Faster than you can say "Play ball!", the New Orleans Zephyrs herald the coming of spring with their home opener Friday against the Salt Lake Stingers. First pitch: 7:05 p.m. Though the Zs have already taken on the LSU Tigers in the cozy confines of Zephyr Field and have been on the road in regular-season AAA action since April 4, Friday's game showcases the 2002 edition for local fans. The season begins with many question marks, most notably how the Zephyrs will come off a banner 2001 season in which they won the Pacific Coast League championship. Last year's 82-57 squad was guided by manager Tony Pena, whose final-season success in his three-year stint as the Zs' skipper earned him a break in the major leagues with the parent Houston Astros. Chris Maloney assumes leadership after 10 years of minor league managing in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, being named Baseball Weekly's Minor League Manager of the Year in 1993. The club matches the on-field action with equally compelling reasons to venture out on Airline Drive in the form of nightly promotions and entertainment. Friday's home opener is marked with fireworks, free magnetic schedules, a ring ceremony to bestow the jewels earned in last year's championship, and the unveiling of the 2001 pennant. The rest of the season is marked by a rotation that features Survivor Night on Mondays, $1,000 giveaways on Tuesdays, money grabs on Wednesdays, $1 beers and soft drinks on Thirsty Thursdays, and fireworks on Fridays. On the weekends, Sunday means Kids Day and every Saturday game starts at 6:05 p.m. and is followed by a concert; the lineup includes the Iguanas on Saturday and Marva Wright on April 27, for starters. Other acts include the Bucktown All-Stars, Local Option, the Molly Ringwalds, the Topcats, Irma Thomas, Bobby Cure, and Bag o' Donuts. And, of course, the nutria mascot duo of Boudreaux and Clotile (pictured) faithfully attend every game. Tickets are still a bargain with prices from $5 to $9. For a complete roster, schedule and further information, visit www.zephyrbaseball.com. -- Frank Etheridge

Red Elvises 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 10 Shim Sham Club, 615 Toulouse St., 299-0666 Fly your red flag high. Hailing from Siberia via Los Angeles, the Red Elvises drench everything in red, even their music. Sporting red lounge-lizard suits and bright red hair, three Russian natives and one American-born drummer put on a peculiar surf-rock revival that makes no secret of its Soviet roots. Founding members Igor Yuzov and Oleg Bernov collaborated with popular folk group Limpopo before hitting the L.A. clubs with the Elvises, whose blend of rockabilly and Siberian folk music became surprisingly hip in the region by the late-90s. The strength of albums like Surfing in Siberia and I Wanna See You Bellydance spawned a VH-1 documentary on the band, as well as an appearance on Melrose Place. Now the Elvises tour on the strength of their latest two CDs, Welcome to the Freak Show and Bedroom Boogie. Admission $10. -- Cristina Diettinger

BirdFest 2002 Thursday-Sunday, April 11-14 Northlake Nature Center, Hwy. 190 at Bayou Castine, Mandeville, (985) 626-1238 It's no April Fool's that this month finds Louisiana an inviting home for migrating birds. Birders also flock here in April, and to showcase the wonders of south Louisiana's birding season, the Northlake Nature Center has arranged four days filled with birding trips, social functions and workshops -- activities designed to enlighten both novice and accomplished birders. BirdFest 2002 trips include the perennial favorite pontoon boat cruise through Manchac Swamp and the daylong jaunt down to Grand Isle, a major attraction in April for many birds completing their northward migration over the Gulf of Mexico. Other trips include visits to private properties ordinarily off-limits, including the Pine Island reserve near Madisonville. Friday night holds a Cajun dinner with a silent auction. Activities range from $10 to $50. For a full listing of activities and more information, call the Northlake Nature Center at (985) 626-1238 or visit www.northlakenature.org. -- Etheridge

Buddy Guy 8 p.m. Friday, April 12 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-2624 Legendary bluesman Buddy Guy serves up some Sweet Tea on Friday at House of Blues. Lettsworth, La., native Buddy Guy got his start working in Baton Rouge clubs, but made history when he moved to Chicago and established himself as one of blues' most formidable guitarists. His '60s recordings with Junior Wells -- especially Wells' album Hoodoo Man Blues -- are indispensable documents of hardcore Chicago blues. Guy's 1991 comeback album, Damn Right I've Got the Blues (featuring guest slots from Guy fans Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck), paved the way for him to become the reigning king of guitar on the contemporary blues scene. Guy's new level of fame doesn't always translate into compelling live performances; he too frequently cuts off songs, plays predictable medleys, and generally showboats, diminishing the impact of his talent. However, his 2001 CD, Sweet Tea, is his best recording in a decade, featuring a stripped-down, Delta-fied sound worthy of comparison to his early classics. Here's hoping his current tour can match that power. Tickets $33.50. -- Scott Jordan

Robin Williams 8 p.m. Friday, April 12 Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena Robin Williams' first stand-up tour in 15 years comes to Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena on Friday. We have all been waiting, rather impatiently, for Robin Williams to get off the high horse that has defined the past decade of his work (virtually all in Hollywood) and consort with the devil inside that made him one of the great comedic forces of his generation. (That said, his supporting turn in 1997's Good Will Hunting deserved the Oscar he won, and The Fisher King is a classic.) Because, no matter how much Patch Adams-like pap he makes, Williams has always been at his best when exploring the improvisational dark side of his craft. Well, it appears the clouds are parting, and angels are singing: his first stand-up tour in 15 years heralds three reportedly edgy roles in films due out this year including Danny DeVito's dark comedy Death to Smoochy. Reviews of his latest offering have been glowing even while hinting at a tamer version of the man who literally used to climb the walls. Tickets range from $45 to $95 and are available through Ticketmaster (522-5555 or www.ticketmaster.com). -- David Lee Simmons

