Why you should brave the Big Freezy this week

Written by ADAM KARLIN

I saw the Phunny Phorty Phellows from the relative warmth and comfort of the excellent Avenue Pub last night. I even went outside to get a throw. I’m pretty sure that’s the last time I intend to go outside anywhere this week, but if you are so inclined, there are some fun things happening between now and Friday.

1 Watch Gil Scott Heron blow DC's mind

At 7pm tonight (Jan 7), the Musically Speaking series, hosted by DJ Soul Sista, shows Black Wax, a documentary that follows the life of funk/blues/poet/auteur Gil Scott Heron. The screening is free, and goes off at NOLA Comedy Theater
(formerly the La Nuit Theatre) ay 5039 Freret. Image courtesy of Gil Scott Heron

2 Watch the Pelicans play

The Pelicans have a busy week. They’re in Miami tonight to take on the Heat, and are hosting the Washington Wizards at 7pm tomorrow (Jan 8). They’ll also be playing the Dallas Mavericks in New Orleans on Friday (Jan 10) at 7pm. Image courtesy of the Pelicans.

3 The Oblivion Atlas at

On Wednesday (Jan 8), local author Michael Allen Zell reads from and speaks on The Oblivion Atlas. It’s a short story collection, yes, but also a multimedia presentation, with design and illustrations by local artist team Louviere+Vanessa. At Octavia Books at 6pm. Image courtesy of Michael Allen Zell.

4 NOLA's own variety show

If you’re a fan of talk shows, late night TV and local theater, see all three elements come together on Jan 8 at The Goodnight Show with John Calhoun, the city’s own variety show and live onstage party. The Goodnight Show is a monthly event that showcases the city’s local lights; Wednesday’s guests include Dwight Henry, John Richie, Kevin Griffin, Alexey Marti and Ariel Elia. At 7pm at Café Istanbul in the Healing Center (2372 St Claude). Images courtesy of The Goodnight Show.

5 Buckwheat Zydeco at Rock 'n'Bowl

If you like zydeco – hell, if you don’t like zydeco but just like good music – go see Buckwheat Zydeco at the Rock ‘n Bowl on Thursday (Jan 9). I can safely say, without hyperbole, that the man is one of Louisiana’s living legends, a genuine talent and a performer who puts on a hell of a good show. The show gets going at 8:30pm.

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The Arts Council of New Orleans is a private, non-profit organization designated as the City’s official arts agency. The Arts Council serves as one of eight regional distributing agencies for state arts funds and administers available municipal arts grants and the Percent For Art program for the City of New Orleans. The Arts Council works in partnership with the City of New Orleans, community groups, local, state, and national governmental agencies, and other nonprofit arts organizations to meet the arts and cultural needs of the New Orleans community through a diversity of initiatives and services.

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Preservation Resource Center (PRC) has been preserving, restoring, and revitalizing New Orleans’ historic architecture and neighborhoods since 1974. Throughout its history, PRC has acted as an advocacy agent on a local, regional, and national scale, spreading the word about the city’s rich architectural heritage and the economic importance of preserving this heritage. PRC also takes a hands-on approach to preservation, with a history of successfully restoring over 1,400 properties. The center strengthens and revitalizes New Orleans in a way that is forward-looking and sustainable, yet sensitive to the city’s past and its heritage.

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The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC) is a museum, research center, and publisher dedicated to preserving the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South. Its holdings comprise more than one million items from more than three centuries, documenting moments both major and minor. Its four exhibition spacesâ€“the Williams Gallery, the Louisiana History Galleries, the Boyd Cruise Gallery, and the Laura Simon Nelson Galleries for Louisiana Artâ€“faithfully depict the multicultural stories of the region, from permanent displays exploring the evolution of Louisiana to rotating exhibitions showcasing history and fine art.

The Southern Food and Beverage Museum is a nonprofit living history organization dedicated to the discovery, understanding and celebration of the food, drink and the related culture of the South. While based in New Orleans, the Museum examines and celebrates all the cultures that have come together through the centuries to create the Southâ€™s unique culinary heritage. The Museum is also home to the collections of the Museum of the American Cocktail, the Galerie dâ€™Absinthe, and a demonstration kitchen.

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The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities’ mission is to provide all Louisianans with access to and an appreciation of their own rich, shared and diverse historical, literary and cultural heritage through grant-supported outreach programs, family literacy and adult reading initiatives, teacher professional development institutes, publications, film and radio documentaries, museum exhibitions, cultural tourism, public lectures, library projects, and other public humanities programming.

Why you should brave the Big Freezy this week | NewOrleans.Me

Why you should brave the Big Freezy this week