When artists such as LYLE LOVETT, k.d. lang, Steve Earle and Dwight Yoakam burst onto the scene in the mid-1980s, Nashville didn't know what to make of this curious invasion of passionate but sometimes ambiguous country artists. (Wasn't it Lovett, after all, who had to endure rumors of being gay until his ill-fated marriage to Julia Roberts? Though, I suppose, there was very little doubt about lang.) One by one, they stripped away the high-gloss, crossover-obsessed sound of country perpetuated by the Kenny Rogers of the day and tried to take country back. But as soon as the battle was engaged, Lovett started proving some of the skeptics right with his genre-bending ways, even if he rather logically began connecting the dots between country, blues, gospel and Western and big-band swing. One might even say he was country music's first truly ironic songwriter. Like many others, he enjoyed an incredible artistic peak from about 1986-1992 with the albums Pontiac, Lyle Lovett and His Large Band and Joshua Judges Ruth and the wide-ranging singles: the borderline misogyny of "She's No Lady," the nonsequitor brazenness of "Here I Am," the gospel silliness of "Church" and more. (Let's face it; Lovett made country safe for the tragically hip.) Then came the ill-fated marriage to Roberts that produced the ill-fated I Love Everybody of 1994 and the mild comeback of 1996's The Road to Ensenada and 1998's Step Inside This House, all while cultivating his mystique as an actor (including a fair share of Robert Altman films). Maybe now, six years removed from his last CD, it's all become too easy for Lovett, who performs Friday at the Saenger Theatre (143 N. Rampart St., 524-2490/522-5555). You know it in the forced strain of his delicate baritone; the quirky wordplay; the geographic name-checking; and, of course, the women who never seem willing to put up with his foibles. So much, almost too much, of last fall's release, My Baby Don't Tolerate (Lost Highway), feels like Lovett playing it safe and way too familiar (the too-cute "Cute Bug," for instance). But Lovett can still show us the darker shadows of our feelings. On "In My Own," he insists on defining his own happiness regardless of any surface realities as he happens on his woman in the morning: "Kiss her on the forehead / Ask her how she slept / She says, 'Honey, it's so early, / We probably shouldn't speak yet.'" Few songwriters can make you address your own feelings with so many question marks. Tickets $42.50-$50, showtime 7:30 p.m. -- David Lee Simmons

Cannibal Corpse with Scrotesque 10 p.m. Tuesday, July 27 The Howlin' Wolf, 828 S. Peters St., 522-WOLF Tackling such themes as sadistic disembowelment and the cause and effect of a 'Rotted Body Landslide' (a song title), Cannibal Corpse gained droves of enemies 15 years ago at its inception. Vice President Al Gore cited the group as an example of entertainment corrupting youth, and the album Butchered at Birth is banned in Germany. No wonder they are the top-selling death metal band of all time, according to Soundscan. The band's new album The Wretched Spawn (Metal Blade Records) sounds basically the same as all of the other albums, but it seems that neither the band nor its fan base ever saw the need for CC to update its sound. Opening local Scrotesque is the city's premier new metal act; the band plays complex, CC-style death metal, but with Nordic black metal influences, and the lead vocalist's guttural screaming sounds like he's vomiting his organs. Tickets $15 -- Rob Bryant

Texas Terri Bomb! 10 p.m. Tuesday, July 27 One Eyed Jacks, 615 Toulouse St., 569-8361 Austin native Texas Terri may have spent the past 20 years as an L.A. rock scenester, but her attitude -- a cross between Iggy Pop and Wendy O. Williams -- has thankfully remained the size of her home state. The diminutive punk-rock pinup has a well-deserved rep for sweaty, onstage chaos that in days of yore could involve partial disrobing. Her new album, Your Lips &138; My Ass! (TKO) boasts appearances by the MC5's Wayne Kramer and Cherie Currie of Runaways fame, the latter on a cover of Thin Lizzy's 'The Rocker.' Unimpeachable rocker credentials like that, plus her solid backing band (members of Enuff Z'nuff playing good, honest '70s-style punk in the vein of the Dictators), score points, but her screeching, growling, pack-a-day voice is what makes this Lone Star queen stand out. This is the kind of rock you can smell. Tickets $7. -- Alison Fensterstock

