Rocking our world

Stay in synch with the artist known as Timberlake

JUSTIN WATCH 2003: Team Pop reported last week that the ubiquitous Justin Timberlake would appear on a future episode of Will & Grace. Team Pop has since learned, thanks to a chastising -- though kindhearted and totally funny -- e-mail from Jeff Greenstein, the show's executive producer, that this is untrue.

Seems the popular supermarket tabloid Star "broke" this story recently despite the W&G camp denying it. Many papers, including a smorgasbord of music mags and gay and lesbian publications, picked it up, shared it with readers, who shared it with more readers, who shared it -- get the picture?

This doesn't stop Team Pop from spotting boy-about-town Timberlake doing exciting new things every week. The May issue of Spin finds Timberlake at the glitzy after-the-Grammys party hosted by music mogul Clive Davis. Timberlake, who's trying to pull off a transition from teen-pop pin-up to adult R&B artiste, was asked by a reporter at the gala if he liked the garage band the Strokes.

"I dig rock," Timberlake said. "I dig where it's going."

Where's it going?

Timberlake shrugged. "I don't know."

USED AND ABUSED: Team Pop also told you last week in a Hot Ticket that Bert McCracken, the lead singer of the Used who's made a habit of vomiting onstage, was the boy-toy of Kelly Osbourne. Here's an update: McCracken, according to Spin, dumped Osbourne on Valentine's Day, telling her he never wanted to see her again. This explains why during a recent club gig in Manhattan, Osbourne (Right, she's a "singer" now, too. Come on, keep up!) dedicated a particularly vicious song to her ex, saying, "He thinks he's Kurt Cobain, but he's not."

GOOD NEWS FOR BLUES LOVERS: If you made it to the Tampa Bay Blues Festival in Vinoy Park last weekend, you know how lucky you are. If not, don't pout, you can still check out the sets by Delbert McClinton, John Hammond, Dickey Betts, Jimmie Vaughan, Deborah Coleman, Denise LaSalle and the many others who performed during the three-day event. Festival organizer Chuck Ross told Team Pop that the entire festival was filmed for a DVD that will be available for purchase. Ross also plans to offer the film to local television stations.

RADIO, RADIO: Tune in to WUSF-FM 89.7 Fridays at 11 p.m. for its terrific "Riverwalk: Live From the Landing" series about jazz in America. This week's show, "Summit Ridge Drive: The Genius of Artie Shaw," tells the story of the great clarinetist with a three-clarinet tribute courtesy of Bobby Gordon, Allan Vache and "Riverwalk" host Ron Hockett.

COOL WEB SITE: If you're a rock 'n' roll list freak (and if you've read this far into the column, there's a dangerous chance you are) log onto classicrock.about.com/cs/rocklists to see a plethora of music-related lists including "Items You'll Never See In The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," which includes (former boozer) David Crosby's liver -- ouch! -- and, even meaner, ex- Pink Floyd leader and poster boy for LSD Syd Barrett's "drool cup."

To contact Gina Vivinetto e-mail gina@sptimes.com .

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