The 18th INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL, which will take place this weekend at Marconi Meadows in City Park, is a dancer's delight. Celebrating 10 years of South African democracy and 100 years of Haitian independence, the festival features one of salsa's hottest bands, led by keyboardist Eddie Palmieri (pictured), the conscious beats of Jamaican dub poet Mutabaruka, and the deeply Africanized rhythmic roots of Bamboula 2000. The three groups will celebrate the Bamboula, the central dance of the African Diaspora in the Caribbean, in different forms: the drum-accompanied dance performed in New Orleans' Congo Square for 200 years; the tipica sound whose Cuban and Puerto Rican influences reached the barrios of New York City; and the hypnotic, deeply rhythmic scratch of the dub culture. The Spanish Harlem-born Palmieri recently won his seventh Grammy, for Best Salsa Album (shared with the late Tito Puente), for Obra Maestra/Masterpiece. Palmieri has established himself as the king of salsa pianists over a 40-year career as a bandleader. That career dates back to his groundbreaking early-1960s band Conjunto La Perfecta, which replaced the conventional trumpet section with trombones for a bigger sound. Palmieri became known for his innovative orchestrations and powerful dance rhythms, which incorporated ideas he discovered in his investigations of the music's Afro-Cuban roots. Palmieri has returned to the two-trombone front-line sound on his latest album, Ritmo Caliente (Concord Jazz). Mutabaruka (born Allan Hope in 1952) was a radical Rastafarian poet who began setting his words to dub (instrumental) reggae during the 1970s. His popularity soared after he performed his new single, "Every Time A Ear De Soun'," at 1981's Reggae Sunsplash. His signature album, Check It, made Mutabaruka one of Jamaica's leading dub poets with its strident calls to end apartheid in South Africa. His most recent album, Life Squared (Rounder/Pgd) features a very entertaining reggae version of Dave Bartholomew's New Orleans anthem, "The Monkey." Also scheduled to perform are India.Arie, the Roots, Third World, Bunju Garlin, David Banner, K.RAM.K., Lataye, the Revealers and Ben Hunter. Tickets are $10 advance, $20 door. For more information, call 367-1313. -- John Swenson

J.J. Cale 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 8 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St. 529-BLUE J.J. Cale performs songs from his new album, To Tulsa and Back, on Tuesday at House of Blues. J.J. Cale, the best thing to come out of Oklahoma since Mickey Mantle, is back after a long absence (his last record was 1996's Guitar Man), with a new album, To Tulsa and Back (Sanctuary). Cale, whose style deeply influenced Eric Clapton's post-Cream work and Mark Knopfler's entire career, is sure to play such trademark hits as 'After Midnight,' 'Cocaine,' 'Call Me the Breeze' and 'Crazy Mama,' but the new stuff ensures it will be far from a nostalgia trip. 'These Blues,' which takes a Western swing twist in its guitar/violin interplay, seems bound for cover-tune territory, and Cale offers political commentary with the trilogy of 'Stone River,' 'The Problem' and 'Homeless.' If you're looking for good ol' Cale, there's 'My Gal': 'She can't sing and she can't dance, she can't walk too well/She can't cook and she can't sew, but she can sure raise hell.' Tickets $25. -- Swenson

42nd Street 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, June 8-12; 2 p.m. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, June 10, 12-13 Saenger Theatre, 143 N. Rampart St., 524-2490/522-5555 Written by Michael Stewart and director Mark Bramble, the stage premiere of 42nd Street created an immediate sensation and was recognized at the 1981 Tony Awards with the Best Musical award and the Laurence Olivier Award for Musical of the Year. Timeless for its qualities as a musical comedy about somebody getting that big break, 42nd Street surprised plenty in the New York theater world went it was remounted in 2001 -- just 13 years after closing its initial Broadway run. Yet the return meant more than just guaranteed office success; it won Best Musical Revival that year at the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle awards. Bramble, who co-wrote and directed the original stage adaptation, directed the 2001 revival and will direct the Saenger run. Randy Skinner, who choreographed the 2001 revival and was praised for striving to capture original choreographer the late Gower Champion's style and signature moves, is back to guide the dancers in this production. Tickets $20-$60, discounts for groups of 20, charge by phone or visit BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com. -- Frank Etheridge