The Comedy of Errors 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, July 28-31; 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 31 Tulane University, Lupin Theatre, 865-5105 Whitney Haase, Tracy Genevieve Hancock and Brittany Kirschman star in The Shakespeare Festival at Tulane's Intern Training Program production of The Comedy of Errors Wednesday through Saturday at the Lupin Theatre. Considered by many to be one of if not the most accessible Shakespeare comedies, The Comedy of Errors enjoys the honor of being the only play by the Bard that actually uses the word in the title. Although there's no identity problem with the genre, mistaken identity (among two sets of twins, masters and servants) creates the farce here. To put the finishing touch on this summer's Shakespeare Festival at Tulane (SFT), director Gary Rucker (himself an accomplished ensemble performer) has created a circus atmosphere for this staging by SFT's Intern Training Program featuring high school and college students. And so we have Elizabeth Bigger performing Dromio of Syracuse as a clown, Ryan Bruce doing the First Merchant as a vendor, Evan Cleaver's Solinus and Duke of Ephesus as a ringmaster, and so on. SFT's offerings this summer (Richard III and Macbeth) have been warmly received, so here's to an equally happy ending for the season. Tickets $12 adults, $10 students, seniors, Tulane faculty/staff and children. -- Simmons

Devil Doll 10 p.m. Wednesday, July 28 One Eyed Jacks, 615 Toulouse St., 569-8361 Equal parts punk rocker and '40s-era jazz diva, Colleen Duffy (aka Devil Doll) has seen her work attached to everything from Infiniti and Adidas commercials to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Devil Doll slips into a satin dress and channels her inner Joan Jett and somehow makes it all plausible as she proved in her debut CD, Queen of Pain, forming a solid base among the L.A. hipster crowd before going nationwide. 'My whole, um, momentum behind Devil Doll is to put the sex back into rock 'n' roll,' the Cleveland native told the Arizona Daily Star, and we believe her. Her leather-and-lace approach seems like a perfect match for One Eyed Jacks, which in its previous incarnation as the Shim Sham Club featured more than its share of period genre blending by way of pierce/tattoo cool. Preceding the show will be burlesque from Torchy Taboo & Diamond Ice (from Atlanta) and New Orleans' own Le Petite Fleur, Natasha Fiore and Spooky LaStrange. Tickets $8. -- Simmons

Stockholm Syndrome 10 p.m., Wednesday, July 28 Tipitina's, 501 Napoleon Ave., 895-TIPS Stockholm Syndrome performs Wednesday at Tipitina's. Apple's iTunes tracks the top 10 songs downloaded from a given album, keeping tabs on what others find cool. The top three downloads for Stockholm Syndrome's debut, Holy Happy Hour (Terminus), are the only indication that Syndrome has jam band tendencies. The downloading reflects the fan base of Dave Schools, the bassist in Widespread Panic, who in an interview said, 'We will most likely jam live, but we wanted to make a smart album that got the personalities of the guys on record.' This intention is apparent on the alternative rock-styled 'White Dirt,' the title a reference to the mineral kaolin, used to get rid of intestinal worms. Singer-songwriter Jerry Joseph (of Jackmormon fame) uses this reference to earnestly convey the pain of loss and the need for healing. Drummer Wally Ingram, keyboardist Danny Dziuk, and mandolin player Eric McFadden create a mellow mood, dense with earthy tones, to bolster the song's theme. Tishamingo, an Athens, Ga.-based jam band, opens. Tickets $15. -- Reuben Brody

Pain and Blood 7 p.m., Thursday, July 29 State Palace Theatre, 1108 Canal St., 827-8774 Thursday Night Fights presents a multiple-fight card highlighted by a rematch between heavyweight contenders Gary 'Bring the Pain' Bell (22-3) and Patrick Smith. These two adversaries will duke it out over 10 rounds, followed by another 10-round, heavyweight match between Mitch 'Blood' Green (18-6-1) and Chauncey Welliver (16-3-1). Heavyweights Ronnie Weaver (29-12) and Anthony Stevens (32-12) will fight six rounds, and 'Big Fred' Cassie (16-0) will take on Jeremiah Johnson (8-3) in four rounds. For kicks (and punches), Robyn 'Babe' Lerille (1-0) and 'Big Abe' Johnson (KKND disc jockey) will hit the ring for four rounds. The event will also feature Dupre Strickland (14-1) who will box Johnnie Taylor (4-5), Aubrey Weeden (1-0) who will box Yull Witherspoon (debut match), and others. Tickets $60 ringside platinum (stage), $40 ringside gold club, $30 silver reserved, $20 general admission. -- Katie LaCorte

Annie Get Your Gun 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, July 29-30; 4 p.m. Saturday, July 31; through Aug. 15 Gallier Hall, Ty Tracy Theatre, 705 Lafayette St., 565-7860 It seemed only fitting when the New Orleans Recreation Department announced last month that Ricky Graham would replace the late Ty Tracy as the director of the New Orleans Recreation Department's (NORD) Ty Tracy Theatre. After all, Graham -- enjoying a wild summer with turns in The Mikado and the current run of Sordid Lives -- may well be Tracy's most popular and successful student. In the spirit of this heartwarming and most appropriate passing of the generational and cultural torch, we eagerly anticipate NORD's Summer Youth Workshop Production of Irving Berlin's classic Annie Get Your Gun. Melissa Lyons will direct the youth cast of Berlin's musical, with book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields. Jefferson Turner will provide the music and vocal direction, Lyons will handle the choreography, Phil Wagar the sets and lighting, and Bob Bruce the costumes and graphics. Here's to the show still going on. Tickets $10. -- Simmons

