After 17 years behind the big desk, Jay Leno tapes his final "Tonight Show" on Friday, and his last guest will also be his successor: Conan O'Brien.

O'Brien begins hosting "The Tonight Show" on Monday, June 1, and Leno's new 10pm show will launch in September.

Leno's farewell week has been filled with some of his favorite guests over the past decade and a half, like Mel Gibson, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Lyle Lovett, and Billy Crystal.

Tonight's show features Wanda Sykes and Prince.

My colleague Ryan Beckwith is taking suggestions over at the N&O's political blog about what should be North Carolina's official rock song. A few states do have them, and a dust-up erupted in Oklahoma recently after the Flaming Lips' "Do You Realize??" proved to be a controversial state-song selection with more conservative members of the state legislature.

If they put this to any sort of vote, it's a lead-pipe cinch that James Taylor's "Carolina in My Mind" would win. And that's a lovely song, sure, but way too obvious. I'd put in a vote for something more left-field -- Squirrel Nut Zippers' "Put a Lid on It," say, or the Connells' "Stone Cold Yesterday"; perhaps Let's Active's "Every Word Means No." Or, in honor of the state's growing Latino population, Rey Norteno's "Raleigh."

Over to you, what should it be? Weigh in here, or at Under the Dome.

We know it's short notice, but James Taylor will appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show today.

Her show airs here at 4pm, but usually repeats on WTVD again at 1am, just after The Jimmy Kimmel Show. 

Friday means "Oprah Fridays Live in Chicago," so Taylor could join Oprah, Gail, Ali Wentworth, and Mark Consuelos on their panel. He will perform for sure.

It's looking like a particularly awesome year for records by acts and alumni of the Triangle, and a bumper crop is coming out on April 7. Among that day's bounty:

Ben Folds -- The expatriate Chapel Hill pianist has a release titled "Ben Folds Presents: University A Capella!," consisting of college a capella vocal groups covering his songs. Folds plays Wednesday at the Durham Performing Arts Center. Fittingly, UNC-Chapel Hill's Loreleis are among the opening acts.

Superchunk -- Not too long ago, it looked like Superchunk might never be heard from again. But now the group is dropping a mini-album called "Leaves in the Gutter," and Mac MacCaughan is even talking about a Superchunk full-length album. Will wonders never cease?

James Taylor -- Following up last fall's successful "Covers" album, the Chapel Hill graduate will release a mini-album called "Other Covers" on April 7. The seven-track set includes Chuck Berry's "Memphis" and Tom Waits' "Shiver Me Timbers."

Roman Candle -- Skipping ahead five weeks, this Chapel Hill pop band will finally emerge from years of record-label purgatory to release its second full-length album, "Oh Tall Tree in the Ear," May 12 on Carnival Recording Company. Check the first track, "Eden Was a Garden," streaming at the group's MySpace.

HBO's We Are One concert at the Lincoln Memorial was pretty great, and we're glad they let us poor folks watch it for free.

There were some fantastic moments. The show opened with a reading from Denzel and closed with Beyonce singing "America the Beautiful," and everything in between was just about perfect. Springsteen sang "The Rising" backed by a gospel choir, John Mellencamp sang a rousing version of "Little Pink Houses," Bettye LaVette and Jon Bon Jovi killed with their version of Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come," and Garth Brooks rocked unexpectedly hard on three songs, including "American Pie" and "Shout."  Just as special were Usher & Stevie Wonder with Shakira, Will.i.am with Herbie Hancock & Sheryl Crow, Mary J. Blige, Pete Seeger, Josh Groban and U2.

North Carolina native James Taylor sang ...

We're all a little tired of year-end best-of lists by now, so here's one that takes a different angle: Pitchfork's 20 worst album covers of 2008, which is mean yet hilarious -- especially the borderline-offensive comment about spiritual North Carolinian James Taylor's latest.

But hey, I must confess that I giggled...

Put James Taylor (who was acting, not singing) behind the wheel of a mega-powered '55 Chevy, and that's one ingredient in a favorite film classic. But just because movie characters can get away with illegal street racing, that doesn't mean real-life racers don't deserve to be busted good and hard.

What's on the minds of 30 N&O readers as the election season winds down.

So this must be what it's like to live in Ohio most election years. With North Carolina up for grabs as a battleground state in 2008, we're seeing a steady stream of famous folks coming through to represent for their favored candidate. Tuesday afternoon was Raleigh's turn, as Obama supporter James Taylor played a mid-day get-out-the-vote show downtown in Moore Square.

Since it was as much a political rally as a concert, there was lots of speechifying for the Democratic ticket. But it never amped up from sun-drenched mellow to overheated. How could it, with Mr. Mellow himself at the controls?

The years have been kind to Taylor's honeyed croon, which he wore as casually as his onstage fedora. Except for a few selections from his new covers album and a "Go Obama Go" sing-along (plus an introductory "America the Beautiful" to begin the proceedings on a patriotic note), Taylor stuck with the old favorites -- "Sweet Baby James," "You Got a Friend," "Fire and Rain," "Mexico" and, of course, "Carolina in My Mind," with Taylor's wife on harmony vocals.

It was as bucolic an experience you can imagine, although any Republicans in the vicinity might have felt differently. A sign in front of the nearby Pour House nightclub said it all: "Democrats welcome! (thirsty Republicans can negotiate inside)."

ADDENDUM: Review of JT's Chapel Hill show.  

On the click through, details on when and where the shows are, and where and when to get tickets.