Adam Roth Challenges You to Stump Him; A Celebration of All Things Pagan; Local Boy Makes Good, Sings at Hotel, Gets to See Katie Holmes Occasionally; Whatever Happened to Gary Condit? Now We Know

Adam is probably best known as the guy who plays guitar (and bass, and a host of other instruments) on Denis Leary's comedy albums. But he's also an old mod ("I'm a mod, and I'm old?I'm mold") with an encyclopedic knowledge of rock 'n' roll from the 60s and 70s; that's the wisdom he brings on Friday to Arlene Grocery (95 Stanton St., betw. Ludlow & Orchard Sts., 358-1633), where he continues his weekly Adam Roth Challenge.

The rules are simple: you come to Arlene's, pay $5 and spend the evening yelling song titles at Adam's talented band. If the band can't play a verse and chorus of your chosen song, you win! Well, you win something.

"The prizes suck," Adam explains. "Like I gave a prize once when a guy stumped the band?he got a videotape head cleaner, but that was broken, so basically, he got a 4-inch black plastic paperweight. Who wants that?"

The poor rewards are just part of Adam's plan to discourage sticklers who come armed with the names of 13th Floor Elevators b-sides. He also has rules about no Zeppelin, no 80s glam and no grunge.

"Obviously I can't play every song ever written. I can play a lot of songs that were written, and I can play a verse and a chorus of a shitload of songs that were written... It's almost like a sense of pride. I mean, the band doesn't want to give out prizes, because we look at each other and we'd all like to think one of us can go, 'Hey, I know that one!' And in the name of honor, we've done some pretty weird things."

The Adam Roth Challenge is destined to capture the same crowd as Arlene's Punk Rock & Metal Karaoke (which still runs on Monday, and now has a movie). Get in on it soon, as it just started last week, and you don't want to be there post-Times blurb. The show starts at 11 p.m., and runs until Adam gets tired.

...In one of those lovely, only-in-America flukes, New York's first annual Pagan Pride Day is scheduled to come to Washington Square Park this weekend. The celebration, complete with a ritual observation of Mabon, the autumn equinox, will not just honor but flaunt the kind of freedom that was attacked on 9/11.

The growing neo-Pagan movement, which combines ideas of ancient polytheism with modern eco-spirituality, doesn't get too fancy. It celebrates the equinox with a food drive. Attendees are asked to give $5 and one nonperishable food item, to be distributed through City Harvest. The ceremony also includes drumming and chanting, so bring your percussion instruments or earplugs.

Although the Mabon ritual caps off Pagan Pride Day at 4 o'clock, there will be fun beforehand. Chakra pathworking, runes, drumming, an artist gallery, the music of Emerald Rose and children's face-painting workshops will keep you and yours entertained; plus you'll be able to buy buttons that say "Blessed Be America?Pagan Pride Day 2001." Wicca, Asatru and Druidism will all be represented; the hootenanny starts on Saturday at 11 a.m. and more info is available at www.NYC-PPP.org. Great idea, neo-Pagans! Maybe next year you can have a seminar on how to tell real Wiccans from annoying girls who listen to Orgy.

...We like to see young people succeed in this column. Namely, me?I have a job and an apartment?but also other young people like Peter Cincotti, the 18-year-old piano prodigy who comes to Feinstein's at the Regency Hotel (540 Park Ave. at 61st St., 759-4100) this Monday. Cincotti started playing piano at the age of three, one year before Mozart, and he has since done a number of gigs in Manhattan and won at the Montreux 2000 Jazz Festival.

"I always loved jazz, and I grew up with that music playing in my house, people like Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington... Then by the age of seven everyone was telling me that I should start studying classical," Peter says. He's a freshman at Columbia, which gives him theoretical access to Katie Holmes.

"There's so much great classical stuff that it was never really what I loved, though," he continues. (That might not seem like it makes sense, but if you read it again, you'll understand.) "Jazz was all through my life what I listened to and what I played."

Cincotti starts at 8 p.m. If you miss him, he'll be at Feinstein's every Monday in October; save your cash because there is a $25 cover and a $25 food and beverage minimum. Feinstein's is a classy joint, though; it would deserve your attention even if hotel bars hadn't been crowned the it night spots of 2001.

...For the last two weeks, a colleague of mine has been volunteering at "Ground Zero" (only, none of the workers call it "Ground Zero"?they call it "The Zone"). He was there the night following the attack and, in the fields of food preparation, massage and personal healing, he has been offering his services ever since. He's also been offering his stories, which pop up on my voicemail at about 3 a.m. every night.

Unfortunately?and I don't mean to trivialize the victims of 9/11?this colleague wishes to be identified as Dr. Sirius Lee Wonderful. Here are his reports:

Monday, 9/17: "I went to the police command center where I got friendly with a Sergeant Dillon, and she and another sergeant escorted me down because they knew I should get a red pass [for uncontested entry to all parts of the site]. The Army said no. Less than 12 hours later, a guy who I'd been working with?an ex-con who acquired his red pass through some strange source?got a call from two friends, met them, walked to the checkpoint and basically just bullshitted his way in and said, 'Hey, I'm the man. I got the pass. Let my friends in.' They gave him the paperwork, patted him on the back and he and his friends came in. He was found today rummaging in one of the restaurants and sent to jail..."

Tuesday, 9/18: "It's been a heavy day... They just pulled out a firefighter and a cop so six times the police and firefighters stood at attention for five minutes in a salute formation... I ended up shaking hands with Mayor Giuliani, Gov. Pataki, Secretary General Kofi Annan and Morley Safer from 60 Minutes. Hm! So it's been a real celeb sort of day."

Wednesday, 9/19: "I was bringing supplies on my little folding bike... And as I went to go by I bumped into someone and said, 'I'm sorry.' He turned around?it was Gary Condit, looking very grim."

Since leaving these messages, Dr. Sirius Lee Wonderful has been booted from the World Trade Center entirely for having improper paperwork. Good luck to him.