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Rock News: Music's high and low notes

By JOHN SWENSON, United Press International
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TEMPTRESS LEADS NYC HALLOWEEN PARADE

Temptress, the wild transvestite heavy metal glam rock band that has become a fixture at the New York City Halloween parade, will be performing live Thursday on the lead float of this year's fete. This year's Halloween Parade theme is "Play."

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On this Halloween night, the games will begin with the Chessman's Masquerade, as Parade puppeteers Superior Concept Monsters enact a living - dancing - chess set. As the pieces break ranks and reveal the masked revellers hidden within, Sixth Avenue will become a stage within a stage, a playground where oppositions will become unities, squares will become circles, and rules will become roles -- creating a new paradigm for problem solving in our troubled world.

Adventure Game Theater -- agt.org -- will keep the Big Ball rolling, improvising games along the route, while the birds, bees and flowers of the Puppeteers' Cooperative play havoc overhead. Brooklyn's Flying Bridge Project will invite everyone "To Dance in the Light of the Moon." Meanwhile Temptress, the rumored inspiration for "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," will play several sets on a float themed "Disgraceland" with a special appearance by Shelvis. The playground is 6th Avenue from Spring to 22nd Street.

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PAULA WEST AT THE OAK ROOM

The acclaimed vocalist Paula West used her magic to full force in a bravura opening night performance Tuesday at the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel. Mindful of the Halloween festivities in full swing throughout New York, West started out her set with a gleeful rendition of Oscar Brown Jr.'s "Mr. Tricks."

"That song was originally performed in a play by Burgess Meredith, who was playing a kind of administrative assistant to Satan," West deadpanned, prompting an uproar of laughter.

For the next hour she held the audience spellbound, backed by the superb Eric Reed trio. West commanded the fabled room, surrounded by its dark oak, and perched intimately between Reed's grand piano in the center of the room and a line of tables she could reach out and touch. Her voice was silky and soulful, brash in its melismatic liberties and witty asides, updating Cole Porter to reference Steven Spielberg and Julia Roberts, glorious on the cabaret staple "Mountain Greenery," sassy on "Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me," softly evocative on the bossa nova "I Will Wait For You" and slinky sly on another Oscar Brown Jr. gem, "The Snake." West's run at the Oak Room continues through Nov. 16.

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MAGIC BAND REUNION

The reformed Magic Band, the backup group for rock legend Captain Beefheart, is set to play three live dates - one in the United States -- Los Angeles, June 2003 -- and two in the United Kingdom -- London and East Sussex, April 2003. The band also plans to release an album of the reformed Magic Band playing Beefheart classics in 2003. The new line-up for all the gigs consists of John French on drums, Gary Lucas on guitar, Denny Walley on guitar and Mark Boston on bass. Don Van Vliet a.k.a. Captain Beefheart will not be appearing. The Los Angeles and East Sussex dates will be part of the All Tomorrow's Parties festival, curated by Matt Groening in L.A. and Autechre in East Sussex.


BILLY BRAGG AT TIPITINA'S

Rock agitprop activist Billy Bragg left the crowd at Tipitina's in New Orleans shouting for more during his current tour. New Orleans-based critic Alex Rawls reports: "Saw a great Billy Bragg set at Tip's last night. The highlight was a great version of the Faces' "Debris" with Ian McLagan on piano. McLagan is traveling with Bragg and played seven or eight songs last night, but his taste remains perfect. He supported Bragg on the Hammond B-3 organ without overwhelming him and had that gentleman's reserve that was very cool."

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ELTON THROWS A PARTY

Elton John threw a gala 40th birthday bash for boyfriend David Furnish over the weekend at the couple's Venice palazzo, reports the New York Post. The Post said Elton flew in 100 pals from London, Paris and New York for the two-day party, one day spent at their house, La Giocanoda, and the other at the Hotel Cipriani. Among the celebrities the Post reported at the event were Sting, Donatella Versace, Elizabeth Hurley, Victoria Beckham, Lily Safra, Ingrid Sischy, David LaChapelle, Lynn Wyatt and Hedi Slimane.

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