The 17TH ANNUAL BIG EASY ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS could turn into a battle of the generations. Who will steal the spotlight? Upstarts like Ballzack, Bingo!, or Shades of Praise? Or seasoned vets like Snooks Eaglin, the Iguanas, or the Franklin Avenue Baptist Church Choir? Even the theater awards represent a generational contrast: the latest works as presented by Southern Repertory Theatre and the greatest hits staged at Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré. To say the least, it's gonna be interesting. And that's not even counting the entertainment for the awards ceremony, which will be held Monday, April 19, at the New Orleans Hilton Riverside's Grand Ballroom (Poydras Street at the Mississippi River). Some of the most impressive nominees will perform. The music lineup features performances from the Iguanas, Big Sam's Funky Nation (with Troy Andrews and Zion Trinity), Bingo!, Timothea with Theresa Andersson, and a musical tribute to Lifetime Achievement in Music honoree Harold Battiste featuring Aaron Neville, Allen Toussaint, Tricia "Sista Teedy" Boutté, and the AFO Next Generation jazz players with Ed Anderson, Nicholas Payton and Donald Harrison. Theater performances include works from Five Guys Named Moe, Bat Boy: The Musical and Hello, Dolly!. Special honorees feature Michael Howard (Lifetime Achievement in Theatre), Al Belletto (Music Heritage Award), Nick Spitzer (Ambassador of Entertainment) and Entertainer of the Year, Deacon John. Comedian, actor and radio host Harry Shearer (pictured) will return as master of ceremonies, with award-presentation help from Honorary Music Chairpersons the Pfister Sisters and Honorary Theatre Chairperson Carol Sutton. Following the ceremonies, the Stooges will lead a second line to The Howlin' Wolf (828 S. Peters St.) for the Celebration Bash with music from Davell Crawford. Tickets for the 6 p.m. event are $125 and can be purchased by calling Gloria Powers at 486-5900, ext. 136. Tickets include a dinner buffet, open bar, live performances by nominated artists, and admission to the Celebration Bash after-party. Proceeds from the Big Easy Entertainment Awards benefit the Foundation for Entertainment Development & Education. Sponsors for the event are Southern Comfort, Gambit Weekly, John Jay, Mardi Gras Productions, and Coleman E. Adler & Sons. -- David Lee Simmons

Molly Ivins 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 13 Tulane University, McAlister Auditorium Author and nationally syndicated columnist Molly Ivins brings her considerable charm and two-edged tongue to the Tulane campus this week courtesy of the Tulane University Dean of the Faculty of the Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Newcomb College Center for Research on Women, and the Deep South Regional Humanities Center at Tulane University. The Houston native, whose titles include Shrub: The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush and Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?, has thrice been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her column -- both witty and wise -- appears regularly in Gambit Weekly and takes on what she only half-jokingly refers to as "Texas, national politics, and other bizarre happenings." With her uncommon common sense (and a sense of humor like that), Molly Ivins can say anything she wants to -- and probably will. Free admission. -- Shala Carlson

Nunsense 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Thursday, Saturday-Sunday; April 13-18 Saenger Theatre, 143 N. Rampart St., 524-2490 The Broadway in New Orleans series brings to town a variety of talent to replay some of theater's best roles, from former Skid Row rocker Sebastian Bach in Jesus Christ Superstar to the Dukes of Hazzard's Tom Wopat in Chicago. For the 20th anniversary touring production of the musical Nunsense, the cast features not just a star in the leading role, but a number of familiar faces, from Frasier's Mimi Hines to former Miss America (and one-time TV Catwoman) Lee Meriwether. Nunsense is the irreverent story of The Little Sisters of Hoboken, a group of nuns forced to raise money to bury members of their order who died from food poisoning. Playwright Dan Goggin's characters are based on people he encountered during years in parochial and seminary schools, perhaps explaining why each has three-dimensional qualities and plenty of bite. Kaye Ballard plays Sister Mary Regina, Georgia Engel plays Sister Mary Leo and Darlene Love plays Sister Mary Hubert. Tickets range from $20-$52. -- Frank Etheridge

The Liars 10 p.m. Tuesday, April 13 Mermaid Lounge, 1100 Constance St., 524-4747 When the Liars' frontman Angus Andrews last came to New Orleans, he says he was "stumbling drunk in some notorious neighborhood" when he was held up with a gun point-blank to his head. Still, he is glad to be coming back for the band's first show here. New York's Liars (along with !!!, the Rapture and the Faint) are leaders of the dance punk movement, which fuses elements of funk, electronic, techno, and punk into songs that are both danceable and edgy. Their first album, They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top (Blast First Records), introduced the group's own noisy, funk-heavy version of the genre. Their newest, They Were Wrong so We Drowned (Mute Records), is a concept album about witches that takes a more experimental, noisy turn on their original sound. The band promises a high-energy show full of what Andrews calls "heavy stupidity." $10 cover. -- Rob Bryant

