Elvis Costello

Chris Tucker is taking time off from not doing "Rush Hour" movies to go on a stand-up tour, Live Nation announced Monday. Tucker will hit 18 cities on the tour, his first time on the road, probably, since he started making movie money. In Washington, he will perform October 7 at the same venue his "Money Talks" co-star Charlie Sheen played in April, D.A.R. Constitution Hall. Hopefully, he'll actually have written material prepared Tickets, which start at $44, go on sale Friday.

Chris Tucker is taking time off from not doing "Rush Hour" movies to go on a stand-up tour, Live Nation announced Monday. Tucker will hit 18 cities on the tour, his first time on the road, probably, since he started making movie money. In Washington, he will perform October 7 at the same venue his "Money Talks" co-star Charlie Sheen played in April, D.A.R. Constitution Hall. Hopefully, he'll actually have written material prepared Tickets, which start at $44, go on sale Friday.

Elvis Costello emerged from the '70s punk explosion as the singer-songwriter of the crowd, and though his music has gone through changes, he hasn't slowed down since. His geeky persona, unique voice and diverse musical output have kept Costello in the spotlight and his fans begging for more. Elvis Costello and the Imposters play Rams Head Live, 20 Market Place, on Saturday. Tickets are $60 in advance, $65 on the day of the show. Call 410-244-1131 or go to ramsheadlive.com.

"Hoo boy, are you going to have fun watching this. It bursts with great rhythm & blues, funk, and jazz music. It's got superb performances from two ‘Wire' vets, Wendell Pierce (as devilish trombone player Antoine) and Clarke Peters (as the leader of a Mardi Gras Indian tribe). There's also Steve Zahn, in his first TV series, playing a ditzy DJ; John Goodman as a righteous English professor; and Khandi Alexander (forget " CSI: Miami" — this is her best work since 2000's ‘The Corner,' another Simon project)

Go ahead. Try to name the five best-selling rock bands in U.S. history. The top four are the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and the Eagles. But the fifth might come as a surprise. It's AC/DC, a group that has sold a staggering 70 million albums in the United States and 140 million worldwide. The band's top seller, Back in Black, sold 19 million copies in the United States (42 million worldwide) and has been played in every frat house worth its beer, as well as in every rock rebel's car stereo across the land.

Elvis Costello wants you to listen carefully to the beginning of his new album, a collaboration with songwriter Burt Bacharach called "Painted From Memory."It starts with a song called "In the Darkest Place," a song about the despair that can wash over a man abandoned and denied by his lover. But it isn't the melody or lyric Costello wants us to hear - at least, not just yet.Where he wants our focus is on the introduction. "Listen to how appealing, how intriguing the opening notes of the record are," he says.

Elvis Costello has had a number of minor movie roles recently, landing cameos in everything from "200 Cigarettes" to "Spice World."But he's never been so cast against type as he is in the Julia Roberts-Hugh Grant romantic comedy, "Notting Hill." And the funny thing is, he isn't even onscreen when it happens.Costello, in fact, is only on the soundtrack, singing the Charles Aznavour ballad "She" as Grant adoringly contemplates Roberts. "It's just a straight-out, adoring love song that's supposed to represent this guy's idealization of this Hollywood goddess," Costello explains, over the phone from London.

Elvis Costello Singer/songwriter Elvis Costello, a 2003 inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, will join the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra this weekend for two presentations of his orchestral work, Il Sogno, and a selection of his classic ballads. Performances are at 8 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. Tickets are $34-$90. To purchase, call 410-783-8000, or visit baltimoresym phony.org.

9:40 p.m. [Encore] Checking the cast list in this Will Ferrell NASCAR movie, you see lots of people playing themselves - Dale Earnhardt Jr., Darrell Waltrip, Jamie McMurray, Wally Dallenbach, Elvis Costello. (Elvis Costello?) But you don't see Tony Stewart. Could it be that the producers were afraid Stewart might sock Ferrell (right)in the mouth?

There are classical musicians, rock musicians, pop musicians, jazz musicians -- and then there is Elvis Costello, a genre unto himself. For the better part of three decades, the British-born, severely bespectacled Costello has been a remarkable source of interesting, sophisticated, surprising music and music-making, earning a broad fan base with his skills as a singer/songwriter and guitarist. BSO and ELVIS COSTELLO 8 tonight at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. Remaining tickets are $34 to $90. Call 410-783-8000 or visit baltimoresymphony.

