METALLICA has become as much an institution as a rock band. It's so big, it has even had a movie made about it -- Some Kind of Monster -- that came out this summer. The movie chronicled the making of the 2003 CD, St. Anger, and found the band struggling to deal with the changes that accompany therapy and aging in a young man's game. After all, guitarist-singer James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich have been in the band since 1981, and it can't be easy to make teen rebellion music when you're the age of the people you once rebelled against. To accompany the release of the movie, Metallica released Some Kind of Monster (Elektra), a mini-album -- eight songs from the band's earlier albums recorded live in Paris, with only the title cut recorded in the studio -- and if it doesn't feel as confrontational as you'd expect metal to be, it's more because the band has influenced not only heavy metal but contemporary alternative rock. Much of the Sunday lineup at Voodoo wouldn't have sounded as it did without Ulrich's martial drumming and Hetfield's mechanically precise riffing. The almost modular song structure and blues-less chord progressions that define heavy rock today can be traced directly back to Metallica. Returning to its roots makes sense for the band, which performs Sunday at the New Orleans Arena (1500 Poydras St., 522-5555; www.neworleansarena.com). After all, not only has Metallica's age distanced the band from the traditional market for metal, but so has its wealth and its status in the music industry. Once the upstart band, it had enough indie cred to headline 1995's Lollapalooza, but Ulrich made headlines in 2001 fighting Napster and file sharing. As legitimate as his concerns were about fans getting a band's music without paying for it, he nonetheless seemed out of touch and irony impaired considering the band's lofty status. Metallica might never sound as hungry or dangerous as it once did, but as the new CD shows, it remains a tight, powerful riff machine that is still capable of reprogramming pacemakers through its sheer sonic punch. Tickets $55-$75. Showtime 7 p.m. -- Alex Rawls

Patty Friedman book signing 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9 Beaucoup Books, 5414 Magazine St., 895-2663 Local author Patty Friedman's acclaim is seemingly catching up with her talent and ambition upon the release of her fourth novel, 2002's Secondhand Smoke (Penguin), released this month in paperback. And the praise comes in response to a book that gives us Jerusha Bailey, a nasty, dysfunctional anti-heroine too many of us can love and appreciate, especially in this depraved vortex we call home. Bailey is described as perhaps 'the most obnoxious woman in all of New Orleans,' a reputation merited on her prejudices and the widely held belief that she (at long last) killed her husband. Mother dearest also prefers her pet Chihuahua Mealworm to her directionless daughter, and her son has moved to Chicago, converted to Judaism and teaches college-level organic evolution. Tragedy and strange friendships soon follow, and Friedman delivers a work praised for its biting humor and touching poignancy. -- Frank Etheridge

Thomas Trotter recital 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9 St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, 525-9585, ext. 21 In the majestic and acoustically ideal setting of St. Louis Cathedral, acclaimed British organist Thomas Trotter will perform his signature style on the Holtkamp organ. Trotter has been recognized internationally with concerts at top venues in Europe and in 2002 as the recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society's prestigious Instrumentalist Award. Trotter is currently a recording artist with Decca Records, and since 1983 has served as city organist for Birmingham, England. For this program, Trotter will play works from a varied list of composers including Johann Sebastian Bach, Robert Schumann, Lionel Rogg, Michael Nyman, Isaac Flagler and Leon Boellman. Trotter's concert is part of a fall organ concert series held at St. Louis Cathedral, with funding coming from a number of local groups and grants, including the Louisiana Division for the Arts, French Quarter Festivals Inc., the Organ Historical Society and the American Guild for Organists. Free admission. -- Etheridge

