It's been three years since the Saenger Theatre's Broadway Series offered Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, RENT, to local audiences. So it's safe to say that, after all this time, Rent is once again due and will be paid this weekend at the Saenger Theatre (143 N. Rampart St., 524-2490). Larson's modern-rock reinvention of Puccini's magnificent opera La Boheme is considered by many critics one of the big cultural moments of Generation X, a poetic survey of the disenchantment and disenfranchisement of a youth culture struggling mightily to define itself and hence survive. The 1996 Broadway production won a ton of theater awards, including the Tony Award for best musical. It was the most honored musical since 1976's A Chorus Line and was only the fifth musical to win the Pulitzer. Looking back on it now, it's tough comprehending all the fuss that was made over a "rock" musical that, in many key moments, didn't really rock all that much. Maybe it's because after seeing John Cameron Mitchell's Hedwig and the Angry Inch, we now know what a true rock musical can sound like. (Interestingly enough, Mitchell turned down a role in Rent to focus on his pet project and even takes a dig or two at Rent in the hilarious movie version of Hedwig.) Perhaps it's safe to say that Broadway was dying for something fresh, different and (more than anything) relevant at the time, and Rent was that very thing. Its legend was cemented with Larson's death from an aortic aneurysm just hours before Rent's final dress rehearsal off-Broadway -- barely more than a week before his 36th birthday. Rent also features the musical direction of Tim Weil and choreography by Marlies Yearby, with set design by Paul Clay and costume design by Angela Wendt. This special presentation of Rent will show 8 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets range from $20 to $47 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster (522-5555) or at the box office. -- David Lee Simmons

Deke Dickerson & the Ecco Fonics 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6 Mid City Lanes, 4133 S. Carrollton Ave., 482-3133 Like fellow West Coast revivalists Big Sandy & his Fly-rite Boys, Deke Dickerson loves all sounds retro and rockin'. Guitarist Dickerson first turned heads as half of the hillbilly duo Dave & Deke, but since 1996 he's been leading his own blazing band, the Ecco Fonics. At the age of 34, Dickerson's a veritable encyclopedia of roots-based six-string styles, able to torch rockabilly, surf music, West Coast swing, rock 'n' roll, hard country and blues with equal dexterity. Between making tasty CDs like 2001's Rhythm, Rhyme & Truth, Dickerson's a certified road warrior, toting his signature double-neck guitar to bandstands of all shapes and sizes. Mid City Lanes has been his New Orleans venue of choice for a few years; the club's nostalgic feel is a perfect match for Dickerson's history-infused guitar playing. Admission $5. -- Scott Jordan

4th Annual Tom Dent Literary Festival 6:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, Nov. 7-8; 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 New Orleans Public Library, 219 Loyola Ave., 596-2597 The late New Orleans poet, playwright and author Tom Dent was known not just for his words, but also his actions in serving as a mentor to aspiring writers. It is in that spirit that the New Orleans Public Library's African American Resource Center created the Tom Dent Literary Festival, showcasing young writers and creating a forum to exchange ideas and works. The festival begins Thursday with a glimpse into the rising talents of the local poetry scene with a series of readings and discussions led by Kalamu Ya Salaam, a peer of Dent's and veteran of the Black Aesthetic Movement. On Friday, acclaimed authors Blair Walker and Yolanda Joe discuss how life experiences and culture helped shape their books. Saturday features the work of Major Jackson, winner of the 2000 Cave Canem Poetry Prize for best first book by an African-American poet. Jackson will read his works, followed by a panel of university professors who will discuss Jackson's poetry. All events are free and open to the public. -- Frank Etheridge

