"People wouldn't even call me 'Mr. Kotter.' At one point, it became, 'Are you Welcome Back, Mr. Kotter'?" recalls stand-up comic Gabe Kaplan of the reception he's received over the years doing the occasional benefit gig. Yes, fans couldn't separate his stand-up career from the wildly successful '70s sitcom that made John Travolta a star. But what Kaplan soon learned a little over a year ago was that, by updating some of his older material for newer audiences, he could once again work more regularly as a comedian. Which is what makes his appearance at this week's 5TH ANNUAL NEW ORLEANS COMEDY FESTIVAL so special; Kaplan won't just be taking us on a nostalgia trip, but also fueling his act with material that so far is winning over new fans. "A lot of people thought maybe I'd make fun of myself, but there's also just fresher stuff," the 57-year-old Kaplan says by phone from his home in Los Angeles. "I also talk about people's reaction to me, about TV back when there were only three networks. Getting into that, I found an amazing response." Kaplan doesn't just know TV history; he is TV history, becoming the first stand-up comic from the famous Improv nightclub circuit to have an entire sitcom built around his act. (Contemporaries like Redd Foxx with Sanford and Son and Freddie Prinze with Chico and the Man were hired for preconceived shows.) Before Kotter, Kaplan worked the Improv along with some of the greats of his era, including Richard Pryor, Rodney Dangerfield, Richard Klein and Prinze. He liked Pryor best: "He was the most creative, doing stuff that wasn't really determined by how funny the joke was, but the character he did. He could get laughs out of the characterizations." Kaplan was no slouch, recounting in his deadpan monotone his days growing up in Brooklyn that formed the core of the material for Welcome Back, Kotter, which ran on ABC from 1975-79. He starred in the occasional movie (particularly Fast Break, one of the most underrated sports movies of all time) and did a well-received theatrical tribute to his idol, Groucho Marx, in Groucho, Live in Review. (The show later became an HBO special.) "Groucho was the complete comedian," says Kaplan. "He said outrageously funny stuff with great delivery and looking ridiculous -- the three things that make up great comedy." Kaplan focused his Kotter paychecks on investments, apparently working the markets as well as being an ace poker player -- although he concedes he's not as rich as his former co-star Travolta. ("I don't have any planes," he says, laughing.) Forsaking his investment career for now to concentrate again on comedy, Kaplan's also got a book due out next year, Hot and Cold, about the rollercoaster life of show biz. For this weekend, he'll play shows at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, at Harrah's Casino. Also appearing will be Festival regular Will Durst, as well as more than 50 nationally touring comedians and local comics. Other venues for the festival include Tipitina's (501 Napoleon Ave., 895-TIPS) and Martine's Restaurant and Lounge (2347 Metairie Road, 831-8637). Tickets for Kaplan's shows are $20 advance and $25 the night of the show. Tickets for other shows range from $5 to $10, and all tickets can be purchased at the door, online at www.NewOrleansComedy.com, or by calling 495-7327. -- David Lee Simmons

Hatebreed, Six Feet Under, Shadows Fall, Death Threat 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE Six Feet Under vocalist Chris Barnes redefines the word "gutteral," and that's saying something in the world of death metal. The band's 1997 album, Warpath, exalted the band to notorious status, and its latest release, True Carnage, features such gems as "Waiting for Decay" and the death metal apologia "Sick and Twisted." It's futile trying to understand the lyrics of the original songs, but snatches will pop out like, "... feasting on the blood of the insane." In 2000 SFU ran out of ideas and resorted to self-mockery (at least we hope they weren't serious), recording Graveyard Classic, a collection of classic rock hits like "Smoke on the Water" and "Purple Haze." Headliner Hatebreed began as an East Coast hardcore band, developing a back-to-basics death metal sound since it had the chops to pull it off -- and because it became even angrier at the world. Swedish-style New England metal band Shadows Fall and Death Threat (a band made of up former members of Hatebreed) are also on the bill. Tickets $14. -- Cristina Diettinger

