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Music: Two from Tea Party

Tea Party Concerts announced two this afternoon . A second show for Billy Joel at the Garden, set for Jan. 30. Tix, $39.50-$75, on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. And moe. at the Orpheum Jan. 19, tix $25 in advance, $27 day of show, on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. Doublecheck before you go, but both should go on sale at the box office, Ticketmaster and teapartyconcerts.com.

Music: Ain't nothing but a locked-outta-the-house party

I dunno, call me a killjoy. Wouldn't be the first time. But I'm not sure the exclusion of the J. Geils Band from this year's list of  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees is a giant injustice. And this from a guy who saw the boys at the Gahhhden back in the day, when the place was a sweetish-smelling smoky hellhole and the guy next to me in line waiting to get in threw up half his quart of neon-orange Tango screwdriver mix before they even opened the doors. Good times.

My friend Sarah's cri de coeur in the Herald this morning hit all the right notes. But is their exclusion really "despicable," as Charles Laquidara told her? Uh, no. I mean, they can get in next year. It makes us look a bit provincial to put this fine blues-rock outfit at the top of the Hall's heap. Are they worthy of the Hall? Sure. But which of this year's inductees would you bump in favor of Peter Wolf and the boys? Miles Davis?? The Sex Pistols?? Skynyrd?? Black Sabbath?? Blondie? Now, Miles may be the only one on that list I would rather hear than the Geils Band. But even Debbie Harry and company are arguably more influential than the boys from Boston. And among other artists snubbed this year are the Stooges and John Mellencamp.

And doesn't the whole Rock Hall thing, with its star-studded gala at some fancy New York hotel, just make you want to barf a little, like the guy drinking the Tango? Here's hoping Johnny Rotten and Ozzy both go off their meds before the ceremony, and things get old-school ugly.

Make it so!

I'm crashing a bunch of projects today so don't expect much in the way of posts. But for those of you with a NY Times within reach, pick it up and check out the picture on the front of the Arts section. Nicolai Ouroussoff raves at length about architect Zaha Hadid's futuristic Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg, Germany. He talks about the city's history and many other influences on this truly striking building. But one look at Rainer Jensen's pic should tell the pop-culturally astute what inspired her. The forward-leaning, asymmetical column holding up the ceiling honeycombed with small windows - it's totally the Enterprise from "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

The morning papers

In the Globe, Geoff Edgers says the Harvard art museums are selling a 1906 Mary Cassatt oil that has seldom been on display. The estimated $5 million would likely be spent toward another - and, it's implied, better - Cassatt. (I should have noted when I first posted this item that the story first broke yesterday on Tyler Green's blog on ArtsJournal.com.) ... The headline of the day is on the Globe's review of the "Rent" movie: "Bohemian Atrophy." ... But maybe the most important Boston arts story of the day is in the Herald, which says buyouts are flying a bunch of Globe arts veterans to the curb, including Steve Morse, Ed Siegel, Richard Dyer and Maureen Dezell. Morse says he feels a book coming on.

Comedy: Arlington's Dane Cook to host 'SNL'

On Dec. 3, according to the Inside Track.

Music: Hot hot hot

Get your samba on Feb. 18 at the Castle at Park Plaza, when FestaMundo presents Carnaval Brasiliero, an "uninhibited, sometimes risque" spectacle imported from Austin, where it attracts over 5,000. They're counting on 1,800 partygoers here, in costumes and bodypaint, shaking their glued-on tailfeathers to the rhythms of New York's Grupo Saveiro and Davi Vieira. Tix for the 21+ event are $44 in advance, $49 at the door (cash only) if any are left. They go on sale tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Ticketweb (800-965-4827) and www.CarnavalBoston.com.

Arts: New fundraiser at the Gardner

I haven't seen it in the morning papers, but...The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum announced late yesterday that Helena Bentz Hartnett has been named the museum's new director of development and external relations. Hartnett had been the chief development officer at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Hartnett says she's loved the Gardner since she moved to Boston 30 years ago, but she's going to have her hands full tapping local wallets to fund the upcoming museum expansion, complete with a new building by Renzo Piano.

Arts: Santa Menino, online

Names & Faces has an item on a goofy opera House press conference yesterday touting the city's efforts to boost arts attendance over the holidays. If memory serves an effort has been made in previous years, perhaps starting after 9/11, but this time around the initiative includes free Saturday parking and discounted tix. For the latter, check out www.mayorsholidayspecial.com, where Mayor Tom Menino is hawking half-priced tickets and ArtsBoston gift certificates. Nice idea and a good-looking site, although the low-rez picture of Hizzoner makes him look like he was painted by Seurat, at least on my monitor. The Bostonist has some thoughts here.

Music: More on the Cars 'reunion'

I told you yesterday that Todd Rundgren will lead a sort-of Cars reunion tour in 2006 with Greg Hawkes and Elliot Easton. Ric Ocasek is sitting this one out, David Robinson has retired and Ben Orr died, so how much of a reunion it is, you tell me. Brett Milano has a pretty good story in the Herald this morning noting that the group will call itself the New Cars and the lineup will be filled out by Rundgren pal Kasim Sultan and ex-Tubes drummer Prairie Prince. And the Globe's Names & Faces reports that the tour will be a co-headlining bit with another new wave act and says "the smart money's on Blondie."

Music: A wizard, a true star, a...member of the Cars?

Billboard reports that Todd Rundgren will take the role of the tall, smart, weird-looking one in a 2006 Cars reunion project with original members Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes. A tour is planned and there may be an album in the works. Ric Ocasek originated the part in the Boston new wave band, but has no plans to participate in the reunion, despite a new, low-profile solo project that brought him to town recently. Singer and bassist Ben Orr died of cancer in 2000, and drummer David Robinson has reportedly retired..  Rundgren, normally fiercely independent, cites an opportunity to "pay my bills, play to a large audience" and have some fun as his reason for joining.