www.ticketmaster.com. Ryan Adams / 9:30 Club Country garage rocker Ryan Adams plays the 9:30 Club Sunday night at 7:30.

An update on the concert scene: newly announced shows and ticket availability. For ticket information and purchase, call Ticketmaster at 410-481-SEAT unless otherwise noted. Just announced Comedians Mike Epps, Lavell Crawford and Kenny Howell perform at Constitution Hall in Washington Nov. 15. Rufus Wainwright plays George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium Nov. 20. Still available Sonya Fitzpatrick at the Warner Theatre in Washington Nov. 13. Galactic at the 9:30 Club in Washington Nov. 14-15.

At this stage in David Bowie's career - Reality is his 26th studio release in 36 years - it's not realistic to expect or demand wild reinvention. Comes a point when there isn't much ground left to break. So it's refreshing to hear that instead of hopping aboard some inappropriate youthful bandwagon and rapping, Bowie is merely aiming to rock hard a bit, sing some moody ballads and more or less play to his musical strengths. Bowie once again reconnects with longtime producer Tony Visconti and asserts his rock chops from the get-go on "New Killer Star," an infectious rocker that alludes to the events of Sept.

For some of us, David Bowie's duet with Bing Crosby on a long-ago holiday TV special was a defining generation-gap moment. So it's hard to accept that the former Ziggy Stardust is promoting his new album with an appearance on Live by Request, a show launched by crooner Tony Bennett on cable's A&E. With everyone waiting for "Young Americans" and "Space Oddity," it's a platform that relies more on nostalgia than the work of an evolving artist. Appropriately, that's also the appeal of Heathen, a beautifully crafted sonic excursion that never quite fulfills its lofty conceptual potential.