Psychedelic Furs, plus The Alarm 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 14 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE Talk about two bands that couldn't win for losing. No matter what the Psychedelic Furs and The Alarm did in their respective careers -- both of which peaked in the Big '80s -- neither really won the respect they deserved. Though the Furs created their own wonderful brand of post-punk gems, they couldn't shake early accusations of openly mining the Velvet Underground, Bowie and Roxy Music. (Not bad mining if you ask me.) And then when they started to shimmer with MTV-fueled gems such as "Love My Way," "Pretty in Pink" and "The Ghost in You," they were sell-outs. Wales' The Alarm never could shake comparisons to its Irish doppelganger, U2, which is slightly understandable given lead singer Mike Peters' Bono-like vocal soaring and the group's penchant for socially conscious anthems ("The Road," "Strength"); they also got the sellout tag for more polished works like "Rain in the Summertime." The Alarm pulled the wool over Brit radio's eyes this winter by releasing the single "45 RPM" under the name the Poppyfields; the song became a hit, and now the band is touring in support of the album In the Poppyfields. We're just grateful for guitarist Dave Sharp's gigs at Kerry Irish Pub a few years ago. Tickets $20. -- Simmons

Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 15, and Saturday, April 17 Mahalia Jackson Theater of the Performing Arts, 801 N. Rampart St., 529-2278 The New Orleans Opera Association finishes its 60th season with a familiar double bill, Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Ruggiero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. Written just two years apart, the operas have become constant companions through the years, pairing nicely thanks to their brevity and thematic similarities. Both are set in 19th century Sicily, and both trade in the ultimate opera currencies: love, adultery and revenge. Cavalleria Rusticana, with its instantly recognizable "Intermezzo," tells the tale of a love triangle gone horribly wrong, where infidelity leads to death by knives. Pagliacci has a more complicated set-up, in which a troupe of traveling actors plays out interpersonal difficulties on stage; again, cheaters feel the blade, but not before those magnificent, original tears of a clown, "Vesti la Giubba." Cavalleria Rusticana features mezzo soprano Eugenie Grunewald, baritone Mark Rucker and tenor Andrew Richards; Pagliacci features tenor Antonio Barasorda, soprano Stella Zambalis and baritone Daniel Sutin. Tickets range from $30-$100 and are available at www.neworleansopera.org or by calling 529-3000 or (800) 881-4459. -- Carlson

New Orleans Zephyrs home opener 7:05 p.m. Friday, April 16 Zephyr Field, 6000 Airline Drive, Metairie, 734-5155 There's plenty more than just baseball at "the ol' ball game" held at "The Shrine on Airline," officially Zephyr Field. The Z's look to keep up the momentum of manager Chris Maloney's first season, which boasted a 75-69 record and a tie for first in the Pacific Coast League, with their first home game of the season against the Iowa Cubs. But for local fans, this splendid rite of spring means much, much more. With 72 home games and tickets priced between $5 and $9.50, there are plenty of chances for everyone to enjoy a game. The Zephyrs management actively entice with not only great baseball and the pleasures of the ball park -- hot dogs, cold beer, peanuts, etc. -- but with special nights that include fireworks following 13 games, live music, promotions and more. Games begin at 7:05 p.m. Monday-Friday, 6:05 p.m. Saturday and 2:05 p.m. Sunday (April and May only). For more info, visit www.zephyrsbaseball.com. -- Etheridge

American Repertory Ballet 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, April 16-17 NOCCA/Riverfront, Lupin Hall, 2800 Chartres St., 940-2900 The American Repertory Ballet performs Friday and Saturday at NOCCA/Riverfront. NOCCA/Riverfront closes out its impressive Center Stage series -- highlights included appearances by director Todd Haynes and essayist Sarah Vowell -- with this two-night stand with the American Repertory Ballet (ARB). The company, making its New Orleans debut under the tutelage of artistic director Graham Lustig, has earned international acclaim for its ability to look at traditional ballet through a modern lens. Both the ARB and the Princeton Ballet School are run by the Princeton Ballet Society, with graduates from the school often being placed in some of the largest national and international professional dance companies. The ARB also is the resident dance company at the New Brunswick Cultural Center and McCarter Theater in Princeton. The dancers are equally at home performing works by George Balanchine or edgier fare from, say, Dominique Dumais. Tickets $20. -- Simmons

