It's That Nutty Guy, Bud E. Luv

He's Bud E. Luv and he's a show-business legend, at least in his own mind. To hear Luv tell it - and he makes a career out of telling it, both on stage with "The Fabulous Bud E. Luv Show" and in a new biography, "You Oughta Be Me" - he's responsible for the careers of every Las Vegas superstar you can name.

He claims to be the man who convinced Tom Jones to change his last name from Smith, who wrote "Danke Schoen" for Wayne Newton, "Strangers in the Night" for Sinatra, "YMCA" for the Village People and "Mr. Bojangles" for Sammy Davis Jr. Actually, he boasts he's written all songs ever recorded - and almost all of them are in his act.

Sunday, Luv brings his act - complete with pompadour, amazing jackets and stage patter usually reserved for the La Bomba Room or the "Today" show - to the ultra and swinging Crocodile Cafe. This is the ultimate alternative act. -- Tonight at the Croc, Hit Explosion will do its cover versions of Mr. Luv's many, many hits. -- Rob Halford, former Judas Priest frontman, brings his new band Fight to Under the Rail tomorrow night. Fight has just released its second album, "Small Deadly Space." The songs are more socially conscious than might be expected, but they're still the grinders you'd expect from Halford. -- In 1966, at age 15, Janis Ian had her first hit with the then controversial "Society's Child," about an interracial teenage relationship. "At Seventeen," released in 1975, had an everyman and -woman quality, a loneliness almost anyone could relate to.

Now in her 40s, with a series of career and life ups-and-downs behind her, Ian has released a new album, the sardonically titled "Revenge." She says it's about survival, about outlasting the enemy. A transplanted New Yorker living in Nashville, she was recently the subject of a cover story in the gay-oriented magazine The Advocate - interviewed by Melissa Etheridge. She's also a columnist for the magazine.

Ian continues to write well-crafted songs about love and tough choices. Despite her current choice of digs and co-producer - Mary Chapin Carpenter's John Jennings - she still sounds more New York than Nashville. She'll perform Wednesday at the Backstage.

Between now and then it's blues at the Backstage with Doug Sahm and company tonight, and guitarist Tinsley Ellis tomorrow.

-- The Paladins, main movers of Southern California-style rockabilly and a truly fine band, headline "Rockabilly Hell Night" this evening at the Tractor Tavern. Los Gatos Locos and the Creepers fill out the bill.

Tomorrow at the Tractor, Jo Miller of Ranch Romance joins Laura Love to sing bluegrass and old-time songs, just as they do on their new duet CD. It's a CD release party.

-- John Medeski (Hammond B3 organ, piano and Clavinet), Billy Martin (drums) and Chris Wood (acoustic bass) are veterans of New York's Knitting Factory and currently one hot organ-centered jazz trio. There's lots of Jimmy Smith in their music, but it also transcends the '60s retro groove into wider areas. Medeski, Martin & Wood's new CD, "Friday Afternoon in the Universe," is aptly named. They'll be at Moe Sunday night.

Moe is also hosting the "Sea Sk8" benefit tonight with Pleasure Elite, Silly Rabbit and Myosik.

-- The Lockstock is hosting a benefit tomorrow night with the Seattle Displacement Coalition to raise money for a shelter for homeless U District teens. Playing will be Apollo Creed, Milk & Money and the Janice Durham Band.

-- Metropolis, 423 Second Ave., celebrates its grand opening this weekend with Jumbalassy tonight and Daddy Long Legs, Liquid Sunshine and Color Blind tomorrow.

You can reach Tom Phalen by e-mail at: aceofclubz@aol.com