Opening its doors on Jan. 14, 1977 -- technically, the club is 27 years old, minus one year when it lay dark in the mid-1980s -- Tipitina's was founded by the "Fabulous Fo'teen." This group of young music enthusiasts (including such prominent locals as photographer Michael W. Smith and House of Blues talent and tours director Sonny Schneideau) pooled their resources ($100 each) to create a haven for legends of New Orleans jazz and R&B, namely Professor Longhair, whose famous song lends the club its name. Last year's 25th anniversary celebration set the precedent for annual homage to Tipitina's and the musical tradition it represents. This year's TIPITINA'S ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, a week's worth of festivities, once again includes stellar performers from several generations of New Orleans talent. The party kicks off Wednesday night with Tip's Birthday Bash, featuring the Wild Magnolias Mardi Gras Indians and a host of guest players. Thursday night brings the best of the club's funk-focused Groove Master Series, anchored by the Johnny Vidacovich Trio. Friday night offers a popular Tip's double bill with Los Hombres Calientes and the ReBirth Brass Band. On Saturday, drummer Zigaboo Modeliste (formerly of the Meters), along with bassist George Porter Jr. and keyboardist Ivan Neville, will offer a funk workshop for musicians. The three will stick around that night to perform at the Founder's Ball. The climax of the week, the ball honors Tipitina's 14 founders with an all-star jazz-funk throw-down involving such local luminaries as Cyril Neville, trombonist Mark Mullins, the Dirty Dozen's Clarence Johnson III, and jazz prodigy Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews. The week will close out with a special edition of Tiptina's Sunday night Cajun Fais Do Do. For years the fais do do has been hosted by Bruce Daigrepont, whose waltzes and two-steps have highlighted shows that have always been warm, fun and low key. This week Daigrepont will be joined onstage by members of two of the best Cajun bands on the planet. Michael Doucet (pictured) and David Doucet have been taking the music of southwest Louisiana to the world for more than two decades as part of the internationally renowned BeauSoleil. Steve Riley started out his band, the Mamou Playboys, as a traditional Cajun band, but for his past several albums has been adding rock, zydeco and swamp pop elements to his sound. (Though, it should be noted, recent release Bon Reve marks a return to the traditional -- with amazing results.) Also, last year during the Tip's anniversary week, this show was one of the best of the whole extravaganza. Check music listings for full schedule, dates and times. Call club for cover charges. -- Cristina Diettinger

Benefit screening, Life and Nothing More 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13 Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center, 1724 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 525-2767 As those familiar with the region know too well, the tragedy of losing tens of thousands of lives from an earthquake is nothing new to Iran. And after the 1990 quake killed 50,000 people in northern Iran, filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami assembled a trilogy dedicated to the cataclysm. Life and Nothing More is the second installment of the trilogy, in which a director (Farhad Kheradmand, playing Kiarostami) and his son (Puya Pievar) attempt to visit two young boys (who'd appeared in the first film) in one of the ravaged villages. A blending of fact and fiction, Life and Nothing More is a deliberate, meditative (and critically acclaimed) work. Proceeds from this screening will go to the United Way International Iran Earthquake Relief Fund. Donation only. -- David Lee Simmons

Johnette Downing 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14 Louisiana Children's Museum, 420 Julia St., 523-1357 Jazz, brass band, zydeco and ... children's music? With the number of talented performers plying their trade, it's time to count the genre as another of our region's strong traditions. (After all, the legendary Louisiana bluesman Lead Belly recorded kid tunes.) One of the strongest voices in the current scene belongs to Johnette Downing, who has five recordings under her belt and a slew of national awards that include a recent nod from Nick Jr. magazine for her latest CD, The Second Line. Downing, who also has performed in grown-up ensembles including the Front Porch Swingers, says her earliest musical memories include lurking in the doorways of French Quarter jazz clubs to catch the sounds. Nowadays, Downing's young fans can hear the music for themselves. Performance free with $6 museum admission. -- Michael Tisserand