Andrew W.K. 10 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10 The Howlin' Wolf, 828 S. Peters St., 522-WOLF If you think Kid Rock is an overblown RAWK mutant, try Andrew W.K. on for size. Frenetic beats, crunching guitars, screaming synthesizers, pounding cowbell, and simple verse-chorus-verse songs -- AWK takes the whole '80s mess to a new level of intensity. And the lyrical concepts are right up there. Songs like "Party Til You Puke" and "Fun Night" exemplify the 22-year-old's moral philosophy. The thing is, he's serious about it all, or so he claims on his Web site, in pages of stream of consciousness discourse on rock 'n'roll cliche. With long hair whipping and muscles rippling, W.K. was a hit at this year's Ozzfest, especially after the release of his latest album, I Get Wet. For those who succumb to their guilty pleasures and go out to the show, W.K. promises a great time. "When it's time to party," he belts, "we always party hard." Tickets $10. -- Diettinger

Paul Lovens, Paul Lytton, Ken Vandermark Trio 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12 Contemporary Arts Center, 900 Camp St., 528-3800 Chicago-based avant-garde reedsman Ken Vandermark is a jazz genius. That is, according to the MacArthur Foundation, which bestowed him with its prestigious "genius" grant in 1999. But Vandermark, still in his 30s, can think of at least two world-class musicians who are more accomplished, and he's bringing them with him for his third appearance in New Orleans. The percussion-heavy trio features European percussionists Paul Lovens and Paul Lytton. Emerging a whole generation ahead of Vandermark, Londoner Lytton is world-renowned for his innovative percussion techniques, incorporating unconventional objects and electronics into his vast soundscape. Hailing from Germany, Lovens also utilizes an astonishing range of tone colors in his quick-witted drum contributions. For fans of boundary-pushing contemporary jazz, this international, multigenerational, all-star jam session is a must-see. The concert is the first of the Awake-NU concert series, which will feature a host of world-class creative musicians performing live at the Contemporary Arts Center's Bank One Theater throughout the fall. Admission $12. -- Diettinger

Crazy for You 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13-15; through Sept. 29 Rivertown Repertory Theatre, 325 Minor St., Kenner, 468-7221 Rivertown Rep's production of Crazy for You opens Friday. Theater returns to the Rivertown Repertory Theater for its 15th anniversary season with Crazy for You, a classic musical marked by George Gershwin's score. This time around, Alton Geno directs Ken Ludwig's original script, a tale of 1930s socialite and ladies' man Bobby Child. Child's life ambition is to dance, and, pressing through the conniving attempts of his mother and fiance, he succeeds. Including several energetic dance numbers, Gershwin's work in Crazy for You features "I Can't Be Bothered Now," "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "Bidin' My Time." Choreography is by Geno and Kelly Hirling Fouchi, and Gary Rucker stars as Bobby Child. Tickets are $22 adults, $20 seniors and students, and $12 children 6 to 12; a pre-performance buffet catered by Messina's is $16. -- Frank Etheridge

All-Star Souljam: "A Night of Funk Classics" 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13 Tipitina's, 501 Napoleon Ave., 895-8477 Modeled after recent tributes that featured New Orleans musicians paying tribute to the likes of the Rolling Stones, this all-star collective presents some of New Orleans' finest musicians tackling the funk canon. Rehearsals for such shows are usually limited, but sloppy moments are usually outweighed by the sheer fun and unpredictability of the set lists. Some New Orleans classics are practically guaranteed in this format, but the other possibilities are tantalizing: How about Sista Teedy and Theryl DeClouet doing Rufus & Chaka Khan's "Tell Me Something Good," Ivan Neville tearing up Billy Preston's "Outer Space" on the keyboards, Cornell Williams singing and dropping bass bombs while he trades sax lines with Tim Green on "It's Your Thing," and Michael Ray leading the brass charge on the Average White Band's "Pick Up the Pieces"? Other confirmed artists include Stanton Moore, and Have Soul Will Travel. Tickets $15. -- Scott Jordan

Inter-Fest 2002 Noon to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 14-15 Armstrong Park, 801 N. Rampart Street, 581-2860 New Orleans' diversity rarely convenes in a finite space for purposes of education and entertainment, with the notable exception of the annual Inter-Fest celebration. With the event's stated goal "to accent the presence and diversity of the many cultures in the region," the event pays homage to the many roots of New Orleanians with a local flair that includes great food, a long list of live music and the arts. Inter-Fest 2002's music lineup creates a melting pot of acts, with Kermit Ruffins, Rudy's Caribbean Funk Band, Panorama Jazz Band and the Pan Vibrations Steel Band, among many others, taking to the two stages. Suggested donation is $5. Fore more information, call 581-2860 or visit www.inter-fest.org. -- Etheridge

