-- Jonathan Coulton: "Code Monkey" has gained a heavy, cult-of-nerd following. Yay! Join the club tonight at 9 p.m. at Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell; $18. more ›

-- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: A typical night at the cabaret this is not. The last time we saw Connie Champagne perform (during her stint at the Plush Room), tweakers were passing out in the audience, drunks wept into their vodka rocks, and Connie busted out a dead-on tribute as Judy Garland. Performing Garland's classics (like "San Francisco") as well as songs she might have crooned ("Bohemian Rhapsody" and "A Case of You"), Champagne shows us just why Garland should be remembered as the punk icon she is, not just a tragic figure of, ugh, camp. Curtain goes up at 8 p.m. (tonight and tomorrow night) at New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; $28. more ›

The Year 2005 has finally come to an end, and none too soon. It kind of blew. We have higher hopes for 2006. more ›

'Twas the night before the night before Christmas, and all through the house, "Creature Comforts" was airing, and it included a few mouse....er...mice. more ›

Piedmont is known for being full of seriously nice houses -- we always joked that the city's raison d'etre is so that rich folks wouldn't have an address in Oakland (okay, we bear a grudge -- we were denied a pass to the Piedmont tennis court because we lived three doors down from the city line). But David Letterman has made the kids at Piedmont High known across the country thanks to a quirky rite of spring -- an annual bird-call contest. more ›

The Ditty Bops are Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald, two modern LA twenty-somethings celebrating yesteryear with their self-titled debut album [listen here]. Both their record and their live show are a must-hear, featuring bell-clear vocal harmonies, finger picked guitars, and upbeat melodies that'll have you partying like it's 1929. These KCRW-darlings have already appeared on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" and are currently touring the country with Tegan and Sara. more ›

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