George Clinton

The hot summer months are gone now. But that doesn't mean our memories of summer fun have faded. We've captured some of the summer's hottest events to help you remember what it was like to enjoy outdoor fun while wearing shorts, T-shirts, sandals and cool shades. For a group of people in their 40s and 50s, some of these events brought back memories of their youth, including a concert by George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic at the Stone Soul Picnic. The funkmaster and the band were among the featured acts at the annual picnic at Druid Hill Park.

You have to be a very staunch Prince fan to enjoy his latest film. It is called ''Graffiti Bridge'' and it plays like 87 minutes of video. There is some plot, but it is wispy at best and frequently gets in the way of the music.Prince both directed and wrote the script. He also did the music. JTC He may have taken too big a bite.The plot has him share ownership of a nightclub called Glam Slam. The owners spend most of their time fighting over the management of the club. Co-owner Morris Day wants it for himself.

Did he, or didn't he?Did the late David Ruffin sing on the Temptations single "Cloud Nine," as my appreciation last Sunday said? Or was it Dennis Edwards doing the singing, as the "Cloud Nine" album notes (and many Sun readers) claim?And why would there be any doubt over who sang what in the first place?To answer the last question first, let's go back to Saturday afternoon when I first heard that Ruffin had died of an apparent overdose. Given two hours to write my article, I turned to my reference library - in particular to Nelson George's "Where Did Our Love Go?"

LANDOVER -- With a volley of thunderous explosions, the old Capital Centre outside Washington collapsed in a billowing cloud of dust early yesterday, ending 29 years of sports and entertainment history, and stranding millions of treasured personal moments in memory. The end came at 8:05 a.m., with the sequential detonation of 355 pounds of dynamite pressed into 500 key points of the structure by technicians from Controlled Demolition Inc. of Phoenix in Baltimore County. In seconds, the stairwells toppled, and 7 million pounds of tension -- cranked into the roof's supporting cables in 1972 -- were released.

UNITYBig Mountain (Giant 24563)It's not hard to understand why America took an instant liking to Big Mountain's version of "Baby, I Love Your Way." Not only is lead singer Quino's lithe tenor perfectly suited to the song's lilting melody, but there's a certain campy kick to hearing an old Peter Frampton hit remade as a reggae number. Unfortunately, that sort of trick works only once an album, and anyone expecting more of the same from "Unity" will be sorely disappointed. Although Quino's smooth singing is easy enough on the ear, his Bob Marley Lite approach makes the album more soothing than exciting, so that apart from the dancehall-tinged "Sweet Sensual Love," most of the songs here leave no impression whatsoever on the listener.

Here's a look at some of the summer's biggest tours -- who's playing, when they start, and whether they're coming to this area.* PINK FLOYD. Touring for only the second time in 15 years, these venerable English art-rockers are bringing a blimp and a stadium-full of special effects.Started: March 31 in MiamiDue here: July 9 and 10 at RFK Stadium (shows sold out)* BARBRA STREISAND. Her first real tour in three decades, this production will feature an orchestra conducted by Marvin Hamlisch.Starts: May 10 and 12 at the USAir Arena (shows sold out)

Medeski, Martin & Wood A jazz ensemble that can get a concert crowd dancing? That may seem unlikely, but the self-described "groove music" trio Medeski, Martin & Wood has been doing just that for the past nine years of steady touring. It's also been cranking out album after album. Combining funk, hip-hop, blues, rock and avant-garde music, keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin and bassist Chris Wood offer their fans plenty of experimental live numbers, and have just released their latest album, "Tonic," a live acoustic set. Maceo Parker Maceo Parker likes it funky.

Carbon Leaf -- Rams Head Tavern / Celtic rockers Carbon Leaf, hailing from Richmond, Va., head to Rams Head Tavern for a series of concerts starting Wednesday. The group performs Wednesday, Dec. 28 and Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $23.50, and the tavern is at 33 West St. in Annapolis. Call 410-268-4545 or go to ramshead tavern.com. Twisted Sister -- Rams Head Live / The New York metalheads of Twisted Sister stop by Rams Head Live tonight for a show featuring their hits of yore as well as songs from their CD called, we kid you not, A Twisted Christmas.

Think you're way cool?Take a number. According to Entertainment Weekly's current "What is Cool" issue, you're behind David Letterman (there's news); a dead man (cult film director Ed Wood); the assembly-required furniture at Ikea and "Today" anchor Katie Couric (doesn't she belong in the "So uncool, they're cool" column?).The June 25 issue of the weekly magazine identifies cool people, places and things that have "the power to swing the thermostat of popular culture."Yes, but what is cool?

It may still feel like winter outside, but it's beginning to look like summer on the concert scene.Yesterday, the Merriweather Post Pavilion announced the first concerts in its summer subscription series.Included are shows by such stars as Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Buffett, Bonnie Raitt, Barry Manilow and Steely Dan.Series A includes shows by Mr. Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band with the Iguanas (July 26); Chicago (Aug. 12); Steely Dan (Aug. 23); Ms. Raitt with Bruce Hornsby (July 29); and James Taylor (Aug.