Nelly 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7 New Orleans Arena, 1501 Girod St., 587-3663 Nelly is the reigning king of the summertime anthem, and in 2002 he ruled our car radios with "Hot in Herre," the irresistible single where Nelly and a breathy female vocalist agreed that it was just too hot to wear clothes. Produced by the famed production team the Neptunes, the single and its album, Nellyville, topped charts for weeks, much like Nelly's 2000 debut, Country Grammar, and its own bling-bling feel-good jingle "Ride Wit Me." Hailing from St. Louis, the sing-along rapper is not exactly Midwest, and not quite Dirty South, but as long as he remains the undisputed pop-rap hit maker, no one questions his regional affiliation. Now, if we could just figure out what's up with the Band-Aid on his face ... . St. Louis clique the St. Lunatics join him for the show. Tickets $19.75 to $39.75. -- Cristina Diettinger

Bianca's Remote (Out of) Control 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 7-9; 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Ave., 581-5812 Sass 'n' trash: Bianca Del Rio dishes the dirt in her one-woman performance, Bianca˙s Remote (Out of) Control, Thursday through Saturday at Le Chat Noir. She could very well be The Mouth of the Dirty South. Whether she's hosting Oz's Gong Show or Drag Bingo, the W Hotel's Drag Brunch or the recently defunct "Glitz" (also at Oz), drag queen Bianca Del Rio is as sassy as it gets. As profiled in this past summer's cover story, costume designer Roy Haylock's saber-tongued, drag-queen alter ego is clearly one of the most entertaining performers in New Orleans. And now, fittingly enough, she's cobbled together a one-woman show that will feature her unique take on TV, movies and everything else she can skewer. Oh, and don't forget the costume changes! This sure-to-please show is sponsored by the Mystic Krewe of Satyricon (www.mystickreweofsatyricon.com). Tickets for Thursday's special gala performance (with reception afterward) are $25; Friday and Saturday tickets $20. Call 525-4498 for Thursday reservations, 581-5812 for Friday-Saturday reservations. -- Simmons

Wilco 10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7 Tipitina's, 501 Napoleon Ave., 895-8477 A funny thing happened to alt-country mainstays Wilco on the way to success: They turned into a great rock band. In the seven years since their 1995 debut, A.M., frontman and singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy has led the band through a remarkable transformation that culminated in 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, a daring artistic statement that crackles like a soundstream from a transistor radio, with static and bizarre electronic noises enveloping another superb set of Tweedy originals. The band's currently riding high after the unexpected jolt of publicity accompanying the release of the critically acclaimed documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, which chronicles the tumult of the band's acrimonious split from Reprise Records and the firing of multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett. (The film screened twice at last month's New Orleans Film Festival.) The end result is a quartet that's firing on all creative cylinders, presenting vintage Wilco material and Foxtrot's challenging material with a renewed sense of purpose and vigor. Tickets $20. -- Jordan

My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8 The Howlin' Wolf, 828 S. Peters St., 522-WOLF If things had gone as planned for Buzz McCoy and Groovie Mann, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult would have been a trashy B-movie with a fitting soundtrack in the late '80s. But it isn't, because Chicago's famed Wax Trax! industrial label insisted that the music could stand on its own. So My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult became a musical perpetrator of sin, sex and Satan, and its outrageous stage show quickly snowballed into a rabid underground following as the band pioneered the dark dance movement of the '90s. Interscope Records caught on to the fuss, signing the band for two albums, including a reissue of Sexplosion, its 1991 tour de force. Now settled on Invisible Records, the band released The Reincarnation of Luna and Golden Pillz: The Luna Remixes last year and this year, respectively. Their latest, Electric Inferno Live, came out on their own new label Sleazebox. Invisible label mates Cherry Blue and VooDou are also on the bill. Tickets $20. -- Diettinger

Gilbert Hetherwick 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 Neutral Ground Coffee House, 5110 Daneel St., 891-3381 Singer-songwriter Gilbert Hetherwick left New Orleans in 1985 for New York City, and hasn't played locally since. But he's been busy in the Big Apple, and recently completed the musical Dreams for Alice, based on the life of Lewis Carroll. The music is fitting for Carroll's famed fantasy fable, with psychedelic twists fitting the landscape of the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat. Hetherwick achieves that effect with his deft guitar playing and a number of electronic-triggered synth effects. (He also plays rack harp.) Hetherwick returns to his old stomping grounds this weekend for a run-through of his recent Alice in Wonderland-inspired material, as well as similarly quirky old favorites like "Total Eclipse at the Snake Farm." No cover. -- Jordan

