Rarely has patriotism been so front and center in our nation's consciousness as it is right now. And yet that zeal is tempered somewhat by the anxiety of uncertainty that has remained since last fall. So the Fourth of July events that dot the landscape this weekend come with a slightly mixed emotional bag. That's OK, though; the ways to celebrate are just as varied, from the tried and true to the offbeat. The most spine-tingling option might the annual and always popular Go 4th on the River celebration (Woldenberg Riverfront Park, Canal Street at the Mississippi River). Before the boats, a variety of activities are planned along the Riverwalk from the French Market to the Aquarium of the Americas. Of course, because it's New Orleans, there will be plenty of food, drink and music at the Hibernia Pavilion, with music acts beginning at 3 p.m.: Navy Band of New Orleans, Lil' Deepa and Teedy, Egg Yolk Jubilee, and the New Orleans Concert Band leading up to the fireworks at 9 p.m. Other annual favorites include the long list of music and fireworks from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Lafreniere Park (3000 Downs Blvd., Metairie, 838-4389), where a number of food and drink vendors complement the sights and sounds. Baseball courtesy of the Triple-A baseball club the New Orleans Zephyrs (6000 Airline Drive, Metairie, 734-5155) ends in a fantastic display on the Fourth. Tickets are only $5-$9, and Thursday's game starts at 7:05 p.m. Another safe bet is the offering of music, food and fireworks at Boomfest (Boomtown Casino, 4132 Peters Road, Harvey, 366-7711) on the West Bank, featuring music July 3 by the legendary Temptations. at 9 p.m., with picnic-style cuisine offered on the lawn. More music (with fireworks) follows July 4 at 9 p.m. Free admission. Finally, the Trinity Artist Series at Trinity Episcopal Church (1329 Jackson Ave., 522-0276) hosts its second annual From the Twilight's Last Gleaming to the Dawn's Early Light. The all-night concert begins at 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 3, and ends at 6 a.m. July 4, with a diverse multitude of patriotic performers. Guests include the Renverser Repertory Ballet performing Ives Scene America; cantor Joel Coleman & Temple Sinai Choir; organist/pianist/organizer Albinas Prizgintas, and many others. Free admission, and you can come and go as you please. For more activities, see our Special Events listings. -- Frank Etheridge

J. Mascis 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 3 The Parish at House of Blues, 229 Decatur St., 529-2583 Surviving heroes of the grunge era are in a dismal limbo right now. Ten years past their prime, they haven't aged to full vintage yet, so it's way too early for a revival. For the moment, supernova rockers like Dinosaur Jr. leader J. Mascis poke around the industry, usually choosing one of two fates: play in some half-assed "all-star" pickup band, or go it alone. The latter is clearly the better option for Mascis, whose artistic ego had him shifting the Dinosaur personnel every couple of years throughout its life span. The Fog, his solo project (as if Dinosaur were a group effort), released a 2000 album, More Light, to little fanfare. Mascis' current tour has him playing solo acoustic shows in small clubs, happily free from the pressures of band politics. For a good sampling of this alt-godfather's post-punk magic, check out last year's Rhino Records collection, Earbleeding Country: The Best of Dinosaur Jr. Tickets $12. -- Cristina Diettinger

July 4th at the Market 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 4 American Can Company, 3700 Orleans Ave. To kick off their new partnership, Gambit Weekly and the Crescent City Farmers Market are bringing the "olde thyme" music of Hazel and the Delta Ramblers to this week's evening market in Mid-City. In keeping with a Fourth of July tradition at the market, you'll also eat free watermelon and grilled hot dogs -- a holiday feast Marketeers refer to as "keeping your nose to the rind." While you shop around, look for the sweetest blueberries of the season, Creole cream cheese from Mauthe's dairy, ripe peaches, okra, cucumbers, shrimp, crabs and the Conarty's Sneaux Cones. Hazel and the Delta Ramblers will perform from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Gambit-Market alliance will bring musical talent to future markets on the first Thursday of every month. Free admission. -- Sara Roahen

Musiq 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, July 4-5 House of Blues, 229 Decatur St., 529-BLUE For twentysomething musicians from Philly, the word is soul, soul, and more soul. Yet another product of his hometown's ongoing neo-soul renaissance, Musiq (Soulchild), like many of his contemporaries, soaked up the sound of '70s black music and combined it with contemporary stylings, reassigning the genre to his own generation. Def Jam Records picked up on his vibe in 2000, releasing his debut Aijuswanaseing ("I Just Want to Sing"). Love-drenched numbers like "Girl Next Door," and "Just Friends" (which appeared on the Nutty Professor II soundtrack) showed off Musiq's skillful crooning, and "Love" won him a Grammy. For his follow-up, Juslisen, Musiq dropped his surname out of humility. He hopes to pick it back up when he reaches his personal artistic goals, and the album's success indicates he's well on his way. The new album and its single "Half Crazy" have hovered at the tops of the charts since their release. Tickets $35. -- Diettinger