Good Night Irene -- The Legacy of Leadbelly 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, April 12-13; 3 p.m. April 14, through May 5 Anthony Bean Community Theater & Acting School, 1333 S. Carrollton Ave., 862-PLAY Fresh from multiple Grammy awards for his participation in the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, New Orleans bluesman Chris Thomas King is putting on his acting shoes again, in a similar role to the Tommy Johnson character he played in O Brother. King is once again playing a veteran bluesman; this time it's Huddie Ledbetter, aka Lead Belly. Useni Eugene Perkins' play tells the complex story of the troubled troubadour who landed in Angola and ultimately achieved international fame through writing classic songs like "Good Night Irene" and "Cotton Fields." Micheale-Nicole plays Lead Belly's wife; Derrick J. Deal plays Benny, Lead Belly's childhood friend; John Sims plays Lead Belly's cellmate; and veteran actor Perry Willis will play Alan Lomax, the folklorist who discovered Lead Belly and launched his career. Anthony Bean directs. Tickets $18 general admission, $16 seniors and students. -- Jordan

Julia Jump 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 12 TwiRoPa Arts & Entertainment Building, 1544 Tchoupitoulas St., 581-7032 Julia Jump began 25 years ago when the Preservation Resource Center threw a street party with over 600 guests as a fundraiser to revitalize an area that was then "sketchy" at best. For its 25th anniversary, the annual party is housed in a space symbolic of the resurgence of the Warehouse District: the TwiRoPa Arts and Entertainment Building. The event comprises an evening filled with music, food provided by area restaurants, and an auction for a wide range of items. A patron party kicks off the night from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30, with hors d'oeuvres and cocktails (including a martini bar) set to the tone of Los Hombres Calientes' Victor Atkins. The party then hits high gear at 8:30 p.m. as food is served by some of the city's leading eateries and The Jimmy Church Band performs. Tickets are $75; $100 for the patron party. To purchase tickets or for more information, call 581-7032. -- Etheridge

Lisa Mednick 10 p.m. Friday, April 12 Carrollton Station, 8140 Willow St., 865-9190 Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Lisa Mednick is a veteran of the venerable Austin, Tex., music scene, both as a vital member of roots ensemble the Song Dogs, and as an in-demand sidewoman for the likes of Austin legends Alejandro Escovedo and Ray Wylie Hubbard. (Her prowess on keyboards and accordion has also landed her gigs with diverse artists like indie queen Juliana Hatfield and New Orleans R&B icon Earl King.) It's been six years since she released her own debut album, and now Mednick is back in front with Semaphore (Texas Music Group), an ethereal offering where Mednick's airy voice and evocative songs conjure up images of the vast Texas sky. The album also features contributions from the Continental Drifters' Peter Holsapple, who'll probably be on hand to pitch in for a rootsy and spirited night of Gulf South music. Admission $7. -- Jordan

Pow! Midnight Friday, April 12 Mermaid Lounge, 1100 Constance St., 524-4747 Kevin O'Day is a relentless drum innovator. With stints in Royal Fingerbowl, the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars, Iris May Tango, and the Rob Wagner Trio to his credit, he has emerged as a fearless bandleader over the past few years, introducing rare formats and stylistic fusions on the local scene. Live Animals, his sadly defunct big band improvisation project, gives way to his latest experiment, Pow!, which comes in a decidedly unorthodox package. Paring the lineup down to a trio, O'Day digs himself deep in the groove with bassist Jimbo Walsh (Michael Ray's Cosmic Krewe, Naked Orchestra) and tuba giant Matt Perrine (Royal Fingerbowl). Walsh will add keyboard work to a heavy jazz base, rounding out an organic electronica sound. Admission TBA. You can also catch O'Day with groove-jazzsters Have Soul Will Travel at Tipitina's earlier the same night. -- Diettinger

Eyes Adrift 9 p.m. Sunday, April 14 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic is taking a break from his legal battle with the ever-cantankerous Courtney Love over the rights to Nirvana's musical estate. After attending Curt Kirkwood's show in Seattle last summer, he was inspired to ring up the former Meat Puppets frontman and get a project going. As fate would have it, former Sublime drummer Bud Gaugh called Kirkwood the very same day with similar sentiments, and like magic, a latter-day post-punk power trio was born. The promising lineup has yet to prove its onstage track record, but judging from Kirkwood's restless musical endeavors, Novoselic's past triumphs, and Gaugh's party-rock style, the mix should at least be interesting. The trio shares a surprising affinity for folk rock, and its new repertoire includes a lot of songs about leaving pain in the past. Each man has watched his band sink from drugs, death and general alternative-cum-commercial rock hell, so these three artists know a thing or two about the subject. Look for an album mid-year. Tickets $12. -- Diettinger

Georgia Anne Sears: A Yogini's Path Into the Cave Through April 14th The Pickery, 433 Orange St., 561-5661 Unlike most occupations, art making is a notoriously solitary pursuit. For artist and popular yoga teacher Georgia Sears, it has been good practice for the 40-month meditation retreat she embarks upon this May. "Years of creating art in solitude have led me to explore philosophical and spiritual paths," she says. "This summer I received teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and came away encouraged to do as much as I possibly can for our world." For her, that meant attaining wisdom through the traditional Tibetan three-year solitary retreat, and proceeds from the exhibit of her paintings at The Pickery will be applied to that effort. In the yogic tradition, it is believed that meditating on peace really can make a difference, and Sears is determined to give peace a chance. Her show concludes with a closing reception from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 14. -- D. Eric Bookhardt