Playlist

Spotted a familiar face at the Republican National Convention--Dallas-raised Cowboy Troy ("I Play Chicken With the Train") onstage with Gretchen Wilson and John Rich. That was him performing the Pledge of Allegiance part of the Pledge-Star Spangled Banner hybrid after Sarah Palin's speech.

Country singer Andy Griggs takes the Billy Bob's Texas stage in Fort Worth Saturday night. But before that, he's ready for a game of poker. Mr. Griggs, who recently placed in the top 12% of the world series of poker, will be working the cards in Cowtown. If you arrive at Billy Bob's by 8:30 p.m. sign up for a chance to play poker with the Louisiana-born artist. He'll take the BBT platform at 10:30 p.m. For more info, go to the club's website.

Photo: Andy Griggs (Montage Music Group).

This is the second one in rapid order. First, we got a Labor Day sale on Santana seats for $10 and now we've got Toby Keith on sale.

Toby's on sale for Thursday only, though, so there's no time to quibble. Lawn seats and a limited number of reserved seats will be $10 Thursday only, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and only at the Live Nation Web site. Friday's show at Superpages.com Center (1818 1st Ave.) includes special guests Montgomery Gentry, Carter's Chord, Mica Roberts and Trailer Choir.

(Photo by Damian Dovarganes/The Associated Press)

So I still have Flobots' "Handlebars" stuck in my head. The song, a crafty mix of hip-hop, rock and alternative pop, is incredibly infectious and oddly inspiring. Its lyrics, basically a pep talk in rap form, give the track an endearing quality. Fight With Tools, the third CD by Denver's Flobots, doesn't easily fit into any one category. Yes, it's hip-hop but with a rock edge instead of an R&B/funk swagger. The vibe of the entire disc is alternative in the sense that it sits slightly left of the norm. Other songs worth checking out from from the five-member Flobots are "There's a War Going On for Your Mind," "Never Had It" and "Anne Braden." There's still a deserved buzz going on about Fight With Tools.

Photo: Fight With Tools cover courtesy of Wikipedia.

Who cares about his critics? Not Nas, who started a rousing set at the House of Blues last Tuesday night with the title cut from his untitled album. Oxymoron? Maybe, but the crowd knew every line and spelled the original title with the unabashed joy of the newly converted. Like tha man said, "We think alike; that's why we're in this building."

It's been quite unfortunate that early on I bought into the Nas vs. Jay-Z feud and felt cornered into choosing a side. It turns out I've missed a captivating performer, with a lot on his mind. On TV news: "Fox has a Bush-y tail ...," "worst channel in the whole world," "On CBS, I see B.S." He admonished the crowd to "watch what you're watching."

All night long, it was all-purpose Nas -- a rapper for all seasons -- showing up in several guises (included in the package): action-figure Nas, preacher, teacher, disciplinarian, judge and jury. And don't forget hero.

(Photo of opener Jay Electronica by MONA REEDER/Staff photographer)

We ran this story on former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker getting hip-hop cred with his YouTube videos of rocked-up rap hits. I hadn't seen the "Crank That" video til just now, and it smokes.

Madonna is up to her old rabble-rousing tricks, mixing images of Adolph Hitler with John McCain on her new world tour (Hmmm...wonder who she'll be voting for in November). Not so coincidentally, the segment leads into "Like a Prayer," which became infamous in '89 when Madge spiced up its video with hot-button images (burning crosses, stigmata) that had zilch to do with the lyrics. She's not coming to Dallas, but she'll play a sold-out show Nov. 19 at Houston's Minute Maid Park.

Green may be a great color, but jealousy is never a good look: according to an entertainment website, the promoter of R. Kelly's "Double Up Tour" is now paying close to million dollars to Ne-Yo for breach of contract after firing him as an opening act from his last tour for being, allegedly, too good.

Ne-Yo, whose real name is Shaffer Smith, alleged in a lawsuit filed Dec. 31 that Georgia-based Rowe Entertainment Inc. fired him after two shows as the opening act for Kelly's tour last year.

The company was unhappy that the audience and critics liked the plaintiff's performance more than they did that of the R&B singer Kelly, the suit maintained.

On Wednesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Malcolm Mackey signed a $700,320 default judgment against Rowe Entertainment for failing to respond to the lawsuit.