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When it comes to the forms of Magdalen Hsu-Li's artistic expression, the girl can't help it. Hsu-Li finds about as many outlets as humanly possible, which is what makes her appearance at Loyola's Nunemaker Auditorium (Monroe Hall, 6363 St. Charles Ave.) so interesting. The singer, songwriter and performance artist (among other things) explores feminism, bisexuality, being an Asian American and myriad other themes -- most of which is captured on her recent release, Evolution. Why the many artistic hats? "Since I happen to be fluent at more than one medium, I naturally want to explore more than just one way of saying things," she says. "I expect that at some point all the different media will converge into one big multimedia canvas, involving music, theatre, comedy, poetry, dance, movement, painting, public speaking, visuals, etc. Peter Gabriel, for example, is an artist who is really good at that! And it was through listening to his music that I discovered I was an artist." Hsu-Li's performance and lecture are sponsored by Loyola's Women's Resource Center. Admission is free. Performance 7:30 p.m. Call 864-7881 for more information. -- David Lee Simmons
If any of the great composers of yesterday were around today they would be happy to hear their carefully crafted notes being played by some of the world's best musicians. The New Orleans Friends of Music will bring one of these such groups to Tulane University. The Trio Fontenay have been praised by critics for their technical excellence, richness of tone and depth of interpretive imagination. The trio, Jens Peter Maintz (cello), Michael Mucke (violin) and Wolf Harden (piano) got an early start with the Amadeus Quartet and have since moved on to capture the ears of listeners across the world. Their performances have taken them throughout Europe, North and South America, Australia and the Far East. They have won numerous awards and competitions in Europe and were named "Trio-in-Residence" at Paris' Theatre Chatalet. Here in the States, they have played to audiences at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall and in Buffalo, Kansas City, Houston, Pasadena, Chicago, New York and Ohio. The group took the name "Fontenay" for two reasons: It is the old French translation for "source" and "fantasy" and it is also the name of the street near the Hamburg Conservatory where the ensemble first met to practice. Tickets are $15 general and $10 for students with ID. There are no reserved seats. For more information contact 895-0690. -- Bridget Voigt
Audiences experience three sides of the impressive and swinging guitarist Peter Bernstein (pictured) this week. Bernstein, who was last heard in the city at a great performance that matched organist Melvin Rhyne and trumpeter Nicholas Payton, plays in three unique groupings. On Wednesday, he's teamed with University of New Orleans jazz studies students at the Sandbar (on campus in the Cove, 835-5277). Thursday and Friday, the guitarist moves over to Snug Harbor (626 Frenchmen St., 949-0696) and joins a New Orleans trio headed by pianist Peter Martin plus bassist Roland Guerin and drummer Jason Marsalis. (Saxophonist Jesse Davis joins the group Friday.) Bernstein, a highly acclaimed Criss Cross recording artist, is heard on two of Davis' Concord albums, 1993's Young at Art and 1998's First Insight. "He's an awesome guitarist from New York in the tradition of Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass," says Martin, who played with Bernstein in Joshua Redman's band. Admission to the Sandbar is $5 (free to UNO students); showtime 8 p.m. Admission to Snug Harbor is $15; showtimes 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. -- Geraldine Wyckoff
Having worked the rock band cliche from several angles in its 11-year existence, Barenaked Ladies is back for more. Starting out, as "alternative" bands do, with an independent EP in 1990, the Barenaked Ladies succeeded in their native Canada by 1992. On our side of the border, they appeared on Beverly Hills 90210 in 1996, and co-headlined the H.O.R.D.E. tour in 1998 promoting their album Stunt, which went platinum four times over. Then Barenaked Ladies entered an emotionally draining period when keyboardist/guitarist Kevin Hearn fought leukemia, and won. The Ladies believe that such trials have done wonders for their creative output, catalyzing a new brand of grown-up, introspective material for their new album, Maroon. With songs like "Tonight Is the Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel" dishing out plenty of carnage-ridden angst, the Ladies will exude maturity at Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena (6801 Franklin Ave., 280-7222). Chantal Kreviazuk opens. Tickets range $29.50 to 36 and are available through Ticketmaster (522-5555). Showtime 7:30 p.m. -- Cristina Diettinger
