The 70th anniversary edition of the NOKIA SUGAR BOWL figures to be, from a local viewpoint at least, perhaps the biggest and most anticipated ever. LSU fans need a long memory and life span to remember the last time their beloved Tigers won the national championship, which they did with a 7-0 victory over Clemson in the 1958 Sugar Bowl. But LSU has a chance for the crown Sunday night when the Tigers kick off against the Oklahoma Sooners in the Louisiana Superdome. While there was some early (and, it turns out, unfounded) concern by hotel operators and tourism officials over having a local team in the Sugar Bowl, it's clear now that this state, this city and the whole country are ready for this game. Under the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) system, a rotation of the four biggest bowls share the (supposed) national championship game. While the computer-dependent BCS this year has spurred plenty of controversy by snubbing the University of Southern California, Oklahoma (12-1, ranked No. 2 in the BCS standings) and LSU (12-1, ranked No. 1 in the AP poll) appear poised for an epic showdown, with numerous All-Americans coming from both schools. "They are very athletic, probably the most athletic team that we've played on both sides of the ball," LSU coach Nick Saban says. Oklahoma stayed at the top of the rankings throughout the regular season with dominant performances in the tough Big 12 Conference. Anchored by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jason White, who threw for 40 touchdowns and 3,744 yards, the Sooners have exploded in several big games already. They whipped rival Texas 65-13 in the Red River Shootout and humiliated Texas A&M 77-0. However, coach Bob Stoops' squad revealed a chink in the armor in a shocking 35-7 loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game. The Tigers, now in their fourth year under Saban (and, consequently, four years of stellar recruiting of mostly in-state talent), were predicted to be good this year. But this good? The Tigers established themselves as a top contender in the Southeastern Conference with a 17-10 win over Georgia in September and -- aside from a stumble against Florida -- crushed their competition in a season in which they won the SEC crown in a rematch with Georgia. They are led by academic All-American quarterback and aspiring dentist, Matt Mauck (pictured), who threw for 2,701 yards and a school-record 28 touchdowns. The Nokia Sugar Bowl will be broadcast nationwide on ABC at 7 p.m. Sunday. Ticket info? Please. You're dreaming; this is the toughest ticket this town's ever seen (unless you're restaurateur Joe Impastato). For more info, visit www.nokiasugarbowl.com. Geaux Tigers! -- Frank Etheridge

Neville Brothers 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31 Fairmont Hotel, Imperial Ballroom, 123 Baronne St., 522-5555 They say like goes with like, and when it comes to New Year's Eve, the Neville Brothers and the Fairmont Hotel are indeed a legendary pairing. You could even argue that the Nevilles are to New Orleans music what the Fairmont (formerly the venerable Roosevelt) is to New Orleans hospitality: nationally known, comfortably at home, warmly familiar. There are certain times to see the Nevilles (Art, Aaron, Charles, Cyril et al.), like Jazz Fest, Mardi Gras, and certainly the holiday season, as they explore their own unique mix of New Orleans rhythm and blues, funk and Mardi Gras Indian sounds. This month is especially good for the Nevilles as they congratulate Aaron for his recent Grammy Award nominations (Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album for Believe and Best Jazz Vocal Album for Nature Boy -- The Standards Album). The $195 all-inclusive tickets for this party include a four-course dinner prepared by executive chef William McIlroy, open bar and champagne from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., as well as dancing, party favors, a champagne toast and balloon drop at the witching hour. -- David Lee Simmons

FB Society 3004 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31 State Palace Theatre, 1108 Canal St., 522-4435 There's only one place for area electronica junkies to be on New Year's Eve: the Freebase Society party at the State Palace Theatre. The lineup includes a large crop of local DJs, plus a selection of notable out-of-towners. There are house DJs such as Translucent of Chicago, Charles Feelgood of Los Angeles, and DJ Monk of Tampa. There will be plenty of Drum 'n' Bass on hand, too, including renegade UK team Bad Company (not to be confused with the '70s rock band) and Orlando's AK1200. Headliner Greyarea satisfies a range of electronic palates. The Chicago-based production/DJ trio first met wide recognition in 2002 with two self-released singles, "Asleep at the Wheel" and "One For the Road." Live, members Nosmo, McRae, and Ruin toss CDs from turntable to turntable, creating a soundtrack for relentless, all-night dancing. Self-proclaimed hard partyers, they have been known to abandon their onstage equipment and join the crowd. Tickets $25 in advance, $30 day of show. -- Cristina Diettinger

Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31 The Parish at House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE If you missed Jon Cleary's show at the Maple Leaf over Thanksgiving weekend, it was tantamount to blinking; one of New Orleans' funkiest piano players has been feverishly at work this fall crafting a new album for Basin Street Records, set for release next spring (but then, what Jazz Fest-savvy musician isn't?). The album, recorded at the Piety Street studio and produced by frequent Cleary collaborator John Porter (of Roxy Music fame), promises to be his best yet. That's saying something, considering last year's eponymous release helped the ex-pat Brit earn three Big Easy Entertainment Awards including Best Album. One part piano professor channeling the spirit of Professor Longhair and James Booker, one part '70s soulman and one party Johnny "Guitar" Watson freak, Cleary is one of the few musicians in this city who can mine influences without sounding derivative. His Monster Gentlemen Cornell Williams (bass) and Big D (guitar) welcomed veteran drummer Raymond Weber into the fold this year, and the result is a distinct second-line flavor. Tickets to this 18-plus show are $30. -- Simmons

Morning 40 Federation, with Ballzack 10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31 The Howlin' Wolf, 828 St. Peters Ave., 522-WOLF It's been a long time since Morning 40 Federation played in New Orleans, the cradle of its favorite song topic: drinking. The local good-time bar band lost its bass player to an Italian circus at the Burning Man festival this summer, leaving the rest of the 40s scrambling for a groove and a gig for six months. Now happily settled with bassist Steve Calandra (Bingo, Egg Yolk Jubilee) on board, the band will release an album of pre-recorded tracks from its first two local releases -- You My Brother (2000) and Trick Nasty (2002) -- on a national label this spring. In the meantime, the 40s are ready to induce a filthy New Year's Eve with sweaty songs about beer and liquor, accented with punk-rock guitar distortion, hip-hop breaks, and rubbery horn lines. Local comedy-rapper Ballzack, with his talk of errant sex acts and bodily crevices, makes for a deliciously dirty opener. General admission $12. VIP package with upstairs seating and premium open bar $40. -- Diettinger

North Mississippi All-Stars 9 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 3 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUEHouse of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE Rootsy neo-blues band North Mississippi All-Stars gave its fans a slight shock with the early 2003 release of Polaris, its third studio album. The band's poppiest album to date, Polaris abandoned some of the raw bluesiness featured on its two previous albums, Shake Hands With Shorty and 51 Phantom. The All-Stars' latest effort also features newest member Duwayne Burnside (son of blues legend R.L. Burnside), who joined the band in 2001. Burnside is a good fit for the band, since he adds more guitar power to original guitarist Luther Dickinson's country-punk slam. Furthermore, Dickinson and his brother, drummer Cody Dickinson, are sons of famous Memphis producer Jim Dickinson, who produced Polaris. All three next-generation bluesmen, the Dickinson brothers found their chemistry with Burnside during a picnic hosted by fife-and-drum legend Othar Turner. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band opens. Tickets $24. -- Diettinger

The Story of the South: Art and Culture, 1980-2003 Through February Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp St., 539-9600 So you think you've seen it? No, you only thought you saw the Ogden Museum because you went there last October and caught the phase one exhibit on Southern Art and Culture, 1890-2003. But, you know, life is change and museum exhibits change, so now we have Art and Culture, 1980-2003, featuring over 25 Southern artists' work, including William Eggleston's color photos first shown at the Museum of Modern Art in 1976 and Masters of Glass: The Penland School, new acquisitions from the Luski Collection. Also on view are newly acquired works by Nicole Charbonnet, George Dureau, Robert Gordy, Martin Payton, John Scott and Pat Trivigno, as well as featured new pieces by Gina Philips, Lin Emery, David Bates, Andrew Bucci, George Dunbar, Ida Kohlmeyer, Jim Richard and Arthur Silverman, to name but a few. -- D. Eric Bookhardt