Mike Watt and the Secondmen 10 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9 The Parish at House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE; www.hob.com Mike Watt was last in New Orleans a year ago at Voodoo as the bass player for the reformed Iggy and the Stooges. To fans of underground rock, Watt is a hero; his first band, the Minutemen, was the essence of smart, varied punk rock in the early 1980s. When childhood buddy and Minutemen guitarist D. Boon died in a van accident, Watt formed fIREHOSE, which made its fair share of great music in the 1990s. His new record, The Secondman's Middle Stand (Red Int/Red Ink), deals with Watt's nearly fatal illness in 2000 with parallels to Dante's 'Divine Comedy.' Watt will be playing the whole record at the Parish, and if anyone can make such a project work, Mike Watt is the man. Tickets $10. -- David Kunian

Musa Manzini, Paul Berliner, Beauler Dyoko and Cosmas Magaya 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11 University of New Orleans Sandbar, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, 280-6039; www.uno.edu/~music/excursions.shtml These shows contrast the virtuoso bass playing of one of South Africa's newest musical sensations, Musa Manzini, with traditional African mbira musicians Cosmas Magaya and Beauler Dyoko, two of the best-known mbira players in Zimbabwe. Their mastery of the haunting cadence of the thumb piano is only part of the mbira experience, which is accompanied by chanted vocals. Dyoko, one of the few women mbira players, says she picked up the instrument at the urging of her father's spirit and learned all of her songs from her ancestors, who communicate with her through dreams. Magaya is the dean of African mbira instructors and a cultural ambassador for his country's music. The program, with UNO students participating, will also be part of the Sandbar Series at UNO University Center Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Sandbar Series cover $5, Snug Harbor $15. -- John Swenson

Norah Jones & the Handsome Band 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10 Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena, 6801 Franklin Ave., 522-5555; www.ticketmaster.com Norah Jones & the Handsome Band wind down their tour for Feels Like Home on Wednesday at the Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena. Norah Jones & the Handsome Band One of the most impressive things about Norah Jones is her ability to create so much breathing room, whether it's in her pillow-soft vocals or the sparse pop arrangements, including the lilting acoustic guitar of Adam Levy and Jones' ruminative piano phrasings. She reminds me a little of Bobbie Gentry without the edge; softer, lighter, but still able to caress her words, but with a measured vibrato that Gentry eschewed. This much is evident on her sophomore release, Feels Like Home (Blue Note): This Texan understands the twanging ache of country, the complexity of jazz, the lament of soul and simple melodies lot of pop, but more than anything, she's shrewd enough not to take her music in any one defined direction. Here she covers tunes by Tom Waits ('The Long Way Home') and Townes Van Zandt ('Be Here to Love Me') and invites Dolly Parton, Brian Blade and the Band's Garth Hudson and Levon Helm along. Tickets $28.50 to $58. -- David Lee Simmons

Davy Rothbart appearance 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10 Masonic Lodge, 619 Carondelet St., 451-4842; www.foundmagazine.com Davy Rothbart struck literary gold with his clever Found magazine, a snapshot of items he literally found and those submitted to him. Found magazine delivers a touching, amusing slice of life through its publishing of love letters, litter, and other flotsam and jetsam. The Chicago native has ridden his wave of success to regular appearances on public radio's This American Life, plus two appearances on Late Night With David Letterman. Now, Rothbart's concept comes in book form with the recently released Found: The Best Lost, Tossed and Forgotten Items From Around the World. On a national tour now, Rothbart's local appearance helps benefit The Neighborhood Story Project, an effort to help John McDonogh High School students capture their neighborhoods in prose. Admission $8 or a brand new eMac. -- Etheridge

Uncorked! A Taste of Canal Place 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12 The Shops at Canal Place, 333 Canal St., 522-9200 As the holiday shopping season begins to kick into high gear, look to double-time your gift-giving with the third-annual Uncorked! A Taste of Canal Place, which ushers in the shopping frenzy with a wine-and-dine event benefiting the Contemporary Arts Center. Favorite local restaurants such as Byblos, Lilette and Zoe are among the food vendors partnering with noted California wineries to complement tastes and textures. A station paring a restaurant with a particular wine will be located at each store on Canal Place's two levels. Each attendee is given a souvenir wine glass and free rein. Tickets are $20 in advance (available at Canal Place';s concierge desk during normal business hours), and $25 at the door. -- Etheridge

