Guest columnist Larry King hits the clubs, bow tie and all.

Questions and comments and things: I'm on loan from USA Today and CNN, subbing for my good friend the Metro Gnome, and it beats me how that wily creature hops from club to club every night. Though I can see why he'd hang out at the Crocodile. Is it just me or is that the most well-mannered yet ruggedly handsome staff of guys (and gals) at any venue on the West Coast? Could be . . .

Question: Saturday night's Wire gig at the Showbox lasted only one hour. What's up with that? It was a glorious hour. And those four stately English lads were gracious enough to mingle and sign autographs. But for their first Seattle show in more than a dozen years, they could have played another hour. That's the way I see it . . .

Birthday wishes go out to my friend Chad Quierolo, Graceland and I-Spy booking agent, who turned 31 last Saturday. He's done wonders for the two clubs since taking over in March . . .

I just heard a terrific new album from a band with a funny name. Released by the Slabco label, Saints of Infinity is the first CD by local talent sientific american, who's really one guy, Andrew Rohrmann. And guess what? It's a double CD, so there's two whole discs of funky beats and zany samples. Great stuff . . .

I saw the missing member of Modest Mouse hanging out at Linda's last week, during a set by my good friend DJ Se�El Toro (a.k.a. Weekly columnist Kurt B. Reighley). Looking well-coiffed and preppy, Isaac Brock must've been in town to practice with bandmates Jeremiah Green and Eric Judy; they kicked off a six-week tour in Missoula on Monday in support of their fantastic forthcoming major-label debut for Epic, The Moon & Antarctica. Brock tells a friend of mine that he's been living in Gainesville, Florida, and that he'd like to move back here "sooner rather than later" . . .

A fond farewell to Weekly music ad rep extraordinaire Courtney Miller, who'll be taking some time off to raise her baby Livia. She and hubby Dan Trager of Sub Pop are proving that Seattle's rock scene does have family values after all . . .

Another question: What the heck is happening over there at The Rocket? Rumors are swirling like a plastic bag in the breeze. Seems that a Portland paper, Willamette Week, is using the 20-year-old music mag as a pawn in a turf war down south with The Stranger. What'll happen to the sassy biweekly? You'll have to ask my good friend the Gnome, who returns next week. You betcha!

You can reach the Metro Gnome at metrognome@seattleweekly.com