Jason Hatfield & the Marmalade 10 p.m. Thursday, July 29 Mermaid Lounge, 1100 Constance St., 524-4747 If the name sounds a little familiar, it's because Jason is Juliana Hatfield's younger brother. His album, How About Never? (Quality Rock) is the sort of guitar pop you might expect from a Hatfield, and it's reliably catchy. Every song has a female harmony vocal, and it's tempting to suspect it has something to do with growing up singing with his sister. In fact, he says, 'It comes from listening to stuff like Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris and watching Juliana and Evan (Dando, in the Blake Babies). I just like the sound of male and female voices harmonizing.' One of the high points is a cover of Johnny Cash's 'Port of Lonely Hearts,' which he recorded as a tribute to June Carter Cash, who had just passed away. Its lyric, 'I'm waiting in the port of lonely hearts ... for you' seemed like a fit sentiment as she awaited Cash. When Hatfield recorded the song, he didn't realize how short her wait would be. Call club for cover. -- Alex Rawls

The Kid From Elysian Fields 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, July 30-31 Dillard University, Cook Auditorium, 2601 Gentilly Blvd., 522-0996 The New Orleans Recreation Department collaborates with the New Orleans Ballet Association and Dillard University to present The Kid From Elysian Fields, a contemporary take on Billy the Kid as an interpretive, storytelling ballet piece. Set in our own city and mirroring modern-day hard times, the story follows 'Billy' as he faces the challenges of urban life and struggles for a decent future. Daniel Catanach creates, choreographs and directs Urban Ballet Theater dancers along with a local cast of more than 40 young dancers who will present a medley of urban and classical dance numbers. New Orleans' Soul Rebels Brass Band and Bamboula 2000 will perform live to accompany the dance pieces. Tickets $10 adults, $8 students and seniors before July 28; $12 adults, $10 students and seniors at the door. -- LaCorte

Michael Ray & the Cosmic Krewe 10:30 p.m., Friday, July 30 Dragon's Den, 435 Esplanade Ave., 949-1750 Pulling together the earthly funk of Kool & the Gang and the mystical space jazz of Sun Ra (with whom Michael Ray has spent the better part of two decades playing), the Cosmic Krewe can blow your mind and make you aware of your place in the cosmos in the same way Ken Kesey's Acid Tests in the 1960s gave a whole generation perspective. This should be special not only because artist John Worthington will add his digital light show to the proceedings, but also because it is the first time Ray has played in New Orleans since moving to Philadelphia in May. With the Cassini satellite daily beaming back pictures of Saturn (Sun Ra's current home after he left this planet, and a place Ray has visited many times), the Cosmic Krewe will groove on their interpretations of the ringed planet, and like the chemical composition of the sixth planet from the sun, it should be a total gas! Cover $7. -- David Kunian

BoDeans 9 p.m. Monday, Aug. 2 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE Funny how the BoDeans can spend almost the exact same amount of time as Lyle Lovett without making an album and then come out with a release (Resolution) that is just about as representative of their previous work as his. So why does Resolution sound so much better? Maybe it's because these roots-rockers (my pet name: the Indigo Boys) are so unabashedly sunny in their harmonies that it borders on the defiant. They never apologize for themselves, two decades into a career that featured gems such as 'Idaho,' 'Fadeaway' and 'She's a Runaway.' Resolution (Zoe/Rounder) is equally effervescent, kicking off with 'If It Makes You' (as in 'happy'), which has been burning up the AAA-format radio stations. 'These are the dreams that we dream, these are the big and special things,' Sam Llanas and Kurt Neumann harmonize. 'These are the days, come rain or shine -- you and me and I feel fine.' For those of us who define a live BoDeans experience solely by singing along to Joe Dirt Car, tonight should be a treat. Tickets $15. -- Simmons

Christian Vey: New Works Through July Hanson Gallery, 229 Royal St., 524-8211 What do painting and judo have in common? Can it be that the visual coordination and dynamic movements of the judo master might help facilitate the gentle art of painting as well? Actually, what judo and painting have most definitely in common is Christian Vey. A former member of the French National Judo Team, Vey has been a judo teacher by day since 1981, and a painter by night since 1986, "drawing forth color from the darkness." He finds similar feelings of energy and accomplishment, even a sense of rhythm and dance, in both. His paintings, mostly of musicians, employ colors in place of sounds to reflect his lifelong love of jazz, expressing the wail of the saxophone and the beat of the drum in energetic swatches of paint. Perhaps not surprisingly, his first exhibition was held at a jazz festival. -- D. Eric Bookhardt