It occurs once a year, is watched religiously by college basketball fans and is described simply as "March Madness." This year, the South Region's first and second rounds of the NCAA men's basketball championships will take center court in the Louisiana Superdome. The University of New Orleans and Sun Belt Conference will host the first three sessions of the Division I men's championship. March 16 and 18 determines which college basketball teams will advance to the Sweet Sixteen. From there the field is narrowed to eight, then further to four. The winner left standing among these four goes on to compete against the victors of the other three regions. New Orleans won't share in the championship action until 2003, when the city plays host to the last round confrontation among college's best and "final" four. Tickets can be purchased through www.ncaa.uno.edu or call 587-3800 for information and ticket order forms. -- Voigt
"Supergroup" might be too strong a word, but Swag isn't just the latest garage band, either. Members of Wilco, the Mavericks, Sixpence None the Richer, and Cheap Trick make up this ensemble, and the moonlighting yields impressive results. The ensemble's debut CD, Catch-All, is a sweet slice of unabashed Beatles-inspired harmonies and catchy three-minute songs. The Fab Four nods are more McCartney than Lennon, evident in the "Rocky Raccoon"-esque chorus of "Boy on a String." Guitarist Robert Reynolds' 12-string guitar adds some Robert McGuinn jangle on "Lone," while "Please Don't Tell" salutes master craftsman Dave Davies of the Kinks. As a whole, Catch-All boasts the best facets of '60s-era pop. Tonight's show at the Mermaid Lounge (1100 Constance St., 524-4747), is part of a limited tour the band is doing to promote the album. Egg Yolk Jubilee opens. Admission $8. Showtime 10 p.m. -- Scott Jordan
Familiar melodies delivered with new flair fill jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon's latest outing Soulcall (Concord). Freelon, who appears at the Contemporary Arts Center (900 Camp St., 528-3800) as part of its "Jazz America" series, is flying high as this release marks her fourth Grammy nomination. The CD finds the vocalist digging into her past for material that includes tunes such as "Amazing Grace," the pop hit "Let it Be Me" and Burt Bacharach's "I Say a Little Prayer." Jazz chestnuts such as "Straighten Up and Fly Right" (featuring Take 6) and "Just in Time" get dusted off and shined by Freelon's fresh interpretations. Freelon's voice rings with a bright clarity and sense of ease in a comfortable setting that fits her jazz sensibilities. The core group on Soulcall -- pianist Takana Miyamoto, bassist Wayne Batchelor, percussionist Beverly Botsford and drummer Woody Williams -- is also her touring band. Admission $20 general admission, $15 for CAC members. Showtimes 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. -- Wyckoff
To say that the Jefferson Ballet Theatre's "Spring Gala" has an international flavor would be an understatement. The company is bringing in dancers from Austria, Cuba, Italy, Latvia and Mexico for the program to perform classical and contemporary pas de deux, while JBT will present the world premiere of "Rapsodia." So don't lose sight of the local offering. April Taylor, a 17-year-old member of the Ballet who just won first place in the Overture of the Cultural Season, will also perform. This wide-ranging program at Loyola's Roussel Performance Hall features everything from Don Quixote to "Walk and Talk." Tickets range from $20 to $75 and can be purchased by calling 468-1231. -- Simmons
