Surely you've managed to shake off that Mardi Gras hangover by now. Good thing, since it's again time to kick revelry back into high gear for St. Patrick's Day. Prepare for events Thursday through Sunday across the New Orleans area full of good times, great traditions and green beer. (Hint: Watch out for flying cabbage.) In a city where just about any event can inspire a block party, none is larger than the annual bash at Parasol's (1533 Constance St.) on Thursday. Luckily this year, the city will allow the party to take place, as in recent years pesky things such as neighbors and permits have threatened the event. Parasol's will open its bar at 10 a.m. to last all day until the city-imposed curfew of 6 p.m. It's rise and shine on Friday for the French Quarter St. Patrick's Day Parade. The parade's start and finish point, Molly's at the Market (1107 Decatur St.), plans to open the bar at 7 a.m. Marchers will take their carriages and colorful costumes on a romp through the Quarter beginning around 5 p.m., before eventually meandering its way back to Molly's for a post-party. On Saturday, the Irish Channel St. Patrick's Day Club holds its 55th annual mass and parade celebration. The day begins with mass at St. Mary's Assumption Church (corner of Constance and Josephine streets) at 12:30 p.m. At 2 p.m., the parade starts at the corner of Felicity and Magazine streets before touring its historic home neighborhood. On Sunday, the Metairie St. Patrick's Day Parade rolls for the 31st year, with 47 trucks, 22 floats, 11 marching clubs and four "novelty" floats rolling down Metairie Road in what is hyped as one of the South's largest St. Patrick's Day parades. At 1 p.m., the St. Bernard Parade rolls down its traditional route of Judge Perez Drive with throws, floats, marching bands and dance groups. Danny O'Flaherty (pictured) performs Celtic music at O'Flaherty's Irish Channel Centre and Pub (514 Toulouse St.) from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is $10 for Celtic Club members, $15 for non-members. -- Frank Etheridge

South by Southwest Spillover Tuesday, March 12 through Tuesday, March 19 Shim Sham Club, 615 Toulouse St., 299-0666 For musicians and music-business associates, the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Music conference in Austin, Texas, is a minor mid-March mecca. One part convention, two parts rock festival, and non-stop party, SXSW turns Austin's club circuit into a showcase for hundreds of underexposed, cutting-edge bands, with a few established gems to seal the deal. This year, two of our own edgier local clubs, the Shim Sham Club and the Mermaid Lounge, are taking advantage of geographic proximity, with several nights of SXSW "spillover." The Shim Sham's "South by South Worst" event brings seven nights of performances by bands on their way to or from Austin. Cover charges vary by the night, but SXSW-style all-week passes are available for $30. On Saturday night, Billy Childish protege and electric blues-folk rocker Holly Golightly will appear. Sunday night pairs a twentysomething sister trio named after a beauty product with a veteran hardcore band named after an herbicide when the Eyeliners open for California skate-punk legend Agent Orange. Girls Against Boys hit the Shim Sham Monday night with their critically favored electronica punk. Formed from D.C. hardcore scene fallout, GVSB produced one major-label album in 1998 before making a 180 back to the artistic comfort of the indie world, where they remain quite welcome. Another stream of SXSW bands will be stopping off at the Mermaid Lounge. On Tuesday night, Athens, Ga., artistic libertarian Bill Doss' Sunshine Fix will play to support his newest CD, Age of the Sun. That night's bill also includes San Francisco pop favorite Her Space Holiday, and Brooklyn trio the 101. While geographic location often puts New Orleans out of the touring loop, this week it's right in the mix. These shows are a chance to see handpicked national progressive rock before Jazz Fest arrives and roots music rules again. Call clubs for showtimes and cover charges. -- Cristina Diettinger

Scooby-Doo in Stagefright 7 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, March 13-14; 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, March 15-16; 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, March 16-17 Saenger Theatre, 143 N. Rampart St., 524-2490 Prepare to load up the gang in the Mystery Machine as Scooby-Doo hits town this week, appearing in Scooby-Doo in Stagefright, the first-ever touring theater production of the beloved Hanna-Barbera cartoon. The entire cast of characters -- Scooby, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne and Fred -- come equipped with their vintage '70s garb and quirky detective skills ("those meddling kids ... .") to solve one more mystery. In the form of a "long-lost episode," Scooby and crew attempt to discover the truth behind a supernatural force disrupting reality on the set of a horror movie being directed by Daphne's groovy uncle. The ensuing plot contains comedic twists and turns, lava lamp-friendly tunes and special effects. Zoinks!!! The show is written and directed by Jim Millan, founder of Toronto's Crow's Theatre and producer and director of Kids in the Hall Tour 2000. Tickets range from $16-$26, and can be purchased from the Saenger (524-2490) or Ticketmaster (522-5555). -- Etheridge

Doug Varone and Dancers 8 p.m. Saturday, March 16 Mahalia Jackson Theatre of the Performing Arts, Armstrong Park, 522-0996 Doug Varone and Dancers transcend the form Saturday at Mahalia Jackson Theatre of the Performing Arts. Dance that transcends the form marks the art of Doug Varone. As founder and choreographer of Doug Varone and Dancers, he has built a reputation for wowing both audience members and critics alike with distinctly physical dance. Yet, Verone's creations are not just visually stunning but also emotionally poignant, as he designs the troupe's spins, tumbles and leaps to reflect a range of human emotions. This ability to draw the most from group members' raw talents led The New York Times to dub the dancers "profoundly human, super humans." For its New Orleans debut, the group will present Ballet Mecanique, a collection of dances set to George Antheil's 1920 score of the same name. The concert will also feature Varone's most-recent work, Approaching Something Higher, set to Brahm's "Piano Trio in B." Tickets are $15-$70 and can be purchased from the New Orleans Ballet Association (522-0996 or www.nobadance.com) or Ticketmaster (522-5555). -- Etheridge

