THE LEFT LANE
Peppers red hot

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Critics' consensus: "By the Way" is a decisive moment in the Red Hot Chili Peppers' career, likely to win over more listeners with its ultra-melodic, California-dreamin'-style rock that began with 1999's "Californication."

The title track is on just about every FM radio station nationwide, and there's plenty more where it came from. "Universally Speaking," "The Zephyr Song," and "Dose" are pure California pop a la the Beach Boys, Sugar Ray and Sheryl Crow.

Bye bye, White House

Actor Rob Lowe's decision to leave NBC's much-Emmy'd "The West Wing," announced yesterday, has fans and commentators shaking their heads. The actor decided to leave after finding out that Martin Sheen is making $300,000 an episode, compared to Lowe's $75,000 an episode; other supporting players last year negotiated salaries of $70,000 a show.

NBC Entertainment president Jeff Zucker confirmed that White House deputy communications director Sam Seaborn, played by Lowe, will "move on to other things" in March. The 38-year-old Lowe has been nominated in the past for an Emmy and two Golden Globes for his portrayal of Seaborn. But last week, he was the only major cast member who didn't get a nomination for this year's Emmys.

Musical memorial

It all began with one imaginative — and still anonymous — music lover in Seattle who wanted a nationwide Mozart Requiem performance in commemoration of Sept. 11. On that date, a "Rolling Requiem" of individual Requiem performances will begin at the international date line and move from time zone to time zone, each starting at 8:46 a.m. local time (the moment of the first attack on the World Trade Center).

The concerts will follow the sun around the world, providing 24 hours of musical unity, reflection and solace. Singers will wear heart-shaped badges featuring the name of a victim. Find out more at www.rollingrequiem.org or by mail at Rolling Requiem, 227 Bellevue Way NE, Box 459, Bellevue, WA 98004. Neither the Honolulu Symphony nor the Honolulu Chorale plans to participate.

Refreshing innovation

Already filled with innovations, "24," the TV show that spends a 24-episode season covering a 24-hour period, will take another pioneering step next season: It will give the country a black president — David Palmer, played by Dennis Haysbert.

The show's season opener — airing Oct. 29 without commercial interruption — will start with the widowed Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) groping for a new life, having left the Counter Terrorist Unit after he was unable to prevent the murder of his wife. The series drew critical praise and 10 Emmy nominations.