Random thoughts from the entertainment universe:

® For anyone who coughed up the big bucks to enjoy Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's combination "Soul 2 Soul" show during their prior Idaho stops, the idea of a solo excursion by either spouse might almost seem like a letdown.

So it should be interesting to see how well tickets sell to McGraw's "Southern Voice" trek in 2010 with opener Lady Antebellum.

McGraw's management says the tour will stop in Boise on July 29. That actually means Nampa. The Idaho Center hasn't confirmed the gig, but it looks like it's a go.

® Fans of Fleet Foxes (sometimes referred to as CSNY Jr. by critics) may want to check out Neurolux in Boise on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Seattle singer-songwriter J. Tillman, a member of Fleet Foxes, is touring in support of his sixth solo album.

Tickets are $10 advance at TicketWeb or $12 at the door.

® Has it really been a decade of megaplex luxury in Canyon County? Edwards 14 Cinemas in Nampa is celebrating its 10th anniversary with $1 movies Wednesday, Nov. 4, and Thursday, Nov. 5.

No, not all movies. Edwards has chosen its top five from the past decade: "The Notebook," "Gladiator" (that could be cool on the big screen), "Pirates of the Caribbean," "The Grinch" and "The Polar Express." Discounts will be offered at concessions ($1.50 for drinks, $2.50 for popcorn), and they're hoping you'll bring canned and non-perishable food items for the Care House Foodbank.

® Looking for a great concert experience during your next visit to Seattle?

Try the Showbox at the Market, a 1,100-capacity downtown venue that somehow seems substantially larger than Boise's 1,000-capacity Knitting Factory.

I had a ball seeing Umphrey's McGee at the Showbox last weekend, then listening to Gossip from the upstairs bar the next night.

The staff was easygoing. The sound was excellent. But one particular customer-friendly touch jumped out at me: a piece of paper posted next to the ticketing desk as I entered.

It was nothing more than an itinerary sheet listing the name of every act performing that night, what time each act started, and when set breaks would occur.

The Knitting Factory in Boise needs to do that.

® Guitar Center contest updates: Eighteen-year-old Boisean Patrick O'Hara's run at being crowned "King of the Blues" ended in Dallas on Oct. 21. But he deserves big props for making it that far.

Meanwhile, last week, Caldwell's Louie Ruiz won the Boise edition of Drum-Off '09, a nationwide search for the best undiscovered skin basher. Ruiz heads to Engelwood, Colo., next to compete in regionals Nov. 5.

® You've seen the TV ad ripping Apple's iPhone: iDon't do this, iDon't do that. But is the new Droid from Motorola and Verizon Wireless really an iPhone killer?

Um, no.

But the Droid, revealed two days ago, is one sweet-looking smart phone. With the ability to use powerhouse Google software, it's a gadget dork's dream.

The Droid will be available at Verizon beginning Nov. 6 for $200 (if you sign up for a two-year contract and data plan).

Apple has a massive advantage when it comes to applications, but Google's Android Market should make headway as time passes. Other cool Droid features: a true keyboard, a 5-megapixel camera with flash, twice the iPhone's resolution and a screen supposedly big enough to let you see an entire Web page without panning.

Let's just hope the battery life is better than an iPhone's.

® Is it too early to declare NBC's Jay Leno experiment a massive disaster?

I say no. Marc Berman, an analyst for Media Week and publisher of "The Programming Insider," called the show a "huge flop" in an Associated Press article this week.

"I don't care what they say," Berman added, obviously referring to NBC executives. "It's not working."

According to the AP, some local NBC affiliates are worried that Leno is hurting the ratings for their late-night newscasts.

Thoughts, Dee and Carolyn?

Michael Deeds co-hosts "The Other Studio" at 9 p.m. Sundays on 94.9 FM "The River"; he appears Thursdays on Channel 6 News.