Tuesday, October 18, 2022 - ALEK Wek, not just K, but *great*!

A subtly themed Tuesday crossword - the theme didn't really help in the solve, but was fun to admire after the fact. There were a few potentially til (today I learned) answers in the grid, including 25A, Irish laddie (BOYO), 27A, 1953 title role for John Wayne, HONDO, and, if not a til, at least a tiwro (today I was reminded of) answer, 8D, Played a couple of sets at a jazz club, say, GIGGED. In other news, it's Triplet Tuesday, and Mike's in the hot seat! To discover whether he soared like ...