Peter Pan 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9; 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10 Jefferson Performing Arts Center, 400 Phlox St., 885-2000 This weekend provides an opportunity to escape into the fantasy of Never-Never Land, as the Jefferson Performing Arts Society (JPAS) stages two performances of the classic musical Peter Pan. The tale has brought such timeless characters of fantasy as Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys, set in a magical world where no one grows old. These performances benefit from a Peter Pan that will soar and sing above the audience, thanks to technical support provided by Las Vegas' Flying by Foy. Amy Alvarez (Peter Pan) and Jimmy Murphy (Capt. Hook) lead a cast directed by "Uncle Wayne" Daigrepont. Dennis G. Assaf conducts the JPAS Symphony Orchestra through a score that includes Peter Pan signatures "I've Gotta Crow," "Never-Never Land" and "I'm Flying." Tickets are $23-$25 for adults, $12 students and children. For tickets or more info, call JPAS at 885-2000 or visit www.jpas.org. -- Etheridge

Yohimbe Brothers 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 Tipitina's, 501 Napoleon Ave., 895-TIPS Yohimbe Brothers Vernon Reid and DJ Logic solo and scratch at Tipitina's on Saturday. DJ Logic and Vernon Reid are longtime staples of New York City's progressive music scene. As founding members of the Black Rock Coalition (Reid leading Living Colour and Logic with Eye and I), each did his part to shred common stereotypes about what black music should sound like. While Reid is known for his intense, adventurous guitar work, Logic is credited with helping to elevate the turntable to musical instrument status, most notably with jazz trio Medeski, Martin and Wood, and his own group, Project Logic. Now united as the Yohimbe Brothers -- named for an African root used to enhance male sexual performance -- the pair released Front End Lifer in September. The product of a decade's worth of secret sound experimentation, the album is a twisted aural adventure. Between the distorted psychedelia of "Prelude to a Diss" and reggae-fied tracks like "SMoke and Du$t Dub," the Brothers leave few stones unturned in the genre pool. Tickets $15. -- Diettinger

Marathon Golf, benefiting Cystic Fibrosis Foundation 8 a.m. to sundown Monday, Nov. 11 Eastover Country Club, 5690 Eastover Drive, 455-5194 Name a benefit where more is more. Marathon Golf, which serves as the tee-off to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's (CFF) fund-raising season, presents duffers with the opportunity to enjoy a full day of golf, food and drink while raising money for a good cause. In this fundraiser, golfers will be able to play on one of Eastover Country Club's two courses until the sun goes down. Gumbo and jambalaya will be provided by The Royal's chef David Wright. Participants are encouraged to sign up sponsors, with a lofty goal of $500 per person -- though anything is appreciated. CFF, which provides treatment for more than 30,000 kids and young adults with the disease, was rated by The Wall Street Journal as one of the best organizations to support by virtue of its average of 90 cents of every dollar raised going to research. -- Simmons

Jazz, by Henri Matisse Through Jan. 12 Old U.S. Mint, 400 Esplanade St., 596-6968 It was Matisse's last and greatest book project, a large unbound limited-edition folio featuring 20 full-page color prints among its 146 pages. And now the original plates from which it was made can be seen at the Louisiana State Museum's Old Mint facility on Esplanade Avenue. Begun in 1943, the book featured stenciled images taken from his hand-painted paper cut-outs accompanied by a text that reproduced his whimsically "arabesque" handwritten reminiscences of the "circuses, folk tales and voyages" of his youth. He was up in years by then, and the images are noteworthy for their mix of deceptively childlike simplicity and a polished, worldly sophistication. Photographs of Matisse at various stages of his life and his work on the book are also on view. P.S.: Its title, Jazz, refers not to its literal content, but to its bold colors and lively, musical rhythms. -- D. Eric Bookhardt