Looking for more than the backyard barbecue this Independence Day? Well, a number of activities around town this FOURTH OF JULY offer everything from charity work and high culture to live music and, you guessed it, fireworks. At the Riverwalk's Spanish Plaza, the 13th annual "Go 4th on the River" Independence Day celebration offers family-friendly fun as well as all the dining and entertainment options of the adjacent French Quarter. The second annual "Parade of Heroes" rolls through the CBD and French Quarter at 3 p.m. Two stages feature live music: at Hibernia Pavilion find Cuban-groove band Vivaz at 5:30 p.m. and the New Orleans Concert Band at 7:30 p.m; and at the Riverwalk, the music begins at 4 p.m. with fiddle phenom Amanda Shaw, followed at 5 p.m. by CheeWeez with the Bucktown All-Stars taking the stage at 7:30 p.m. and playing until 9 p.m. Once the music stops, multiple river barges will illuminate the sky with the event's traditional fireworks display. Project Lazarus, New Orleans' oldest residence offering housing and care for people with AIDS, is holding the ninth annual Lazfest. The fundraiser is moved this year from the traditional Cabrini Park location to the 2800 block of Royal Street (between Press and St. Ferdinand streets). For a $10 donation, guests can enjoy unlimited food, beer and soft drinks. Other offerings include live entertainment, "non-traditional" games, a dunk tank, raffle, silent auction and more. Lazfest runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; call 949-3609 for more info. Victory Fellowship (5708 Airline Drive, Metairie, 733-5005) holds the 14th annual "Feed the Multitudes" event, which shuttles disabled, elderly and impoverished area citizens from bus pick-ups all across the area to enjoy free delights such as jambalaya, barbecue chicken, watermelon and more. "Feed the Multitudes" runs from noon to 5 p.m. Another annual Fourth of July tradition features the air-conditioned comfort of Trinity Episcopal Church (1329 Jackson Ave., 670-2520) and the unique musical and cultural vision of Albinas Prizgintas, who hosts the third annual Independence Day Tribute from 8 p.m. to midnight. The Jimmy Maxwell Orchestra begins the night with pianists performing Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue." The evening's long list of performances includes highlights of Tulane Shakespeare Festival's A Midsummer Night's Dream, "rock opera" works by Prizgintas, dance troupe Komenka, the Renverser Repertory Ballet and much more. Free admission. -- Frank Etheridge

Soccer Cinema/Football Films 8 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, July 1-2; through July 31 Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center, 1724 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 525-2767 René Broussard makes it very fun to follow his whims, especially when it comes to movies. The Zeitgeist director has geared his film programming to such diverse topics as the context of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Middle East, and, with his relationship with Film Movement, independently made movies in general. Now, it's soccer; Broussard, a big fan of the local pro team the New Orleans Shell Shockers, has begun a monthlong schedule of films that explore the sport and its political and cultural impact around the globe. This week features The Hope, Oren Tirosh's documentary about a boys' soccer team in a war-ravaged lower-class neighborhood in Tel Aviv, as well as a program of award-winning shorts dedicated to the sport. Check out our film listings for schedule information, or visit www.zeitgiestinc.org. Tickets $6 general admission, $5 students, seniors and the unemployed, and $4 members. -- David Lee Simmons

New Orleans Blues Project Benefit 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 2 Tipitina's, 501 Napoleon Ave., 895-TIPS Led by local music advocate Sally Stevens, the New Orleans Blues Project has been trumpeting local music's potential for economic development in ambitious initiatives like a national Blues Highway Millennium Trail, and more concrete day-to-day assistance for musicians ranging from booking to publicity. The Blues Project has applied for nonprofit 501(c)3 status, and this benefit aims to help the organization's seed money for grants and services. It's a tiny organization, but Stevens is vocal in her support for musicians, evidenced by the talent lineup for this show. Confirmed acts include Walter Washington & the Roadmasters, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, the Wild Tchoupitoulas, Sharon Martin, Andy J. Forest, James Andrews, Brother Tyrone, Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes, Yvonne Williams & The Juke Joint Players, Tom Worrell and Sheba Kimbrough. Admission $10. -- Scott Jordan