Art for Animals Auction & Gala 2004 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12 Hotel Monaco, 333 St. Charles Ave., 486-4868; www.humanela.org The pet-friendly Hotel Monaco goes beyond its policy of allowing guests to stay with their pets in its quest to help animals, as the boutique chain is a leading advocate for animal-rights and care issues. It's fitting, then, that it will host Friday's Art for Animals Auction & Gala, a fundraiser for the Humane Society of Louisiana. The fifth annual event is an evening comprised of silent and live auctions of artwork donated by top local galleries and artists, plus cuisine from noted area restaurants. Angela Hill hosts the auctions, and famed local artist James Michalopoulos will auction off a signed and numbered print of his Moon Over Miasma painting. All proceeds will benefit the Humane Society, which makes available animals in need of adoption. Tickets are $50 per person. -- Etheridge

Trans-Siberian Orchestra 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12 Saenger Theatre, 143 N. Rampart St., 524-2490; www.saengertheatre.com Think Andrew Lloyd Webber-esque Broadway musical, but with a Christmas theme and a kick-ass light and laser show instead of actors, and you have a sense of Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Christmas spectacle. The group is best known for its epic Christmas rock operas, and this year's -- The Lost Christmas Eve (Lava), the third in a trilogy -- is similarly grand in thematic and musical scope. For the past few years, TSO's seasonal performances have been so popular that creator Paul O'Neill has had to split the musicians who play on the albums into two 29-piece touring companies, each with a traditional rock band augmented by strings, horns and voices. Though the story means a number of new Christmas songs have to be written, some of the classics are spruced up a bit for the occasion. Tickets $32.25-42.25. -- Rawls

Three Rivers Art Festival 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 13-14 200 to 600 blocks of Columbia Street, downtown Covington, (985) 871-4141; www.threeriversartfestival.com Of the local, regional and national artists' tents lining four blocks of Columbia Street for this Northshore festival, 22 hail from St. Tammany Parish, 48 from other areas of Louisiana, plus others from across the United States. In addition to exhibitions and sales, the artists will also be featured on the Arts Alive! stage with live demonstrations. A music stage hosts a long list of local favorites both days, and a food court offers regional and varied fare. The Children's Discovery Area holds a performing stage with kiddy favorites such as Johnette Downing, Angela Davis and Frank Levy. A Student Art Exhibition is held in the Covington City Council Chambers, and a hands-on art area is found on the City Hall lawn. Free admission. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. -- Etheridge

Classical Mystery Tour, with the LPO 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13 Orpheum Theater, 129 University Place, 523-6530; www.lpomusic.com Beatlemania as a cultural phenomenon just won't die. Even 40 years removed from the Fab Four's concert at City Park, and the day then-Mayor Victor Schiro bestowed on them the key to the city, the watershed concert is still an oft-referenced event around town. On a more expansive scale, the members of Classical Mystery Tour have perfected their roles as the 'Faux Four' since their days on the off-Broadway smash Beatlemania in the 1970s. This Saturday, the Classical Mystery Tour rolls into town for one concert, to be performed with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Guest conductor Chelsea Tipton will lead the ensemble through Beatles selections, with picks primarily from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and subsequent albums. The event is the first 'LPOPS' (as in L-Pops) concert in the LPO series' 14th season. Tickets range from $13-$52. -- Etheridge

Roy Haynes 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13 Contemporary Arts Center, 900 Camp St., 528-3805; www.cacno.org The great jazz drummer Roy Haynes makes his return to the CAC as part of the NEA Jazz Masters On Tour series, leading his Fountain of Youth quartet. The program should be a mixture of standards similar to the band's current eponymous release on Dreyfus Records, a recording from 2002 at New York's Village Vanguard featuring pianist Martin Bejerano, saxophonist Marcus Strickland and bassist John Sullivan. Haynes is pushing 80 but still plays with the drive of a tyro. His influences are out of the swing drumming tradition of Count Basie timekeeper Jo Jones, but he evolved into one of the most accomplished drummers of the bop era, with a splashy, propulsive groove that powered some of the greatest rhythm sections in the music's history. His employers include Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Sarah Vaughan. Tickets $25 general admission, $20 for CAC members and students. -- Swenson

