Leonard Cohen played Durham Tuesday night and it didn't suck, not even a little. Click through for all the details.

A couple of years back, Django Haskins was casting about for a name for his latest band -- which is harder than you'd think because, as he notes, a lot of them are already taken. So he turned to one of his idols, Leonard Cohen, and an album title. And so The Old Ceremony was born. The name refers to Cohen's 1974's "New Skin for the Old Ceremony."

"I was looking for touchstones, musical or otherwise, for the atmosphere we hoped to create with our music," Haskins says. "Leonard Cohen was one of those touchstones. To people familiar with his stuff, I hope that conjures up a certain aesthetic or attitude about life as well as music. We're trying to create something a little bit broader than the traditional guitar-rock group, and that was one of the things that appealed. And there's also a sense of aspiring to that level of lyric-writing, even though I know I'll never reach that. But you've gotta aim high."

For more about Cohen's music, see the story in Friday's paper, which previews his show in Durham next week.

Comedian Kathy Griffin, the two-time Emmy-winning star of Bravo's "My Life on the D-List," was scheduled to do a show at the DPAC back in April, but had to cancel due to illness. That canceled show was rescheduled for this Friday, October 16.

We talked to Kathy back in April about her upcoming trip to Durham. She had some very nice things to say about Clay Aiken, and also some warnings about anyone foolish enough to try to bring kids to what she described as "an adults-only evening of swearing and general negativity."

So get a babysitter and enjoy the off-color-term-for-part-of-the-male-anatomy jokes. 

Coming our way, according to this report: The great Leonard Cohen, who will bring his decadent glory to the Durham Performing Arts Center on Nov. 3.

I am psyched, and you should be, too.

Steely Dan opened its "Rent Party" tour Tuesday night in Durham, and it
was every bit as exacting as you would expect. Click through to see
the review -- and check the photo gallery.

You might recall that comedian Robin Williams was scheduled to play Durham back in March, but the show was postponed because he had to have heart surgery. Apparently, Williams is doing well enough that dates are being rescheduled, including this one -- the makeup date is Oct. 14 at the Durham Performing Arts Center, sayeth Pollstar.

It's going to do me no good at all with the cool kids out there, but I've always loved Steely Dan (yes, I'm old). And they're coming to Durham in June. Click through for details, plus the inevitable back verbiage.

New to the DPAC schedule -- the very fine R&B singer/songwriter India Arie, in a show on May 10 (which just happens to be Mother's Day). Tickets go on sale Friday.

Inspiration to sad undergraduates everywhere Morrissey played in Durham Wednesday night. Click through to see the review.

Word from the Durham Performing Arts Center about Robin Williams' show there, scheduled for Friday the 13th:

Robin Williams is postponing the remainder of his critically acclaimed one man show, "Weapons of Self-Destruction," to undergo surgery for an aortic valve replacement. The tour is expected to resume in the fall. Previously purchased tickets will be honored once the new dates are scheduled so ticketholders are encouraged to hold their tickets for this sell out DPAC performance.