Giants of the Night, with Sir James Galway and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 Mahalia Jackson Theatre for the Performing Arts, Armstrong Park, 523-6530 Legendary flutist Sir James Galway performs David Amram's latest composition, Giants of the Night, with the LPO on Saturday at the Mahalia Jackson Theatre for the Performing Arts. James Galway's career is fittingly huge to match up with legendary composer David Amram as well as the debut of Amram's latest work, Giants of the Night. And yet Galway is all about the lithe, subtle wisps of beauty that he coaxes from his flute. This knighted Irish export has produced more than 50 albums and has performed everywhere from the White House to The Tonight Show, with CBS Sunday Morning declaring him "the finest classical flute soloist in the world." You'd never guess, then, that Galway would remain perfectly at home working within the structures of his pieces, allowing his flute to enrapture rather than dominate. Speaking of domination, Galway released three CDs over the summer, all speaking to his greatness: The Very Best of James Galway, Music for My Little Friends (required listening for children) and A Song of Home -- An American Musical Journey. Tonight's performance with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra is one helluvan opportunity to watch one legend interpret another's work. (For more on David Amram, see the A&E Feature in this issue.) Tickets range from $30 to $60. -- Simmons

Lyricist Lounge 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE Beginning in the early '90s as a series of sporadic events in New York City showcasing regional underground talent, Lyricist Lounge is one of hip-hop's greatest springboards. The venture yielded an essential compilation in 1998 (Lyricist Lounge, Vol. 1), supported by a now-legendary mini-tour of release parties. Now an annual fall tour, the Lounge has exposed such hip-hop moguls as Eminem, the Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, Black Star and Mobb Deep. The organization favors intelligent rap over commercial drivel, and live MC skills over cut-and-paste recording trickery. This year's tour is spearheaded by alternative rapper Redman, whose funky backdrop and fluid satire have titillated fans since his 1992 debut Whut? Thee Album. Long time crony of the Wu-Tang Clan, Redman leaves his regular touring partner, Method Man, behind for this outing. Long Islander Keith Murray co-headlines, and newcomer Poverty delivers visceral verses about life on the street. Tickets $35. -- Diettinger

13th Annual NO/AIDS Walk 8 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 15 Audubon Park Louisiana ranks in the top 10, while New Orleans is in the top 20 in the rates of AIDS cases. That's what makes the NO/AIDS Walk such an important opportunity to raise funds for research and care. This popular event annually raises more than $100,000. This year's walk returns to its original route that originates in Audubon Park and threads its way through the gorgeous, tree-lined Uptown neighborhood. (The walk originated in Armstrong Park the past two years.) Walkers are encouraged to form a team, get sponsors and do the 3.2-mile walk. Registration begins at 8 a.m.; walk begins at 10 a.m., with food, drink and festivities available at the end back in Armstrong Park. For more info, call the NO/AIDS Task Force at 821-2601. -- Simmons

Jose Maria Cundin: Recent Projects Through September Academy Gallery, 5256 Magazine St., 899-8111 He was a presence in these parts for many years and then, suddenly, was gone. While he was here, Jose Maria Cundin painted enigmatic little figures that led whimsical lives inside the canvas, from which they seemed to gaze back at the viewer. Over the years they mutated, becoming more amorphous and abstract, almost amoebae-like, and now they have returned for the month of September as a kind of honor guard accompanying the flag. Cundin's Twelve Extrapolations on the American Flag reflect his patriotic regard for Old Glory as a kaleidoscope of dynamic, realistically rendered forms, and if that sounds uplifting, his amorphous little figures are reprised in Ex Votos (A Bordello¹s Remembrance of Some Strumpets of Merit and Fame), which may be salutary in other ways. Cundin has always been unique, and now gallery goers can experience for themselves his latest celebrations of popular sentiment. -- D. Eric Bookhardt