Oh look at this, according to the NY Times, Van Halen has invited music writers and critics to a short, intimate concert at the 250-capacity Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village this Thursday. Meaning they'll get an up-close and personal look at this! But sadly, it looks like our invitation was lost in the mail. It's cool though, we were Hagar fans anyway—mostly because he feeds us tequila. This concert, however, is a prelude to a tour which will bring David Lee Roth back to the forefront. more ›

A former New Jersey high school teacher is suing her former employer, claiming that she was denied tenure because she complained about being sexually harassed by one of her students. According to the Star-Ledger, the complaint alleges that the Boonton High student in question put a tube of paint in the crotch of his pants "while uttering noises to simulate his sexual satisfaction." Aw, come on: anyone who watched Bob Ross knows that happy erotic noises are part of the creative process! more ›

Jay-Z Around Town With a new, critically acclaimed album out and a refocused approach to his craft, Jay-Z took the stage twice this week in the Big Apple. For the relatively intimate events at Hammerstein and The Apollo, there was no shortage of friends and guests out to show support for Hov's return to form. Diddy, Nas, Lil Wayne and...Lebron James (?!?) all made appearances between the two shows. Lebron skipped a game to attend... more ›

Green M&Ms have held this mythic place in many people's candy-eating consciences, whether due to fables, Van Halen's concert riders or advertising. And now green M&M's will be associated with a very real place in New York - Central Park. Tomorrow, M&M's World Store in Times Square will start selling a special new color, Central Park Green, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Central Park Conservancy. These M&M's have a mottled... more ›

Like Jay-Z's 40/40 Club before them, the NY Post reports that two more Manhattan clubs are now being drawn into a lawsuit for playing music they didn’t have a license to play. With the music industry in an increasingly sad state, you would think getting the tunes out to the public (not for downloading or stealing but for the pure enjoyment of listening) would be a good thing. However bars are finding they have to pay the piper to play the songs, lest they want to end up in court. more ›

Last night at the Waldorf Astoria, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - the first hip-hop act to receive the honor! The South Bronx group pioneered the genre, being the first to incorporate deejaying and emceeing. more ›

This picture makes it look like Corn Mo should be singing Love Reign O'Er Me. And if you've ever seen Corn Mo, you know that he can hit those notes as well as Roger Daltrey. You also know that Corn Mo is quite the story teller, and you'll get a few tasty Mo-resels in this interview. more ›

Van Halen is back, and will rock the city. At least, those are the rumors that accompany news the band is hitting the road for the first time in 20 years with original lead singer David Lee Roth. We suppose if Mick Jagger is still at it - Roth can probably still "jump" at the age of 53 (though we hope he leaves the assless chaps at home). more ›

So, tomorrow will mark the first day of K-Rock's transformation into Free FM, which means David Lee Roth will be taking over New York's airwaves. The Free FM bio for the former Van Halen front man and certified EMT is PR pitch-perfect: "By the time he reached his mid-20s, Roth was a world-class frontman with platinum albums from his work with his high school buddies, Van Halen." But, in his NY Post interview, Roth was a little more colorful. When referencing his uncle, Manny Roth, founder of Cafe Wha?, he said, "Uncle Manny was the guy who hired Bob Dylan on January 24, 1961, for the first time in this city. Manny is now 88 and his wife is 51, which means that my future wife just passed driver's ed." Ew! Gothamist would rather he stick to stories about him being an EMT in the Bronx. more ›

What? No New Year's plans? Leaving it a bit late, no? Forget the overcrowded bars, the swarms of amateurs, the lame-o house parties. There are a ridiculous number of shows happening around town, some of which are worth your time and some of which not so much. Many of them are sold out, but it's highly possible you could score with the scalpers. Let's have a little look-see, shall we? more ›

Continuing to show that it don't know Jack, Infinity Broadcasting announced that 92.3 KRock is moving to an all-talk forma, confirming the rumors that were around last week. Moreover, David Lee Roth will be hosting the morning drive show! Yes, that Van Halen lead signer and certified EMT David Lee Roth! Gothamist can't wait for stories about getting busted for buying a dimebag in Washington Square Park and how crazy Eddie Van Halen is. The L.A. market gets Adam Carolla. According to the Infinity press release, Penn Jillette will also be hosting a one-hour program in NYC as well as other markets, which confuses Gothamist as he won't be able to tell the Aristocrats nor will he be able to do magic on air effectively. Maybe he'll just reveal magician's tricks. more ›

Mick Stingley, Low-Rent Rock Critic more ›

Other celebrities who sometimes do everyday kinds of jobs: Steve Buscemi helps out with firefighters and Amy Sedaris waits tables at Mary's Fish Camp. more ›

Daniel Nester, Proofreader/Editor/Poet more ›

The Post's lede about sentencing for a teacher who had an affair with a student is too much:

A Queens teacher who admitted to having a lesbian sex fling with an underage student was sentenced to three years probation yesterday, but not before she received a tongue-lashing from her victim's mother.