Did you make it to Lollapalooza last weekend in Chicago’s Grant Park? Were you in the crowd for Wilco, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails or Kanye West? No? Sigh. Neither were we. But that’s fixable. Read the Blogapalooza, take crib notes from the 2008 set lists, buy the shirt and say you went. The Lolla Coat of Arms women’s T (pictured) would do the job nicely, with its black and gold eagle stretched above a Lollapalooza banner ($20). You can get that same coat of arms on a Lollapalooza onesie ($15). A little more cash will get you extreme eye candy with the limited-edition custom-made Lollapalooza skateboard by Element ($95). If you’d rather be the center of attention for having not attended the CMA Festival, you can accomplish that with the 2008 official event shirt, which splashes the logo across your chest and lists the musicians down your back ($20), or even the official 2008 CMA shooter glass (and yes, that is its actual name) for $10. Wishing you’d gone to Bonnaroo? The 2008 limited-edition silk-screened event poster will help with that, since it’s got cool funky art and lists all the musicians who performed ($30). You say you’re more of a Coachella kind of girl? Then it’s the “Sound Waves and Heat Waves Unite” Hula Hula T that is calling your name ($35.) And if you’re really holding out for the music itself, you can still get single-day passes to the 2008 Austin City Limits Music Festival Sept. 26-28 ($80 per day) or grounds tickets to the 2008 Monterey Jazz Fest Sept. 19-21 ($35 Friday, $45 Saturday or Sunday). The longest-running jazz festival in the world already has its own official black, electric blue and gold 2008 event shirt online as well ($25), so regardless of whether you go, check it out. It’s as cool as Coltrane. — by Diane Porter

The photography-centric Morrison Hotel Gallery, launched early this decade to deal in high-quality images of (mostly) musical icons, has flourished both online and in a half-dozen locations in New York and California. It may be named for a Doors album, but an exhibition opening this month proves it doesn’t only cater to fans of Sixties rock: “In Session at the Columbia Records 30th Street Studio” culls through Sony BMG archives of one of the most storied recording studios in history, a place where everyone from Johnny Cash to Glenn Gould made classic records. The building is no longer standing, but these candid photos (mostly shot by Columbia Records’ in-house photographer Don Hunstein) give you a feel for what a storied place it was. Beautiful black-and-white images catch Bob Dylan at the piano, Tony Bennett studying a score or jazz greats Billie Holiday (pictured) and Thelonious Monk in the middle of performances. Prints mostly range from $1,500 to $3,000, depending on size, and can be ordered with a frame for a few hundred dollars extra.

Given the number of times some records have been reissued in the CD era — the new editions of Blondie’s Parallel Lines and Elvis Costello’s This Year’s Model are, what, the sixth or seventh? — it’s startling that the early years of U2, the off-and-on biggest rock band on Earth, are only now getting the deluxe reissue treatment. Boy, October and War were all just released in $35 hardbound packages combining the remastered original album with a second disc offering live tracks, remixes and B-sides. Though the discs are available everywhere (and, happily, are also available as single-CD $11 budget titles without the bonus tracks), Amazon is offering a brand-new exclusive boxed set, which features a bonus limited-edition poster and room for a fourth disc to come — maybe a new version of the Under a Blood Red Sky EP, which was the most successful live record in British history?

Holy credit card, Batman! The Dark Knight sure does make you want to shop. The film, starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, scored the biggest opening in Hollywood history with $155 million. And while you may have already spent $10 on a movie ticket, there are superhero-sized amounts of Batman-inspired goods to keep the spirit of the movie alive. The official Warner Brothers Batman Store is a good place to begin. The general consensus is that Ledger steals the show as the Joker, so no doubt the black Joker T-shirt ($20) or the white “Why so serious?” Joker T ($20) is a good addition to any collection. A lunchbox with a Batman emblem is the perfect accessory for back to school ($14), while The Dark Knight limited-edition Batman bust ($66) or Joker statue ($165; pictured) could adorn the mantle of any comic-loving fan . At Target.com, fans can purchase The Dark Knight, a book featuring character sketches, director Christopher Nolan’s original shooting script and personal behind-the-scenes material created during filming ($27). Buzz is already growing for a possible Oscar nomination for the film’s music; pick up the movie’s soundtrack at Amazon ($13). Kmart offers fun Batman decor for youngsters. The Warner Brothers Batman rough bat valance ($12) goes perfectly with the Batman dark bat comforter ($25). Sweet superhero dreams!