If you're one of us who thinks good food can be sexy, how does Chef Soiree 2001 sound? It is dubbed the "hottest ticket in the galaxy" -- by the Youth Service Bureau in St. Tammany and Washington parishes, that is. The Bureau was founded in 1981 to serve the needs of at-risk youth and families at the request of Judge John W. Greene; every year, the Soiree raises more than a quarter of the Bureau's annual operating budget. Sexy as it sounds, this year's 20th birthday celebration at Bogue Falaya Park in Covington is a family-style bash, with live musical performances (Flite, Free Radicals, Redline, Talisheek and The Wagners) and the antics of "Strictly N'Awlins" Celebrity Chef of Honor Frank Davis, which will culminate in a grand fireworks finale. Meanwhile, the core of the Soiree revolves around the 85 restaurants and beverage purveyors that set up shop with mass quantities of eats and drinks. All from St. Tammany and Washington parishes, the participating businesses run the gamut from Etoile Restaurant and Wine bar to the Broken Egg Cafe to McKenzie's Pastry Shops. Even Starbuck's and Sonic Drive In get involved for the youth. You can, too. General admission tickets at $85 per person can be purchased only in advance at Braswell Drugs (1107 Tyler St., Covington), The Grapevine (1600 Hwy. 190, Covington) or Mele Printing (280 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville). For more information, call the Youth Services Bureau at 893-2570. Soiree time 5 to 9 p.m. -- Sara Roahen
Feathers fly and rhinestones glitter Uptown as the Mardi Gras Indian Council presents its annual Indian Sunday parade. At 2 p.m., Mardi Gras Indians from throughout the city take off from A.L. Davis Park (LaSalle Street and Washington Avenue) on a circular route that turns down Washington to Galvez Street and continues on Martin Luther King and Simon boulevards, then back to LaSalle to return to the park. This year's event pays tribute to the late Big Chief Robert "Robbe" Lee, the council's Chief of Chiefs who began masking Indian in 1929, and passed away in January. The Indian Sunday parade is a traditional affair with the chants and dances of the gangs accompanied only by tambourines and percussion instruments. Following the procession, the Indian gangs continue the celebration in A.L. Davis Park. Monday night (St. Joseph's night) marks the formal end of the Indian season with the individual gangs, rather than parading tribes, once again masking and hitting neighborhood streets for a last hurrah. -- Wyckoff
It's taken some time, but maniacal dub reggae pioneer Lee "Scratch" Perry is finally getting his propers -- from the Beastie Boys' homage "Dr. Lee, Ph.D." on their 1998 CD, Hello Nasty, to the recent comprehensive biography People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee "Scratch" Perry, to the upcoming CD Born In The Sky, a collection of mostly unreleased tracks from his 1970s heyday, the loony mix master is busting out all over. And Perry deserves it. The eccentric "Upsetter" literally revolutionized reggae before it was even called reggae, pioneering the remix form in 1960s Kingston with iconic producer Coxsone Dodd at the legendary Studio One. Perry was one of the first to treat the turntables like an instrument, mixing unholy, spooky tracks full of references to Scripture, Rastafari, sex, astrology, magic and ganja. He's also been lauded as the first to mix in sound effects like breaking glass, crying babies and traffic noises into his powerful, bizarre mixes, which means that pretty much everyone working in electronic music today -- from hip-hop to house -- owes a debt to the mysterious Dr. Lee. Get schooled at House of Blues (225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE). Tickets $25. Showtime 9 p.m. -- Alison Fensterstock
Louis Delsarte is an artist who has been called a "myth maker" and a "dream weaver." Likewise, his lush watercolors have been called "lyrical, seductive and surreal" for their implicit intrigue and colorful aura. His In the Garden painting of a young woman inspired Southern University's Dr. Eloise Johnson, to ask, "Who is she? What was she like, this Eve? In Delsarte's painting she is depicted in deep reverie. Is she dreaming of Adam, whose unresolved form appears in the background, or are her dreams of Adam unresolved? The serpent floats into the picture and kisses her shoulder with his tongue. A portent of evil or revelation? The sensuous lines of serpent, woman and lush greenery swirl in a menage of light and vibrant colors." Delsarte's images appear with John Riddle's highly symbolic mixed-media sculptures based on African-American history and culture, the progress of a people over time. The art of John Riddle and Louis Delsarte can be seen at the Stella Jones Gallery (201 St. Charles Ave., 568-9050) through March. -- D. Eric Bookhardt
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