Today, Wu-Tang Clan swarm the Howlin' Wolf, Neil Hamburger makes awkward jokes at La Nuit Comedy Theater and R. Luke Dubois lectures about his Marigny Parade at Tulane. On this day in Louisiana history, bayou bluesman Slim Harpo was born in Lobdell (1924) and Tuba Fats died (2004). In 1965, black football players boycotted the AFL All-Star Game that was held here. Now, check out the things that will make today memorable:

Today, Metal Artist Thomas Mann speaks and demos at Octavia Books, Pawel Wojtasik delivers a Prospect 2 Lecture at Tulane and the New Orleans Middle Eastern Film Fest enters its final stretch. But before this history in the making, Alabama became the 22nd state (1819), NASCAR was founded in Daytona Beach, FL (1947), The Clash released London Calling (1979), AOL merged with Time Warner (2000), Nostradamus (1503) and Shirley Jackson were born (1919), George Washington died (1799), and it’s International Monkey Day. Now back to the Monkey Business:

by Brad Rhines

The question isn’t whether Andrew WK will party in New Orleans this weekend, the question is how hard.  The rock star, who’s debut album included tracks like “It’s time to Party,” “Party Hard,” and “Party til You Puke,” will take a break from dispensing party tips on Twitter and join the artists and musicians of the New Orleans Airlift for the final performances at “The Music Box: A Shantytown Sound Laboratory” on Saturday night.

For her Prospect.2 exhibition, Gina Phillips took classic New Orleans reference points, like sweat and cemeteries, and turned them into vehicles for her personal memories.

New Orleans native Dawn DeDeaux is staging an intervention to fight the dark ages of our times, and The Goddess Fortuna and Her Dunces, In an Effort to Make Sense of It All - a multimedia project inspired by John Kennedy Toole's novel A Confederacy of Dunces is the mandate to spread joyous enlightenment throughout the swamp and great continental wilderness beyond.

Before weighing in on redevelopment and shopping artists' wares at the Night Market, voyeurs and the general public alike will get a chance to throw back the curtain on the creative process Saturday. From noon to 6 p.m., the second annual NOLA Open Studios will throw back the curtain on the creative process at about 20 spaces across the Greater Marigny-Bywater-9th Ward area. Saturday is also the annual Draw-a-Thon which has changed locations this year from The Green Project to the Old Ironworks building on Piety St.

Tulane's Newcomb Gallery hosts a pair of Prospect 2 exhibitions that deals in society's juxtapositions. In the process, the work points out the contrast between the exhibit and its on-campus environment.

NoDef Art Writer Kathy Rodriguez reviews Prospect 2-affiliated shows at Trouser House, Antenna Gallery and Good Children Gallery.

Even in New Orleans, many residents tend to stick the places they know, rarely leaving the comfortable confines of the neighborhoods where they live and work. Or at least that’s our excuse for getting lost on the way to Delgado Community College for the opening of Pawel Wojtasik’s video installation Below Sea Level.

Planning, art and community participation converge across the Industrial Canal.