We’ve got your weekend: The nighttime is not the only right time

826 has its grand opening. Come out and support youth writing. (Photo from: 826 Facebook)

Thursday, August 23/The Country Club (634 Louisa Street): There’s little better than a stiff drink on a Thursday afternoon, and New Orleans has more than its fair share of places that will indulge you in that desire. In fact, Tasche de la Rocha will be performing at The Country Club’s installment of “Meet The Locals.” This is where they have local breweries and neighborhood personalities at the Country Club come together for your entertainment and taste buds. They focus on all local beer, Shindig Vodka, Parade Rums, Crescent Vodka, and Roulaison Rum, and…they will be $5 each! The event will immediately follow happy hour that features $3.00 well drinks and a small plates menu. It all begins at 7:00 PM, and you can find out full details here. 

Thursday, August 23/Louisiana Architecture Foundation (521 America Street): The Louisiana Architecture Foundation is presenting their Third Annual Architecture & Design Film Festival: New Orleans. Opening Night is Thursday, August 23rd at the Contemporary Art Center with Friday August 24 through Sunday, August 26 at the Broad Theater. Their film festival brings in a film line-up of curated films from around the world, many never screened before in Louisiana, that focus around architecture. Whether you are a design professional or just design curious, they curate for all. Besides film screenings, they will be hosting post-film panel discussions, book talks and parties, which you can learn about on their event page here. 

Friday, August 24/Mexican Cultural Institute of New Orleans (901 Convention Center): The Mexican Cultural Institute and the Consulate of Mexico in New Orleans are having a “Reading of Poems Inspired by the Visual Arts.” In conjunction with the current exhibition “Reflection and the Diasporic Epic” by artist Piki Mendizabal, they will be having a reading of poetry by Cuban-American Poet and Art critic Ricardo Pau-Llosa. The night begins at 5:30 PM, it is free and open to the public, and you can find out more details here. 

Saturday, August 25/Queenies on St. Claude (3200 St. Claude): Saturday will be a monumental day…well, night. Why? It is the first annual “St. Claude Summer Crawl.” Summer crawl? You ask. We’ll tell you more. Join Queenie’s and Company will have a day of food, music, community, and an 8:00 PM dance party presented by the ladies at Fifi Mahoney’s with DJ Tony Skratcherel. There is a slew of local businesses participating, including: Polly’s Bywater Cafe, Indepence Street, Garage Pizza, Bud Rips, The Seacave Arcade, The Naughty Hippie and the New Orleans Art Center. Queenie’s will be hosting music by WYA Brass Band, Garbage Boy, DJ Rowdy Pants, DJ Lingerie, DJ SincJack, and there will be tacos by Paul and  popsicles/treats for the kids. I don’t think we can pack much more into a paragraph, but you can find out more about this event, which begins at 12:00 PM, here. 

Saturday, August 25/Dragon’s Den (435 Esplanade Avenue): If you are ready to burn off some body steam on Saturday night, then head to the Dragon’s Den where there will be (what I’m hoping is) an epic dance party. This will be a two-story dance party, which the DD is known to do. Downstairs will be Primetime featuring DJ Legatron Prime and upstairs will have The Kick Back. There is no cover for this dance party, it begins at 10:00 PM, and these are weekly dance parties that you can learn more about here. 

Sunday, August 26/826 New Orleans (1720 St. Bernard Avenue): 826 is here, and they are ready to celebrate! They will be having their grand opening of their Youth Writing Center on Sunday. Throughout the day their new center will be open for workshops, writing activities, art-making, and shopping in their Haunting Supply Company. This is also the time when you can sign-up for their free writing programs. They’ll be featuring guests Paper Monuments, New Orleans Video Access Center, and Whole Village Art Therapy, Inc., workshops led by acclaimed authors Daniel José Older and Megan Braden-Perry, food from their neighbors at Vaucresson Sausage Company, and a reading featuring young authors. It all begins at 12:00 PM and goes until 5:00 PM. You can find out full details here.  

Monday, August 27/One Eyed Jacks (615 Toulouse Street): On Monday nights (most Monday nights, at least) Blind Texas Marlin takes over the front bar at One Eyed Jacks. Guitar, upright bass, melodica, spoons, lap steel guitar (we think), and the marimba all round out this band; although sometimes there’s an oboe or some extras that join in. In other words, just go without knowing what to expect because their music is super kick ass, lyrically interesting, and OEJ front bar has a solid environment to spend some dark hours in on a Monday night. Their set begins at 10:00 PM, and the show is free. 

Tuesday, August 28/THNOC (410 Chartres Street): With the Katrina anniversary on the close horizon as well as the daily rain showers that remind us of our fishbowl status, water is on the mind. The Historic New Orleans Collection is tapping into that mindset with their presentation of: “Waterlogged: Artists’ Views of Their Flooded City,” a program of “Art of the City: Postmodern to Post- Katrina.” This night will examine artistic responses to recent flooding through the use of three short films followed by an audience-driven dialogue. This program is free, open to the public, and it begins at 6:00 PM (doors open at 5:30).