Not only did she turn out one of the pluckiest “Saturday Night Live” hosting stints in recent memory (her Shakira parody was dead-on hilarious), but Taylor Swift isn’t doing so badly in her day job, either.  Tickets to the 15 U.S. 2010 shows for the 20-year-old country-pop singer sold out within minutes last week, including her March 20 date at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville.

Even Jimmy Buffett heads indoors for the fall.

It began in typical shambolic fashion—the disheveled-looking band ambled onstage, noodled around with instruments for a few minutes as if at sound check and then, with a few foot taps from Phil Lesh, launched into the first song of a three-hour night. But what was atypical about last night’s show from The Dead at John Paul Jones Arena—only the third stop on a 22-date tour—were some of the song selections and arrangements.

For years, non-Neil Diamond worshippers carried on about what a joke of a performer he was, that despite his obvious talents as a songwriter, it was difficult to appreciate under the stacks of cheese.