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With the obvious exceptions of "Lola," "All Day and All the Night" and "You Really Got Me," the best place, it seems, to catch highlights of the Kinks catalog is on the idiot box; the last 12 months has seen gems such as "Picture Book" used for hawking product for Hewlett Packard and "Set Me Free" moving units for Hyundai.

To some, this may be another shameful case of classic rockers further lining their pockets. Yet the Kinks, despite more than four decades of a lot of tremendous music, have been sadly lost on younger generations of music fans.

Gen X and Y-ers that dig into the Beatles, the Stones, the Dead and VU's rich history are missing out on classics such as 1967's "Something Else by The Kinks" and their masterworks, 1968's "Village Green Preservation Society" and 1971 "Muswell Hillbillies." By the time Kink frontman and leading brain Ray Davies pulled a trump card out of his hat for 1996's terrific in-concert career overview "To The Bone," all, it seems, but the faithful, had forgotten.

Davies continues to create genius music in light of that. Last month, at the tender age of 62, he released his first proper solo album and first full album of new material in any guise in more than a dozen years, "Other People's Lives." It doesn't mark that much of a departure to what he was doing all those years as head Kink, but it's a sturdy, smart and witty set that trounces anything done in the last two years or so ago from any of his fellow British Invasion-eers. Here is the "Big Bang" that Mick & Keith didn't deliver.

Ray Davies | 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Vic Theatre, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago, $40 (18-and-over show, Saturday's show sold out).

FYI: (773) 472-0366 or www.victheatre.com

30 Seconds to Mars | 11 p.m. Saturday, Metro, 3730 N. Clark St., Chicago, $13 advance, $15 day of show (18-and-over show).

If you read the bio on the 30 Seconds to Mars Web site, leader Jared Leto cites the likes of the Cure, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and U2 as influences, which may very well attract a respectable share of curious music fans. But Leto is better known to the masses as That Dude From "My So-Called Life" and gets much more ink as the former arm candy for Cameron Diaz and Scarlett Johnansson, and for a rumored fling with Lindsey Lohan.

When he's not building his resume with supporting roles in films such as "Panic Room" and last year's "Lord of War," he's fronting this band, featuring his bro, Shannon, on drums. Will a large portion of the masses who make this show have hopes that their set at the Metro will be heavy on songs from their latest set, last year's "A Beautiful Lie?" Hell No! They're wanting a peek at the "So-Called Life" dude that was "chummy" with one of Charlie's Angels.

FYI: (773) 549-0203 or www.metrochicago.com

On sale now

For more information, contact the venues or Ticketmaster at (312) 559-1212 or www.ticketmaster.com. All shows are all ages unless indicated.

* Van Morrison, April 23, United Center

* Pearl Jam, May 16 to 17, United Center

* Brian Jonestown Massacre, May 8, Double Door (21-and-over show)

* Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders, April 23, Double Door (21-and-over show) Stephen Stills, May 4, Park West (18-and-over show)

* Ice Cube, May 6, House of Blues (18-and-over show)

* Jaegermeister Music Tour featuring Staind, May 23, Congress Theatre

* INXS, May 23, Rosemont Theatre

* Eddie From Ohio, May 13, FitzGerald's (21-and-over show)

* Pat Benatar, June 25, House of Blues (18-and-over show)

* Him, May 17, Congress Theatre

* Sevendust, May 9, House of Blues

* Carlos Del Junco, April 29, FitzGerald's (21-and-over show)

* Maceo Parker, June 2, House of Blues (18-and-over show)

* New Monsoon, June 1, Schubas (18-and-over show)

* Queensryche, Sept. 14, House of Blues (18-and-over show)

* Angels & Airwaves, May 25, Vic Theatre

* Soulfly, May 3, House of Blues

* Project 86, April 29, Metro

* The Cat Empire, June 17, Park West

FYI

* Neko Case's performance today at Vic Theatre, Rob Zombie's April 8 show at Aragon Ballroom, UB40's April 7 show at House of Blues, Joe Satriani's Wednesday performance at House of Blues and Taking Back Sunday's April 16 show at House of Blues are sold out.

* DMC's Saturday performance at Park West has been canceled.

* Built to Spill's April 14 to 15 shows at Metro have been rescheduled to Sept. 15 to 16.

The opinions expressed solely are those of the writer. He can be reached at t.shellberg@comcast.net.


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