Guitorgy with Phil DeGruy, Sid Jacobs, Steve Masakowski & Hank Mackie 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Saturday, March 16 Snug Harbor, 626 Frenchmen St., 949-0696 Steve Masakowsky (pictured) joins Phil DeGruy, Sid Jacobs and Hank Mackie in a 'Guitorgy' on Saturday at Snug Harbor With these four heavyweight guitarists sharing the stage, there's no shortage of diverse material for the setlist. "Guitarpist" Phil DeGruy uses his custom-made hybrid instrument and wry humor to recast standards from Smokey Robinson to Debussy; Astral Project six-stringer Steve Masakowski can play straight-ahead contemporary jazz or lean Latin; Hank Mackie's especially gifted with swing and trad lines (and was Masakowski's guitar teacher); and Californian Sid Jacobs is known for his bop playing. The format for the show is wide-open -- expect solo performances, duos, and a literal "guitorgy" with all four guitarists on stage at the same time. It's the kind of advanced musicianship free-for-all that would strike fear in the heart of most rhythm sections, but have no fear: drummer Johnny Vidacovich and bassist James Singleton will hold down the bottom for this unconventional string section. Admission $15. -- Scott Jordan

Robert Randolph & the Family Band 9 p.m. Saturday, March 16 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE In 1998, the infinite possibilities of the pedal steel guitar reached a whole new audience when Arhoolie Records released its Sacred Steel series, spotlighting the network of superb pedal steel players playing in House of God churches. But who could have predicted that 19-year-old pedal steel sensation Robert Randolph would become the latest craze in jam-band circles? That development comes courtesy of the recent album The Word, which pairs Randolph with members of the North Mississippi All-Stars and Medeski Martin and Wood for a freewheeling all-instrumental gospel session. Randolph steals the show on the album, with quivering, emotion-packed solos that build into waves of choruses; and just when you think Randolph has hit his peak, he flies higher. Given his relatively tender age and background, Randolph seems poised to become the new torchbearer of the pedal steel guitar, taking the legacy of legendary pedal steel sidemen like Buddy Cage and spreading the word in a whole new way. McNally, and Bullfrog featuring Kid Koala open. Tickets $11. -- Jordan

Eels 10 p.m. Sunday, March 17 Tipitina's, 501 Napoleon Ave., 895-TIPS The brainchild of alternative rocker Mark Oliver Everett (aka "E"), Eels are ruling the college airwaves at the moment, and it's not the first time. Eels' 1996 debut with the Dreamworks label, Beautiful Freak, yielded an alternative radio hit, "Novocaine for the Soul," and even an MTV video. But it was 1998's Electroshock Blues that really won critical praise. The album is a pop-rock-meets-trip-hop working out of E's personal tragedies -- his father, mother and only sister had all died. Somehow, the album managed to uplift its listeners rather than drowning them in angst-ridden nihilism. Since that cathartic output, E collaborated with R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, toured with Fiona Apple, and contributed to the How the Grinch Stole Christmas soundtrack. E toured the world with the Eels Orchestra in 2000, making a live CD, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, to document the affair and confirm his decidedly positive attitude. The much-anticipated follow-up, Souljacker, is fresh off the press. Tickets $15. -- Diettinger

Nas 8 p.m. Monday, March 18 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE t's a well-beaten path that an artist takes from making quality underground music to putting out mediocre commercial product, and Nas is perhaps the most disappointing casualty in hip-hop history. Son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas was treated like a boy wonder when he emerged from New York's underground in 1994, and his masterpiece album Illmatic confirmed critics' suspicions that he was a new yardstick for MC skills. But it was hard to go up from there, and by his third and fourth albums, it was apparent from his increasingly commercial-sounding output that Nas was slowly giving in to hip-hop's materialistic temptations. Last year's dis-war with Jay-Z confirmed his insecurities, and though he countered back with Stillmatic, the album failed to prove its title's statement. Hip-hop buffs won't want to miss the chance to see how he handles himself live in 2002. Let's hope he decides to fall back on his latent raw skills and pull out some old-school street poetry. Ali opens. Tickets $30. -- Diettinger

Vicki Meek: Windows on the Soul Through March 30 Stella Jones Gallery, 201 St. Charles Ave., 568-9050 "My sister once said my work was beautiful but depressing. A lot of people think that any art that is not flowers and butterflies is depressing, but I look at my work as a symbol of hope." So said Vicki Meek of her images of African Americans in their struggle against injustice. Her iconic depictions of activists such as Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman and Fannie Lou Hamer feature snippets of text interwoven with African tribal signs and symbols to create a tapestry of associations that links the American present with the African past. If the tone seems political, Meek says, "My main premise is that what drove so many people involved in the human rights struggle was a firm spiritual resolve, not necessarily a religious resolve, but one rooted in the notion that we are all here for a very serious purpose that is directly tied to our determination and our focus." -- D. Eric Bookhardt