The Patchwork Players 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Wednesday-Friday, June 9-11 Tulane University, Rogers Memorial Chapel, 865-5106 With the children out of school but still needing entertainment, education and, of course, supervision, children's theater troupe The Patchwork Players again rises to the challenge. The brainchild of Buzz Podewell, the group this summer celebrates its 20th anniversary with two productions: Hansel & Gretel (during the first half of summer), followed by a medley of short stories. Both productions rely heavily on audience participation. Hansel & Gretel is the classic tale of two lost children working their way back home. Shorts, which combines the fable The Tortoise and the Hare, the Japanese classic Hiroshima and Little Red Riding Hood, will be written and performed daily by the children in the audience. Podewell directs a team featuring Robin Baudier, Sean Patterson, Gary Rucker, Greg Stratton, Tom Dugger and Leslie Limberg. Through June, it's Hansel & Gretel, with two performances most weekday mornings. Shorts begins July 7. -- Etheridge

Balanchine Centennial Celebration 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, June 10-12; 2 p.m. Saturday, June 12 NOCCA/Riverfront, Lupin Hall, 2800 Chartres St., 524-8440 In less than two years, the New Orleans Ballet Theatre (NOBT) has developed an impressive reputation, which is why it's understandable that the troupe secured the rights to perform two of legendary choreographer George Balanchine's work in this, the centennial year of his birth (Jan. 22, 1904, to be exact). Artistic directors Gregory Schramel and Majorie Hardwick have worked with everyone from the Miami City Ballet (which recently performed in New Orleans) and Atlanta Ballet to Cincinnati Ballet and the Dallas Ballet, either as principals or soloists. And so the NOBT will perform, with the blessing of the Balanchine Trust, two pieces, 'Who Cares?' and 'Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux,' as well as the world premiere of 'Where Were You When They Dropped the Pill.' The NOBT helps bring underprivileged girls to ballet with its Girls First Program. Tickets $30; 20 percent discount for dance school students. -- David Lee Simmons

Talib Kweli 9 p.m. Thursday, June 10 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE When rough tracks from his upcoming release, The Beautiful Struggle, leaked onto the Internet in early March, Talib Kweli had more inclination to grandstand than usual. This time, the rapper's enemy wasn't racism or materialism (dominant themes from his realer-than-thou canon). It was Okayplayer.com cyberpersona 'ImRickJamesBitch.' Naming himself after a catch phrase from Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show, the 'fan' had posted the unapproved tracks to his own Web site for free download. A few weeks after a heated post-and-reply round between Kweli and his assailant, Kweli released The Beautiful Mix CD (Okayplayer). Hosted by Chappelle's Show host Dave Chappelle's grotesque version of Rick James, the collection features some of the hijacked material, along with freestyles, previously unreleased tracks and collaborations. With contributions from Kanye West, Consequence, Jean Grae and Busta Rhymes, the collage is a holdover to re-hype the official release, now pushed back to late summer. MF Doom, formerly Zev Love X of '90s rap group KMD, opens. Tickets $19.50. -- Cristina Diettinger

Eubie! A Musical Revue 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, June 11-12; 3 p.m. Sunday, June 13 Anthony Bean Community Theater, 1333 S. Carrollton Ave., 862-PLAY (7529) Leo Jones will direct, choreograph and arrange the vocals for Anthony Bean Community Theater's production of Eubie! A Musical Revue starting this weekend. The late Eubie Blake is hailed both as a social pioneer and a crowd-pleasing music maker. The African-American composer and pianist played a role in the staging of 1921's Shuffle Along, the first Broadway musical written, directed by and staring blacks. During Blake's most productive period -- from the teens to the 1930s -- he composed such classics as 'I'm Just Wild About Harry,' 'Shuffle Along' and 'My Handyman Ain't Handy No More.' The original Broadway revue of Blake's works featured the classic pairing of Gregory and Maurice Hines. For the next three weekends, Anthony Bean Community Theater hosts the New Orleans premiere of Eubie! A Musical Revue, a rollicking succession of dance, music and laughter. Leo Jones, a local veteran with more than 25 NORD productions to his credit, will direct, choreograph and arrange vocals for Eubie! The cast includes Idella Johnson, Tory Andrus, Mia McClain and Althea Williams. Tickets are $18 adults, $16 students and seniors. -- Etheridge

The Unicorns 10 p.m. Friday, June 11 One-Eyed Jacks, 615 Toulouse St., 569-8361 When ADD kids and punk rockers make indie pop, you get Montreal's The Unicorns. Between sets of jangly sing-songs, the band is known for onstage fist fights, occasional guitar bashing, and pouring honey all over their bodies. That same attitude is also obvious on the album, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? (Alien 8). In those 13 songs, the band proves its ability to write anything as catchy as say the Shins or Beulah, but unlike groups that sing with sincere tenderness, The Unicorns are death-obsessed, singing about the invincible 'Tuff Ghost' or how they don't want to die in their sleep. The New Orleans show is the 10th on a relentless North American tour, which means nine chances for a broken nose, a black eye or disfiguring mark before they get here. Call club for cover. -- Rob Bryant

