Photo: Buckner/Getty

We saw some killer shows in the last couple of weeks: The Radiohead and Kings of Leon sets at All Points West were brilliant; Wilco debuted a ridiculous new song at Lollapalooza while wearing rad Nudie suits; and Bob Dylan dazzled in Brooklyn. But sometimes we miss one. In this case it was the Bill Withers Tribute, part of the Celebrate Brooklyn series, which drew folks like Jim James (”Ain’t No Sunshine”), Nona Hendryx (”Lovely Day”) and others to pay tribute to the reclusive soul genius. And for the first time in decades, Withers himself stepped onstage, to sing “Grandma’s Hands.” When we reached Withers, he said he was drawn to the stage by legendary R&B guitarist Cornell Dupree. “I probably wouldn’t have bothered,” says the 70-year-old, the subject of an upcoming documentary. “I thought, ‘Let me go up there and hang out with Cornell for a minute.’” Ear-witness reports say Withers’ voice was glorious, but don’t expect to see him again. “This is not the age for showing off,” he says. “I’m just some old guy in the checkout line at the Home Depot. Which is fine with me.”

*****

When we ran into Mark Ronson at Lollapalooza, he gushed about one project: “It’s probably the best album ever,” before adding, “by a five-piece from Leeds with a singer named Ricky.” That would be the Kaiser Chiefs, whose fun, un-self-conscious third disc, Off With Their Heads, is their best yet. It’s also an impressive post-Winehouse turn for Ronson, who left the horns at home, instead subtly embellishing tracks with squiggly synths, guitars and plenty of low-end. “There were a lot of sunny days on this record — we felt like a rejuvenated band,” says Ricky Wilson. “This record is the best thing we’ve done so far. At the same time, we don’t want to big it up ourselves — we’ve been lucky because Mark’s been telling everyone how good it is.”

*****

The day before their career-capping set at Madison Square Garden, the Police hung out in three separate dressing rooms at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers were there to tape a new chat show hosted by Elvis Costello — who also performs with his guests — which airs on the Sundance Channel this winter. (Their mash-up of “Walking on the Moon” and “Watching the Detectives” was nuts.) We learned that Copeland’s fondest memory of the Police reunion was singing “Kumbaya” backstage with Rage Against the Machine and that Summers can’t wait to sleep in his own bed again. As for Sting’s next move? “I’m going to Italy to watch the grapes grow,” he told us. Next musical project? “I’m doing an opera with Elvis in Paris in November.” (It’s called Welcome to the Voice and was written by Steve Nieve.) And what were his plans after walking offstage at the Garden? “Get totally fucked up.”