World Leader Pretend 10:30 p.m. Saturday, April 17 Tipitina's, 501 Napoleon Ave., 895-TIPS There is nothing like the special energy of a band that might be on the verge of a big break. And if anyone can channel that excitement into one explosive show, local rock band World Leader Pretend can. Forging a formal canon with the 2002 debut, Fit for Faded, the band balances gentle melodies and urgent outbursts in rock songs that are at once edgy and accessible. Sometimes, they're mixing Jane's Addiction-style grunge with folky choruses reminiscent of the Rolling Stones. Other times, they're Radiohead, with epic textures and visceral vocals. Singer-guitarist Keith Ferguson, bassist Parker Hutchinson and drummer Arthur Mintz holed up this winter in studios in New York and New Orleans, crafting a new album with expanded production and instrumentation, including strings, horns, and guest vocalists. This, the band's first show in town since November, will unveil new material from the not-yet-released album, which has garnered plenty of label interest. Dropsonic opens. Admission $2. -- Cristina Diettinger

Clarence Carter 8:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. Friday, April 16 Bally's Casino, 1 Stars and Stripes Blvd., 1-800-57-BALLYS Clarence Carter keeps on "Strokin'" Friday at Bally's Casino. What makes one man an enduring genius and another an oldies act? Clarence Carter's gig on the casino circuit raises the question. The monumental stature of his recordings with Rick Hall -- which produced the hits "Slip Away," "Too Weak to Fight" and "Patches" -- have obscured the rest of Carter's career. The blind singer/guitarist is linked stylistically to both the stripped-down, emotional power of the Delta blues tradition (through his singing and playing) and the more sophisticated arrangement style of old-school Memphis/Muscle Shoals R&B, a neat trick in itself. What's more, he never stopped recording, making a series of albums for minor labels through the 1990s. Carter is, in fact, a major project just waiting for somebody out there in the mainstream record industry to take notice. Meanwhile, brace yourself for line-dance fave "Strokin'" and hope he does his version of "On Your Way Down." Tickets $20. -- John Swenson

Bob Schneider 9 p.m. Sunday, April 18 Tipitina's, 501 Napoleon Ave., 895-TIPS Bob Schneider's I'm Good Now is a truly outstanding piece of work from a major American writer. Schneider approaches songwriting with a mad, confessional obsession and music-making as catharsis, which makes him that rarest of species, a singer-songwriter completely devoid of pretense. A far cry from your average guitar-totin' sagebrush Lothario, Schneider combines the caustic wit of David Lowery, the craft of Russell Smith, the genius for poetic observation of Butch Hancock and the reckless abandon of Paul Westerberg. He can write a song about God as a gun-slinging, cocaine-sniffing deity in Italian shoes or storm the rafters with the angst-ridden "C'mon Baby" one minute, then turn around and hit you with the delicate mini-screenplay of a love song, "The Way Life's Supposed to Be," the next. And he wants to be like Captain Kirk. $10. -- Swenson

Spicy Rock Fest 2 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 17; noon Sunday, April 18 Mandeville Trailhead Amphitheater, 675 Lafitte St., Mandeville, (985) 624-3147 For the second year in a row, the Northshore is hosting a festival for those Louisiana rock bands who are just a push or a little attention from the commercial mainstream. The first night is headlined by the Benjy Davis Project, who has perfected the Dave Matthews-esque groove, while Sunday Lafayette's Liquid Sand closes the show with attractive, moody modern rock that is tinted in shades of spaciness. In fact, the lineup, which also includes Ruston's Squint, shows how varied and accomplished Louisiana's commercial rock can be. New Orleans' Tom's House has mastered hard, shiny pop, while Gonzales' metal band 4Mag Nitrous is finishing an album, Ride the Horizon, and has licensed a track to the Discovery Channel's Monster Garage for next season. Catch Velvet will be playing only its second show without singer Kenny Boudreaux. There will also be skateboard demonstrations and a gyro machine, along with an arts and crafts midway. Presumably the arts and crafts will be extreme as well. Two-day passes $12 in advance, $15 at the gates. -- Alex Rawls

Polycromaculate: Paintings by Margaret Evangeline Through April 27 Heriard-Cimino Gallery, 440 Julia St., 525-7300 The violence is spreading. When David Bradshaw made sculpture by blasting sheet metal with dynamite and bullets, people thought he was a crank. But Margaret Evangeline is a real lady painter, so when she recently took to shooting up sheet metal and painting the ripped and perforated surfaces, the results were, according to her gallery, "gorgeous molten swells, eruptions and craters on mirrored surfaces," an exploration of the "interior and exterior, rigidity and liquidity, conceptual and preceptual." Whew! A Louisianian now living in New York City, Evangeline says all this came to her naturally as a result of her granddaddy teaching her how to shoot when she was a mere 10-year-old. Here she reveals that damage can be dainty, tres chic, and that girls can get away with stuff that could put a guy under surveillance by Homeland Security. -- D. Eric Bookhardt