A Toast of New Orleans ribbon cutting 12 p.m. Saturday, June 12 New Orleans City Centre, first floor, 1400 Poydras St., 539-9617 The inspired culinarians behind The Southern Food and Beverage Museum, including founding President Elizabeth Williams, cannot wait to find the museum a permanent home before unveiling its first exhibit. A Toast of New Orleans explores the city's historical and current relationship to beverages, from absinthe to New Orleans Nectar soda to Sazeracs. Curator Elizabeth Pearce, a docent cook at the Hermann Grima House and An English instructor at UNO, cites numerous serendipitous moments that contributed to the exhibit's wide-ranging and somewhat arbitrary scope. During an impromptu visit to Nick's Bar on Tulane Avenue, she bumped into the original owner's grandson, who donated a file of old photographs. A former mascot from Regal Beer's softball team loaned the museum old beer paraphernalia. The exhibit will remain open in its temporary, donated space from noon to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday throughout the summer. Visit www.southernfood.org for more information, including on how to become a museum member. Free admission. -- Sara Roahen

Steve Turre Quintet 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, June 12-13 Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, 626 Frenchmen St., 949-0696 Outside of New Orleans, the trombone gets little respect as a jazz instrument. Few play it and even fewer get to record with it. Trombonist Steve Turre not only makes trombone records, but makes excellent ones with great range and depth. Turre follows in the footsteps of the great trombonists before him, specifically the be-bop innovator and film scorer J.J Johnson, to whom Turre's latest album is dedicated. Raised in a musical family, Turre learned the rudiments and subtleties of jazz through his involvement with Ray Charles, Art Blakey and Roland Kirk as well as Latin and salsa bands. During his gigs, Turre combines all of those genres as he coaxes long legato lines and short, funky blasts from his trombone. The most oddly innovative moments come when he plays seashells, blowing beautiful notes that speak to all that is appealing about the coming summer. $20 cover. -- David Kunian

Trout Fishing in America 2 p.m. Sunday, June 13 Destrehan Plantation, 13034 River Road, Destrehan If Tenacious D sang the collected works of Shel Silverstein, it might start to sound like the duo Trout Fishing in America. Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet's shows are an annual summertime tradition at Destrehan Plantation -- five years and counting -- and the lovely grounds surrounding the spacious Mule Barn building allow kids the space to run around before and after (and, for some, during) the show. Trout's grab bag of quirky, tongue-twisting and frequently poignant tunes deepened with its 2003 CD, It's a Puzzle. The kiddy hit 'Alien in My Nose' concludes with these thoughts: 'There was only one way to stop this thing/ I knew I was going to have to eat it.' This kind of line has an immediate effect on a roomful of kids, and the guys in Trout Fishing are the masters. Doors open at 1 p.m. Tickets $15 for adults, $5 kids ages 3-12, free for kids under 3. -- Michael Tisserand

Acid Mothers Temple 10 p.m. Monday, June 14 Mermaid Lounge, 1100 Constance St., 524-4747 Led by guitarist Kawabata Makoto, this Japanese 'soul collective' defines 'psychedelic,' though not in any San Franciscan, flower power way. Instead, on albums like the new Mantra of Love (Alien8 Recordings), AMT plays head music, seemingly static in structure while synthesizers and guitars provide textures and movement. Then, five to 10 minutes later, it's clear the structure wasn't as repetitive as it seemed and has changed entirely. Some pieces are restrained, such as 'L'Ambition dans le Miroir' from the new album, but a piece like 2001's 'Psychic Buddha' is the aural equivalent of scenes in science fiction movies where protagonists rush through time and wild lighting effects. It's a mental and physical rush. Not surprisingly, the band is unafraid to let its freak flag fly. Album titles such as Electric Heavyland and Absolutely Freak Out suggest Makoto's affection for Hendrix and Zappa, respectively, and 2002's In C pays tribute to minimalist pioneer Terry Riley. Call club for cover. -- Alex Rawls

Billy Solitario: New Paintings Through July LeMieux Galleries, 332 Julia St., 522-5988 It is said that creativity is the ability to make the familiar seem new again. Some lucky souls are constantly seeing the new in the familiar and then transforming it into art. Billy Solitario uses this process to record what he finds remarkable about the islands near his old childhood home on the Gulf Coast and not far from his current abode in New Orleans. A realist by disposition, Solitario says he wants his paintings to not only look like those clouds and dunes, but to actually become the clouds and dunes via his "loops and slashes of paint that bespeak the energy of the painting process, and serve as a metaphor for the natural forces that shape the dunes and clouds themselves." Which sounds like a tall order, but what the inner eye sees is often what the rest will follow. -- D. Eric Bookhardt