39th Annual Odyssey Ball 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13 New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, City Park, 488-2631; www.noma.org As readers will surmise from this week's cover story, Sister Gertrude Morgan's work is very special. And the New Orleans Museum of Art can't think of a better way to kick off its new exhibit, Tools of Her Ministry: The Art of Sister Gertrude Morgan, by including a sneak preview of the exhibit as part of its fall black-tie fundraiser, the Odyssey Ball. Guests will also get a peek at Crystal Clear: Steuben Glass From the Collection of Isidore and Marianne Cohn. Co-sponsor House of Blues presents music by Samirah Evans, Kipori Woods and Paulette White, with additional music by Louisiana Spice. Food will be provided by The Royal Sonesta Hotel. Tim Laughlin will provide entertainment at the patron party at 7:30 p.m. Tickets $175 per person or $250 per couple for the ball, $250 for patron party and ball. -- Simmons

"Royal Sinners Ball," with Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13 Mid City Lanes Rock 'n' Bowl, 4133 S. Carrollton Ave., 482-3133; www.rockandbowl.com Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys headline the Royal Sinners Ball on Saturday at Mid City Lanes. Predating, and gratefully surviving, the retro craze (lounge, swing, rockabilly, etc.) of the 1990s, Big Sandy & his Fly-Rite Boys have deftly toiled in their own brand of Western swing that harked to the days of Bob Wills but continually incorporate other roots elements such as Cajun and bluegrass for a sound of their very own. The recent inductees into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame followed up last year's Yep Rock release, It's Time! (featuring the Louisiana-friendly tune, ³Bayou Blue²), with a greatest-hits compilation in April, Big Rockin' Sandy (HighTone). This frequent New Orleans visitor fits perfectly into the dance-friendly environs of Rock 'n' Bowl. The $10 ticket includes admission to the Royal Sinners Ball downstairs featuring Rocket 350, the Screamin' Demons, and Michael Hurtt and His Haunted Hearts. -- Simmons

Raphael Saadiq, Amp Fiddler 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE; www.hob.com Like Prince, Raphael Saadiq has made identity one of his motifs. He was one of the Tonys in Tony! Toni! Tone! and his current name is similarly adopted. On his new album, Raphael Saadiq as Ray Ray (Pookie), he further reinvents himself as a '70s blaxploitation movie hero and the concept serves him well. He doesn't adhere to it slavishly, but he captures the feel of those soundtracks -- a combination of glossy realism and ambition -- with strong songs and sexy grooves. The soundtrack conceit also provides a framework for more private songs like 'I Know Shuggie Otis' and 'Rifle Love,' the latter a duet with Dawn Robinson (once in En Vogue, now a member of Lucy Pearl with Saadiq and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest). Opening is Amp Fiddler, whose Waltz of a Ghetto Fly (Pias America) fits comfortably beside R&B albums from this year by Van Hunt and Anthony Hamilton. It has a broad, P-Funk groove and a lover's vibe. Tickets $25. -- Rawls

Peter Max: Recent Work Through November Hanson Gallery, 229 Royal St., 524-8211 What can you say? Peter Max has done it all. But he remains forever associated with the trippy '60s, when his psychedelic posters and graphic designs became signs of the times no less than peace marches, love-ins and the music of the Beatles -- he even originated the design concepts for their Yellow Submarine animated movie. And although he's laid low for long periods ever since, he occasionally surfaces to produce graphics for postage stamps, Super Bowls, World Series and U.N. summits, as well as the important causes -- human rights, animal rights and the environment -- that he has championed all along. Somewhat less known is the private Peter Max who pursues his own vision in the work on view here, colorful, mystical images rendered in that iconic, pop-psyche, latter-day fauve style he has made so uniquely his own. -- D. Eric Bookhardt