Laid-up Leighton? Not likely Which other Twin Cities musician besides Brian (G.B.) Leighton could find out he has cancer last week, have a tumor removed Tuesday and then plan on returning to the stage in time for his gig this weekend? That's the scenario Leighton's friends said the 38-year-old rocker/workhorse was counting on the day after his surgery. "That's Brian for you. He doesn't let much faze him," said co-manager Amanda Fletcher. Leighton's bandmates also didn't waste any time: They turned their weekly gig at Bunkers on Wednesday into an all-star benefit and rally for him. Whether or not Brian rebounds enough for Saturday's scheduled show at the Rock, his doctors were reportedly optimistic for his long-term recovery.

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

Clash of the Ti-teens It's not exactly the Visigoths vs. the Huns. Still, an interesting convergence will occur tonight in downtown Minneapolis. The Revolve Tour at Target Center promises an "all-access" to God experience for 6th- to 12th-grade girls and is expected to draw 8,500 of them (the event runs 7 to 10 p.m., also Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). At the same time, fans of Kathy Griffin -- probably not on most Christian leaders' top-10 lists -- will be flocking to her two sold-out shows at the nearby 2,500-plus seat Orpheum. The expected crush of traffic and full parking ramps prompted an arrive-early advisory from Historic Theatres staff. Hey, Kathy -- looking for something local to riff off of tonight? Here ya go.

KRISTIN TILLOTSON

4-4 time As you'd expect from a guy whose best-known tune is "Song for Che," a strong political current ran through Saturday's Liberation Music Orchestra concert by jazz great (and Jack Black father-in-law) Charlie Haden. "The FBI has a dossier on me," Haden said darkly while explaining why he borrowed a bass rather than risk bringing his own through airport security. The concert itself, however, was richly threaded with strains of Americana -- "Amazing Grace," "We Shall Overcome," "America the Beautiful." So it didn't sound out of place during the final curtain call when the brass-heavy band struck up "Happy Birthday" for drummer Matt Wilson, who flashed three fingers, then two, to the audience. "32?" I.W. wondered? No, he's actually 44, we learned later. Whatever he meant, it can't be blamed on poor eye-hand coordination, judging from Wilson's otherwise impeccable paradiddles.

TIM CAMPBELL

Mad fans? Being backstage at the Emmy Awards isn't as glamorous as it sounds -- especially if you're Betty White. Minnesotan Rich Sommer, who plays Harry Crane on best-drama winner "Mad Men," said that immediately after last week's ceremony, the cast members of his show and best-comedy champ "30 Rock" were shuttled into a room for interviews, creating a logjam that made it nearly impossible for White to get out. "She was stuck and looked terrified," Sommer said. "She didn't have to say anything. She's that good." Sommer just snagged another juicy role on "The Office," as a potential rival for the affections of Jenna Fischer's character Pam. That isn't sitting well with hardcore fans of the show. "I was getting on an airplane in Cincinnati last week," Sommer said, "and as I was coming down the aisle, this guy leaned out of his seat and said, 'You'd better not mess with Pam and Jim.'"

NEAL JUSTIN

Beware the Bunnies Good thing Anne Marie Wagener keeps up on the news. When Robert Jacobsen, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts curator of Chinese art, offered her a White Rabbit candy after lunch last week, Wagener, the museum's press liaison, screamed, "They're poison." Yep, the sweet toffee in the cute wrapper with the white bunny crouching beside an artist's palette has been caught-up in the melamine scandal roiling China's food industry. By recent count, about 53,000 Chinese kids have gotten sick -- and four died --from milk products containing melamine, an industrial chemical. Now it's turned up in the popular White Rabbit candies sold throughout Asia. Jacobsen, who has something of a sweet tooth, brought a bag back from a recent trip to China and was happily munching on them until the scandal broke. He's still standing, but he's switched to non-lethal sweets.

MARY ABBE