Singh, who apparently did a better job of dancing than singing, also let down his hair and bhangra-ed his way through the evening. Sponsored by Thums Up and organised by Jaws Events, the show was quite a crowd-puller. Goes to show that much like its neighbour Mumbai, this city, too, has stopped sleeping on Friday nights.

Tanya takes over
So if Thums Up brought Bali and Singh to TDS and put them up in Hotel Blue Diamond, we had Pepsi inviting actress-turned-pop-singer Tanya Singh for an evening in Black Cadillac, with Holiday Inn playing the host. But the ultimate winners of the cola war were the hip young ones of Pune, who had an action-packed weekend.

Apart from going on autographing sprees at various outlets, the 22-year-old was at Holiday Inn's Totem Pole, getting the crowd to shake a leg. While the elite at the discotheque refrained from going ga-ga over her, she did mange to elicit a warmer response at Black Cadillac, where the `with it' people were also with her on the dance floor as she crooned two numbers from her album `Dhadkan' and even an Aati Kya Khandala with K.C. Loy. Also in town was Kishen Kumar, her co-star from Aaja Meri Jaan, who is a ``good friend'' now.

All that jazz
When you hear the name Karl Peters, you know that you've got a good thing going. So when Faces In The Dark showed up at Jazz Garden last week, the show went beyond expectations. From Mumbai came Peters on bass, Ehsaan Noorani on lead guitar, Loy Mendonsa on keyboards and Kurt Peters on drums, along with Dominique Manuel and Clinton Cerejo on vocals, with Nakul Kamte stepping in on the harmonica. Almost everybody who is somebody in the music scene in Pune was there. And the crowd got what it wanted as the band went into Summertime, Let the Good Times Roll, Weather Report's Black Market and Brand New Heavies' Have a Good Time.

Although the sound put up by Bharat Navami was good (as he usually is), the mixing drowned out the vocals. A terrific launch into the classic Pipeline by The Ventures had everybody go sky-high. An instrumental rendition of John Lennon's Imagine was just as interesting. A good combination of Trad Jazz and Rhythm & Blues, the evenings at Jazz Garden are getting a formidable reputation. So let the good times roll..

Crystal Ventures
Now that mega ventures event management and promotions have decided that September is the month to really live it up, they are carrying on with their line of parties with mega enthusiasm. September 9 pulled in a crowd of around 200 couples at the Crystal Ball for The Reggae Night. The following afternoon, it was time for ``Carry on Reggae'', with Bob Marley dominating the music scene. Their motto of `Dance or Die' had most of the crowd understandably opting for the former, that also contributed to making the event a mega success.

Au naturel
Inspired by the elements, arranged according to the elements, they're motivated by... that's Elements, a two-day exhibition (from September 19) of various decor items put together by Lisa Tikekar, Alpana Kirloskar and Arti Kirsloskar at `Lakaki'.

``These are forms created from imagination, inspired by the essence of nature,'' say the trio, and Lisa adds, ``the display arrangement will also be such. Those inspired by air will be displayed out in the verandah, for example".

Most of the items on display are works of their creation, but some have also been procured from other places. Using different mediums like wood, wrought iron, ceramic, glass, cloth, earth, their aesthetic talent and handiwork has produced a range of objects like furniture, trays, picture frames, coffee tables, linen, lights and lamps and other bric-a-brac. ``We've used eco-friendly materials and even our packaging is such,'' assures Lisa. Here's to elemental forces.

Presents of mind
Yet another exhibition that promises to create waves is the one to be held by Gizmoz and Hemline at the Fortune Art Gallery on Bhandarkar Road. Gizmoz, renowned for its most unusual and exquisite gift items, including pottery and ceramic ware, lamps, paintings, leather bags, quilts, tableware will be putting their goods on display on September 18 and 19. Materials and readymades in vegetable dyes and dhabu paints are an added attraction. Sumedha Patwardhan and Vasudha Navare, the sister duo of Hemline, will simultaneously be showcasing chic western wear.

According to Sangeeta Welinkar, one of the partners of Gizmoz, ``The best thing about anything picked up from our place is that they convey to the recipient that the giver has real good taste.'' Now that's a convincing argument for all those who believe that you are known by the gifts you give.