Dave Bartholomew and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band 8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 4 Preservation Hall, 726 St. Peter St., 522-2841 Summertime is a great time to catch up with bands who have a steady weekly gig, like trumpeter Dave Bartholomew and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band every Thursday. Bartholomew has been playing music since the 1940s, and he is still blowing long, singing strong, and cutting up for fans and tourists alike. He sticks to the trad jazz standards like "Muskrat Ramble," but you never know when he might pull out something like Smiley Lewis' "Blue Monday" or Fats Domino's "Blueberry Hill" from his bag of tricks. (Heck, Bartholomew wrote or produced a pack of the best early rock 'n' roll tunes, for luminaries like Smiley, Fats, Tommy Ridgley, Earl King, and others.) Dave Bartholomew is a national treasure for his contributions to American musical culture. What better way to celebrate Independence Day than to hear him in the historical confines of Preservation Hall? Admission $5. -- David Kunian

Hot Club of New Orleans 10 p.m. Thursday, July 4 Spotted Cat, 623 Frenchmen St., 943-3887 With a name that pays homage to Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli's legendary Hot Club of France band, it's no surprise that Hot Club of New Orleans plays spirited gypsy jazz, with violinist Matt Rhody playing Grapelli to the Reinhardt-isms of guitarists Matt Johnson and David Mooney. The band honed its craft with a regular Monday night gig at the Circle Bar, and its new eponymous CD is a winsome snapshot of the band's instrumental prowess. Clarinetist Christopher Kohl is every bit the lyrical player of his bandmates, soaring in the spry tandem lines of Dizzy Gillespie's "Bebop," while the band delivers nifty and unpretentious covers of the standards "I'll See You in My Dreams" and "Teach Me Tonight." The CD ends with the masterstroke of the unexpected cover of Muddy Waters' "Little Brown Bird," transformed into a dreamy ballad that floats on the steady pulse of Peter Harris' bass lines. On record and live, these guys are one cool Hot Club. No cover(s). -- Scott Jordan

Washboard Chaz Blues Trio 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 6 Spotted Cat, 623 Frenchmen St., 943-3887 Washboard Chaz Leary is a minor legend in the roots music world. His percussion skills and pleasant vocals have accompanied a luminous set of Americana musicians from Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal to Corey Harris. Blues veteran John Hammond calls Chaz "the best there is," as far as washboard players go. But Chaz's skills go beyond rubbing and scratching to singing, songwriting and arranging. His compositions are contagious, down-to-earth musings on everyday life, and his performance charm is irresistible. A roving troubadour known well in Manhattan's downtown scene, Boulder, Colo.'s crunchy scene and Kansas City's blues scene, Chaz now resides in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. He recently formed this new trio after his old band, Alex McMurray's Tin Men, disbanded this spring. No cover. -- Diettinger

Matchstrikers From the Collection of Jean R. Heid Through August 25 New Orleans Museum of Art, City Park, 488-2631 Hey -- got a light? They may not be PC, but matchstrikers are all the rage at the New Orleans Museum of Art these days. That's because the decorative arts are being spotlighted this summer, and that means bric-a-brac and lots of it -- small, precious little items made from ceramic, glass or metal. Matchstrikers were once reserved for the elite of old, who used them to fire up their clay pipes, but gained popularity in the 19th century as mass production and the widening use of tobacco spread such luxuries to the burgeoning bourgeoisie. New Orleanian Jean R. Heid began collecting matchstrikers way back in the late 1930s, long before the current vogue, and her collection runs the gamut of styles, from fashionably dressed 19th century figurines to Rococo Revival boots of Paris porcelain. It was all part of the last century's demand for luxury items, the age-old desire for those cute little things that nobody really needs. -- D. Eric Bookhardt

Peter Collins 3 p.m. Sunday, July 7; select Sundays through December St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1545 State St., 897-0101 The 19th century is being reawakened in New Orleans for the next six months. Bringing his love of classical musical to St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans-born pianist Peter Collins will perform the complete piano sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven over that time period. Composed between 1793 and 1821, the 32 piano sonatas are considered to be among Beethoven's greatest classical works. Collins received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and his doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Michigan. He joined the faculty of Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield in 1993 but has continued to keep a long-lasting musical relationship with the city of New Orleans, performing recitals at many universities and performing arts organizations. Free admission; contact Hallie White at 897-0101 for more information. -- Tomarra Campbell