Felton Barner retired in late 2007 after spending 30 years in the information technology industry. But the 60-year-old Columbia resident didn't stay retired for too long. Earlier this year, Barner decided to pursue his lifelong interest in photography; he opened an art gallery business in May. Peter Van Buren, too, was ready for a new start after a 25-year career in wine sales. Finding a company that matched his passion in promoting environmental sustainability proved challenging, though.

Music Secret, Profane & Sugarcane *** (3 stars) Elvis Costello Elvis Costello has never been one to shrink from a challenge, and on his new album, he has taken on a big one, a song cycle of sorts incorporating themes that wind like the muddy Mississippi through the cultural legacy of the American South and the tragic secrets and varied stripes of love - obsessive, unrequited and misfired. Some songs can be as straightforward as classic country. With country queen Loretta Lynn, Costello wrote "I Felt the Chill Before the Winter Came," a dark scenario of a faithless man losing his grip on the woman he sinned for. Others are as art-song sophisticated as "She Was No Good," inspired by 19th-century European singing star Jenny Lind's tour of the U.S. Mystery abounds in oblique stories such as "Hidden Shame."

TV 'The Tonight Show: with Conan O'Brien': Heeere's Conan! The offbeat host is back on the air at a new time and on a new coast. NBC might have a glut of late shows, but this is the one to watch. (The others, not so much.) Tune in for guests Will Ferrell and Pearl Jam at 11:35 p.m. Monday on WBAL, Channel 11. FILM Dudefest: A modest hit when it came out in the '90s, The Big Lebowski is now a cult classic. So the Creative Alliance is paying homage, rolling out bathrobes and bowling to celebrate all things Dude.

A night at the symphony is the most sought-after concert ticket in town this week. But while conductor Marin Alsop and her Baltimore orchestra will be on stage, they're not exactly the main draw. That would be Trey Anastasio, the guitarist and vocalist best known as the frontman of Phish, which enjoys a devoted fan base not seen since the Grateful Dead. On Thursday, Anastasio will perform the East Coast premiere of Time Turns Elastic, a 30-minute piece that blends electric guitar and vocal solos into a rich orchestral fabric.

9:40 p.m. [Encore] Checking the cast list in this Will Ferrell NASCAR movie, you see lots of people playing themselves - Dale Earnhardt Jr., Darrell Waltrip, Jamie McMurray, Wally Dallenbach, Elvis Costello. (Elvis Costello?) But you don't see Tony Stewart. Could it be that the producers were afraid Stewart might sock Ferrell (right)in the mouth?

Music legend Bob Dylan brings decades of classic music to Merriweather Post Pavilion tomorrow night. Singer, songwriter, musician, poet and author, Dylan performs some of the most well-known popular music of all time on the brink of his greatest-hits album release. Elvis Costello and Amos Lee will also play the show, which starts at 7 p.m. Merriweather is at 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. Tickets are $40-$125. Call 410-547-SEAT or go to ticket master.com.

Dizzee Rascal / 9:30 Club British rap sensation Dizzee Rascal blows through the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. N.W., Monday night at 7:30. Tickets are $15. For more information, visit www.930.com. Tony Rice Unit / Rams Head Tavern The Tony Rice Unit and the Greencards take over Rams Head Tavern, 33 West St. in Annapolis, with their bluegrass sounds Tuesday night at 8. Tickets are $25. For more information, visit www.ramsheadtavern.com. Elvis Costello / Rams Head Live Chameleonic singer-songwriter Elvis Costello and his band the Pick-ups play Rams Head Live, 20 Market St., Sunday night at 9. The group shares a bill with Sondre Lerche, who takes the stage at 8. Tickets are $65. For more information, visit www.ramsheadlive.

Music legend Bob Dylan brings decades of classic music to Merriweather Post Pavilion tomorrow night. Singer, songwriter, musician, poet and author, Dylan performs some of the most well-known popular music of all time on the brink of his greatest-hits album release. Elvis Costello and Amos Lee will also play the show, which starts at 7 p.m. Merriweather is at 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. Tickets are $40-$125. Call 410-547-SEAT or go to ticket master.com.

Just announced Sinead O'Connor -- Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda on Oct. 24. 410-547-SEAT or ticketmaster .com. Tori Amos -- DAR Constitution Hall in Washington on Oct. 26. 410-547-SEAT or ticketmaster.com. Phil Lesh & Friends -- Lyric Opera House on Oct. 16. 410-547-SEAT or ticketmaster.com. Perpetual Groove -- Recher Theatre in Towson on Oct. 26. 410-337-7210, 410-547-SEAT or ticketmaster .com. Morrissey -- Rams Head Live on Oct. 31. 410-244-1131 or ramsheadlive.com. Still available Bob Dylan and his Band and Elvis Costello -- Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Sept.