James Brown’s relatives may have tried to stop it, but like the sweat-drenched singer known for pretending to be near collapse on stage, it went right ahead: This week Christie’s auctioned off a motherlode of memorabilia owned by the Godfather of Soul himself. Scrolling through the auction results, fans may be surprised that not all the mementos were astronomically priced. For just a few hundred dollars, devotees snagged a “best wishes” note on hotel stationery ($313) or even one of his jumpsuits ($375). The latter’s lowball price may have been due to the large amount of clothing available: When you can get a flashy red number with “Sex” emblazoned on it ($7,500), a silver fox coat ($2,500), or the very GFOS suit worn onstage at the famous Ali/Forman bout in Zaire ($25,000; pictured), why waste your auction dollars on a plain white outfit? Other noteworthy items included a personal passport ($7,500), Brown’s Hammond organ ($10,000), and an old-fashioned dome/chair hair dryer, complete with a small arsenal of styling products ($10,625). A suite of red-leather furniture came close to being the star of the show, fetching $40,000, but it was upstaged by a comparatively plain black cape ($47,500) that the new owner should definitely wear every Halloween from now on. Those of us who missed the sale would do better to invest our cash in on James Brown: The Singles, a series of $30 two-disc sets that aim to collect every single the singer put out — currently up to Volume 5, the series still hasn’t reached the funky ’70s.

Music lovers who were surprised to hear a new Peter Gabriel song during the credits to the film WALL-E likely wondered what the songwriter has been up to in the long gap between albums. Part of the answer has arrived in stores: Big Blue Ball was created at Gabriel’s Real World Studios over a number of years; Gabriel and the Waterboys’ Karl Wallinger recruited musicians from around the world for free-form creative parties. As Gabriel says, “There’d be a studio set up on the lawn, in the garage, in someone’s bedroom . . .” Almost 20 years later, those disparate efforts have produced an album. Ball arrives at a moment of rejuvenation for Gabriel’s Real World Records, which was once a leading purveyor of global music. Currently reissuing some of the records, the label is also promoting new projects such as one from LA’s Dengue Fever. More are promised for the fall. Of course, the international selection of record stores is far more diverse today than it was when Real World launched. From high-profile artists on well-established labels to megastar boosters, eccentric anthologies, ethnographic excursions and debuts of new talent, it’s a great time to hear music from beyond America’s borders. (Even fans of hip-hop aren’t left out.) Among my favorite labels at the moment is England’s Soundway, with collections of Nigerian rock and single-artist hits.

How hot are the Jonas Brothers? Ask any pre-teen girl and prepare for loud squeals and lots of giggles. The trio of brothers from New Jersey is on fire this summer: The premiere of Camp Rock was cable television’s most-watched entertainment program of the season with 8.9 million viewers. Next up: A CD called A Little Bit Longer, debuting Aug. 12. (Pre-order here ) To keep up with demand, stores are churning out Camp Rock/Jonas Brothers gear. At Limited Too you can pick up a Jonas Brothers tote bag emblazoned with Kevin, Joe and Nick’s faces ($25) or a concert T ($25). Target is carrying some snazzy Camp Rock watches that are perfect for a back -to-school surprise ($15). The guitar pick pendant necklace is a not so in-your-face way to show show your brotherly love ($5). Disney has a lot of clothing items: The Camp Rock ribbed tank top ($15) features multiple images of Shane (Joe Jonas), while the short-sleeved hoodie ($25) includes silhouette imagery from the show and an all-over Shane print lining the hood. Who doesn’t want to gaze into the dreamy eyes of the Jonas Brothers day and night? Your kid can with this Camp Rock poster ($9). (Admit it, you were just as crazy about Bon Jovi!)