Tonight, Trombone Shorty plays Wed. at the Square! Check out a fundraiser in the Marigny, Shakespeare in NOMA's Sculpture Garden, and more. On this day in 1992, five members of NWA rap group were arrested for “inciting a riot” outside of the Sheraton after they were denied entry into the hotel. Now, more hump day happenings. 

After hitting a 10-year high and a Springsteen set in 2012, JazzFest attendance was down slightly in 2013, according to organizers. The 2013 edition saw more than 425,000 pass through the gates, while 2012 saw 450,000, its highest since 2003.

Professor Longhair was looking down from above and two of the Neville Brothers - including a  snappy-dressed, Doo Wop-inclined Aaron - were across the Fair Grounds. Fortunate, then, that a lanky kid from the Treme didn't need any of their help. By the end of his closing set at JazzFest on Sunday, Trombone Shorty was even telling producer Quint Davis what to do.

The first lesson every festival-goer must learn is that at any standard large event, it is, by necessity, only sort of about the music. Behind every moment spent actually enjoying a band, there's a trek through an impossible crowd, or $5 spent on a Coors Light. Or a half-hour wait outside the porta-potties. This is especially true at Jazz Fest, where your correspondent repeatedly found himself immersed in the sheer spectacle of it all.

Close out your Jazz Fest with Trombone Shorty! All day long, enjoy a free festival with Quintron and Helen Gillet, see Los Po-Boy-Citos on Freret, and catch the last night of giant puppets! On this day in 1713, Antoine Cadillac was appointed Spanish Governor of Louisiana. Now, more to do this Sunday. 

Never known to mail it in, Trombone Shorty is set for what could be a coronation during JazzFest over the next two weeks. And that's sayin' something for a guy who appeared on the JazzFest poster and dueted with Mayor Mitch last year. The man born Troy Andrews will close out the Acura Stage on the Fest's final day instead of the Neville Brothers, and host his very own Fest next week. Proving yet again that he's everywhere, Andrews also gets a spot on a government-approved piece of Fest swag: the U.S. Postal Service's commemorative envelope.

The Super Bowl might be a national event, but there are tons of local acts to see in Woldenberg Park all day. Watch the NFL players go to church at tonight’s gospel celebration, and enjoy more theatre, music, and art all over the city. On this day in 1929, Ida B. Leboeuf became the first woman hanged for murder in the state of Louisiana. Now, more ways to kick off your weekend.

The New Orleans music scene gets a little bigger this weekend as famous musicians from across the country set their destinations to New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII.  Every corner of the city offers surprise guests, football players and hip-hop stars of all kinds. On the Riverwalk, it'll begin to look a lot like French Quarter Fest Thursday night with the Quint Davis-produced Super Bowl Blvd. bringing the best of the South Louisian circuit.

The year in New Orleans music was full of Grammys, viral videos and unfortunate losses. It all adds up to a historically insular music scene on the verge of getting the national recognition it's always deserved. We look back at 2012 and look ahead to 2013:

A dichotomy exists in New Orleans between heritage and education. More than mere extracurricular programs, music classes are crucial in maintaining our rich history. No one understands this better than Troy Andrews, more commonly referred to as Trombone Shorty, who began his musical career at the age of five.