Floetry 8 p.m. Thursday, July 3 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE Floetry is a relatively new name on the neo-soul horizon, but its members are no strangers to the world of black pop music. Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart have enjoyed in-demand songwriter status since the late '90s. Having worked with a host of neo-soul artists including Jill Scott and Bilal, they also wrote "Butterflies," from Michael Jackson's Invisible album. Quintessential divas with 'fros, braids, ghetto clothes and African-style jewels, the pair round each other out stylistically, Ambrosius being "jiggy" and Stewart being "earthy." The two embarked on their own project with their 2002 album, Floetic, and a radio single by the same name. Their music combines hip-hop's lyricism with the deep funk and sensuality of contemporary R&B. Fusing soul and spoken word, they hone their talents in pursuit of "poetic delivery with musical intent." The melange recently spawned a second single, "Say Yes," which is currently enjoying heavy airplay. Tickets $25. -- Cristina Diettinger

Common 8 p.m. Friday, July 4 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE Chicago's Common has recently emerged as a rapper rags-to-riches story, despite his slow and atypical rise to celebrity endorsement status. His recent appearances in Coca-Cola ads have sparked a rash of criticism in the hip-hop world. The ads are ironic, using Common to promote Coke's ongoing "real" campaign, touting the rapper's promise to keep it that way. For fans who latched on to Common's socially conscious, Native Tongues style when he emerged over a decade ago with a debut album titled Can I Borrow A Dollar?, his recent commercial turn is somewhat disappointing. Known by the mid-90s as one of the most skilled lyricists in the underground, he won fans and peers such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and the Roots. While his latest album, Electric Circus, shows artistic growth over his 2000 opus, Like Water for Chocolate, it's true to its title, featuring an overload of star cameos, collaborations and production stunts. Not surprisingly, some fans liked the old Common better. Tickets $30. -- Diettinger

The Kudzu Kings 10:30 p.m. Saturday, July 5 Tipitina's, 501 Napoleon Ave., 895-TIPS With a penchant for guitar rock and an unmistakable "Southern" bent, the Kudzu Kings are Oxford, Miss.'s hillbilly rave-up/roots-rock band. With lyrics that chronicle days of workin' followed by nights of drinkin', the band sears through three-chord country scorchers with fast and furious guitar licks and bluesy, percussive piano. A staple on the regional club circuit, the band has enjoyed some exposure on the fringes of the jam band scene, having shared the stage with Widespread Panic, Leftover Salmon, and members of the Grateful Dead. While its most recent official release was 2000's Y2Kow, the band is working on its third album. Plus, the group posts whole live shows with make-your-own-CD cover art on its Web site www.kudzukings.com). The Kings' inaugural online mp3 offering, Assault on Jackson, documents a rowdy performance at Jackson, Miss.'s 2001. Local jam band Crashville opens. Tickets $8. -- Diettinger

The Andrew Sisters' Hollywood Canteen 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday, July 6, through July 27 Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Ave., 581-5812 Capturing life during wartime, local theater troupe Running With Scissors returns this Sunday with a tale of World War II not likely to be found in most history books. The Andrew Sisters¹ Hollywood Canteen takes us back to 1942, when all facets of American society were devoted to winning the war on all fronts. The Andrew Sisters, a Minnesota trio, answered this call to arms with lively performances, often at USO shows, of both ballads and boogie-woogie. Icons of their time, the Andrew Sisters' act will be recreated in the form of a live radio broadcast from a hopping California nightclub, offering a revue of such WWII-era hits as "Stompin' at the Savoy," "Stardust," "Cuanta La Gusta," "Minnie the Moocher" and their most-recognized number, "Bei Mir Bist du Schon." Dorian Rush, Brian Peterson and Elizabeth Pearce star as the trio. Tickets $15. For more info, visit www.NORunningWithScissors.com. -- Etheridge

Tinker: An Installation by Bonita Day Through July 5 Delgado Gallery, 615 City Park Ave., 483-4512 Ever get the impression that the fates may be toying with us, that life on Earth may have more than a touch of whimsy about it? So it often seems in these parts at least, a fact that Louisiana native Bonita Day celebrates in her Tinker installation at Delgado, a sculptural interpretation of microscopic biology recreated as vastly larger-than-life ceramics and metal tubes. Here tiny living organisms reappear on a macro scale thousands of times their actual size, arranged in pieces like a giant tinker toy set on the gallery floor. On the walls, similar shapes and forms appear as map-like abstractions suggesting sky charts, seismic geological graphs or plans for strange new inventions. Day says, "My work is ultimately about the need to understand connections between the animate and the inanimate." -- D. Eric Bookhardt