The Maid of Orleans: A Joan of Arc Story 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, Jan. 14-17; through Jan. 24 Contemporary Arts Center, 900 Camp St., 528-3805 Kathy Randels' (pictured) ArtSpot Productions launches its CAC residency with The Maid of Orleans: A Joan of Arc Story, starting Wednesday. After a long and distinguished run with John Grimsley's Dog & Pony Theatre Company, the Contemporary Arts Center launches its new artist residency with ArtSpot Productions this week. Founded in 1995 by performance artist Kathy Randels to produce her solo work, ArtSpot has since grown to encompass many artists in different disciplines. This week, Randels and company present The Maid of Orleans: A Joan of Arc Story, an original play written and directed by Randels that examines the 25-year interlude between the time Joan of Arc was burned at the stake as a heretic and her acceptance by the church. Joan's life is put into context through a story that draws from first-hand accounts and original writing along with insight drawn from works by George Bernard Shaw, Mark Twain and William Shakespeare. Dance, movement, puppetry, song and more round out the work. Tickets $15 general admission, $12 students and CAC members. -- Frank Etheridge

Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues book signing 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15 Garden District Books, 2727 Prytania St., 895-2266 The details of bluesman Robert Johnson's personal life, moribund in rumor and innuendo, have long dueled with his amazing talent: Did he sell his soul to the devil? Who killed him, how and why? While aspects of Johnson's music and life have been examined for decades, writer Elijah Wald takes a new approach in his study of Johnson, setting forth in his new book, Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues (HarperCollins) insight into how the Mississippi-born great fits into the bigger picture of American culture and music. Wald is a musician and former Boston Globe music writer, and reaches often controversial conclusions about Johnson's life. Wald will read and sign his book as well as perform music. -- Etheridge

Cover Girls 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday Saenger Theatre, 143 N. Rampart St., 524-2490/522-5555 In 2003, T.D. Jakes' novel Cover Girls was powerful enough in its prose depicting the complex emotions and realities of four urban women to reach The New York Times' bestseller list. Adapting his work for the stage, Jakes takes it to the next level -- as a musical, in which a score of gospel music drives home the themes of friendship, struggle, God and coming to terms with one's self. Initially, Michelle, Tonya, Mrs. Judson and Miz Ida, each with their pasts and values, seemingly have nothing in common. Yet the group finds each other and, in turn, themselves. Actress Kim Fields, star of TV's Living Single, appears as Michelle (Sunday only), and Ann Nesby, a Grammy-winning gospel legend, appears as Miz Ida. The musical is produced by Mathew Knowles, father of pop diva Beyonce Knowles. Tickets range from $20 to $37. -- Etheridge

Fat Possum Juke Joint Caravan featuring T-Model Ford with Spam plus Cedric Burnside with Kenny Brown also plus Paul Wine Jones 9 pm Thursday, Jan. 15 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-2583 Look out. These musicians will school you in the power of authentic, Mississippi blues. Starting off, Paul Wine Jones plays guitar like a chainsaw rips into a branch. His leering vocals might make the audience obey his every command. Cedric Burnside is R.L. Burnside's son and Kenny Brown is R.L.'s "adopted" son; when the pair hits the stage, the endless drone boogie of the Mississippi hill country will scramble your booty and your brain cells. Octogenarian T-Model Ford is tough as nails and his music is, too. Last time he was here he played for three hours and outlasted most of the audience. His drummer, Spam, has a rapport with Ford that is sometimes kindly and sometimes psychotic. Either way, the music will shake you out of your post-holiday doldrums. Tickets $12. -- David Kunian

Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE It's hard to think of a cover band/novelty act that stoops lower than Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine. Still, most of us are willing to admit that there's a touch of brilliance in Cheese's ridiculous lounge music renditions of pop songs of all styles. Cheese cheesifies the most overplayed songs on the radio, singing them as if they were all about Vegas, Sinatra, or some other lounge-related topic. Even the toughest audiences will chuckle as he croons "Why have you forsaken me?" between synthesizer glissandi in his own take on System of a Down's "Chop Suey." Cheese's 2002 release, Tuxicity, featuring re-dos of the White Stripes, Britney Spears, Linkin Park and Mystikal, will tide fans over until a new album of lounge parodies goes on sale in March. Admission $11. -- Diettinger

WYES Family Fun Fest 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17 Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena, 6801 Franklin St., 280-7222/522-5555 There's gonna be a big red dog (Clifford) and a couple of giant nutrias (Boudreaux and Clotile), but the real star of our local PBS affiliate's inaugural festival is the ever-popular Imagination Movers. The Movers stormed onto the kiddy scene last year by setting inventive lyrics about bedtimes and snacks to fresh pop melodies and hip-hop beats; Parents¹ Choice tagged the band's debut recording a 2003 "Recommended CD." Today, the Movers say kids can help make "toddler rock history" at the 1: 30 p.m. and 3 p.m. sets, which are being filmed for a planned video/DVD release. Other Fun Fest attractions include UNO Spirit Teams performances, face painting, magic shows, clowns, jewelry making, UNO athletic department sports demonstrations and goody-bag giveaways. Tickets $10. -- Tisserand

An American Carnival 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17 Orpheum Theatre, 127 University Place, 523-6530 The steel drum is at the heart of the Caribbean's many genres of music, including calypso, samba, reggae and mambo. This unique instrument, crafted from a 55-gallon drum, was created by the people of Trinidad and Tobago in the 1930s. This Saturday, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra brings this sound to town by hosting the Caribbean Sound Steel Band, an ensemble that has toured extensively in the southern United States throughout its 18-year history. Under the direction of conductor Chelsea Tipton, the two groups will perform An American Carnival, a program mixing the sounds of the Caribbean with a symphony orchestra. The diverse selections also include a segment, "Americana Flavor," that presents works such as Bernstein and Peresse's "West Side Story Overture" and Wendel's "George Cohen Overture." Tickets range from $18 to $52. For more info, visit www.lpomusic.com. -- Etheridge

Suicide Girls Tour 9 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE The Suicide Girls Tour of punk-rock burlesque hits House of Blues on Monday, Jan. 19. For those with alternative pornographic tastes, Suicidegirls.com has been a godsend, er ... gothsend. Launched in 2001, the site features nude or partially clad pinups of women of the more bohemian aesthetic. While some hail the organization's empowered erotica (the women control their own content), some see it as a poor example of "lipstick feminism," and others are just glad there's a sexy alternative to silicone-dominated mainstream porn. In any case, the site's wild popularity has made it a national new media force -- a bona fide online community for alternative thinkers. With the Suicide Girls Tour, the movement transcends virtual reality as a live alt-burlesque show. Not adhering strictly to traditional burlesque themes and techniques, the Suicide Girls' show leaves the art form open for retro-modern interpretation, incorporating anything from pirate costumes to belly dancing. Bodily adornments abound, meaning loads of tattoos, piercings, and vivid dye jobs. Tickets $10 to $12. -- Diettinger

Malaika Favorite: Black & White Through Feb. 14 Stella Jones Gallery, 201 St. Charles Ave., 568-9050 Locally known for her lyrical woodcuts of African-American life, longtime Louisiana artist Malaika Favorite creates more political art as well. In The Flag Needs a Washing, pieces of canvas were stretched over a washboard and painted to resemble Old Glory. A reference to her early days when she had to scrounge for materials, it also refers to the traditional role of African-American women as domestic servants. The flag is a symbol of democracy, yet not everyone has always had equal opportunities. The antidote is celebrated in works such as Lift Every Voice and Sing, a mixed-media piece devoted to the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.. Melding a penchant for lyrical beauty with hard-hitting commentary, Favorite expresses both the poetry and the challenges she experienced as a black woman growing up in the South. -- D. Eric Bookhardt