Andrew Duhon brings his Living Room Sessions to Chickie Wah Wah at 8 p.m., turning the room into a songwriter hang with Adam Hood, Lance Roark, and Kevin Galloway trading tunes and harmonies. Duhon’s warm baritone and narrative folk-soul writing set the tone, and this format plays to his easy, unguarded stage presence. Hood’s Alabama grit, Roark’s red dirt edge, and Galloway’s soulful drawl fold into a relaxed, collaborative set built for stories and unscripted turns.

Chickie Wah Wah is Mid-City’s classic listening room on Canal, a comfortable, table-seated space with a low stage and a sound system dialed for acoustic detail. It books Americana, country, and New Orleans songwriters who value a quiet room and a good mix. The bar keeps things simple and the staff knows the regulars, so the vibe stays neighborly even when touring names roll through. It is the spot in town for hearing lyrics land.

BYRON DANIEL and the FIVE DEAD DOGS hit Santos late Friday with a barroom blend of swamp rock, classic riffing, and country grit. Daniel fronts a tight unit built for sweat and shout-along hooks, with keys adding Gulf Coast color. JUST KIDDING and BEACH FACE round out the bill on the punky indie side, making this a straight-ahead guitar night built for Decatur Street’s concrete floors and ringing ears.

Santos Bar sits on Decatur in the Quarter, a brick-walled rock room with a low stage, hard edges, and a PA that likes volume. It is the spot where punk, metal, garage, and road-tested indie bands lean into the red while the bartenders keep the pace high. Sightlines are tight but honest, and the balcony rail gives a solid perch when the floor turns kinetic. It is a no-frills home for loud nights.

Short Term 2! returns to Gasa Gasa Sunday at 7 p.m., stitching together corners of the local rap map on one bill. Jake Jones carries pluggnb croons, Tye Chris rides smooth melodic trap, Kash Rogers brings a left-field 504 tilt, Major Teeto shows gritty Gentilly chops, and Patrick Bolden-Smith bridges R&B and soft-rock touches. It is a snapshot of where New Orleans hip-hop is pushing, set up for quick flips and cross-pollination.

Gasa Gasa is the Freret Street sandbox for new sounds, a compact art-forward room with crisp sound and a staff that lets bills breathe. The space mixes standing-room energy with easy sightlines and a patio exhale between sets. It always tilts toward adventurous locals and touring up-and-comers, from indie and hip-hop to club nights, and it keeps late hours when the street is buzzing.

Dr. Michael White brings his Original Liberty Jazz Band to Snug Harbor for early and late sets at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., keeping the clarinet-centered New Orleans tradition right where it breathes best. White’s tone is warm and exact, his band swinging through parade cadences, blues, and Creole dances with the ease of lifetime caretakers. This is the city’s lineage played by one of its clearest culture-bearers.

Snug Harbor is Frenchmen Street’s gold-standard jazz room, with an intimate music space separate from the restaurant and a house mix tailored for acoustic ensembles. Two-seat rows and small tables put listeners close to the band, and the staff keeps the room quiet for solos to bloom. It is where locals and visitors catch serious players without the bar chatter that rules the block.

Grayson Brockamp’s Wildlife Trio slips into Snug Harbor for a 4:30 p.m. happy hour set, led by the bassist’s melodic touch and deep pocket. The group threads blues, gospel, swing, and Caribbean forms, stacking tight vocal harmonies over live grooves in a compact trio frame. It is exploratory without losing the earthy feel, and the free happy hour slot draws a crowd that actually listens.

At Snug Harbor the happy hour shows flip the script a bit, easing the lights up while keeping the sound focused. The music room is intimate and tuned, with quick turnover between early programs and dinner service next door. Regulars know seats go fast for no-cover sets, and the staff keeps it moving without rushing the music. It is a graceful way to start a Saturday evening on Frenchmen.

WTUL and NOPE team for FUTURE BEATS at Gasa Gasa Saturday at 9 p.m., a fundraiser that also works as a survey of the city’s left-field electronic and beat scenes. Live sets from Nonlethal Weapons, Nail Club, BluShakurX, and YSO Dabs meet DJ Tristan Dufrene’s techno pulse, with Planet Acid handling visuals. It is community radio energy translated into a club rig.

Freret’s Gasa Gasa treats nights like this as a lab. The room’s sound favors bass without smearing mids, and the walls throw back light well when the projector comes out. Capacity sits in the sweet spot where a crowd feels close but not cramped, and the staff gives space for long transitions and live hardware setups. It is a friendly place to try new frequencies.

Terence Blanchard brings a concert suite from Fire Shut Up in My Bones to the Civic for a Sunday 2:30 p.m. matinee, with his E-Collective and Turtle Island String Quartet framing voices by baritone Justin Austin and soprano Adrienne Danrich. The music moves between jazz language, chamber textures, and gospel heat, centered on Blanchard’s lyrical trumpet and cinematic sense for pacing.

The Civic Theatre downtown is a beautifully restored historic room with modern production and a modular floor that keeps sightlines clean. The sound is full without flooding the balcony, and staff runs matinees as smoothly as late shows. It books everything from indie tours to orchestral projects, which suits a hybrid program like Blanchard’s. Elegant without feeling stiff.

John Mulaney brings Mister Whatever to Mahalia Jackson Theater Friday at 7 p.m., sharpening his precise, story-driven stand-up with the cadence that turned SNL monologues into cultural touchstones. His writing is clean and barbed at once, flipping personal detours into tight, looping bits. It is a big-room comic working at full command of timing and tone.

Mahalia Jackson Theater sits inside Armstrong Park, a polished performing arts hall with comfortable seating, wide aisles, and clear sightlines. The room is built for orchestras and touring productions, which means stand-up lands with articulate, even sound across the balcony. Staff moves large crowds efficiently, and the lobby bars keep intermission lines manageable.

Legends of the Dew Drop: Road to Rock and Roll turns brunch into a history lesson that moves. The revived LaSalle Street landmark hosts a midday set celebrating the club’s role in early R&B and rock, with house players and guests digging into New Orleans grooves that predate the charts. It is a relaxed, story-soaked way to hear the city’s roots at street level.

The Dew Drop Inn Hotel & Lounge brings a storied Central City name back to life, with a retro sign outside and a warm, wood-and-neon lounge wrapped around a classic stage. The room centers R&B, soul, funk, and neighborhood energy, and brunch service keeps plates and coffee moving without stepping on the music. It feels like history that never stopped.

Moroccan guitarist Mahmoud Chouki brings his Cigar Box Project to Snug Harbor for twin evening sets, reimagining oud and guitar voices on handmade instruments. Chouki’s playing folds North African modes into Crescent City rhythm, with a small ensemble coloring the edges in strings and light percussion. It is lyrical, percussive, and quietly daring in an intimate frame.

Snug Harbor’s music room rewards detail, which makes Chouki’s timbres pop without extra volume. The club runs two evening seatings at 7:30 and 9:30, and the staff keeps the turnover calm while the restaurant next door handles dinner. The audience is tuned in, and the mix favors acoustic nuance over flash. Classic Frenchmen without the racket.