Found Footage Festival
Thursday, April 3; 7 p.m.
One Eyed Jacks, 615 Toulouse St.
OneEyedJacks.net; $15
Now in its tenth year, the hilarious VHS montage show featuring clips from how-to, exercise, public access, self-help, and anything-else-you-can-imagine videos from bygone eras is visiting New Orleans to debut its seventh volume of zany, weird, and sometimes disgusting clips. I have personally seen a woman get way too excited about rainbow sponge painting, people massaging their pets including cats, ferrets, and possums, exercising celebrities, and even hunks doing what they do best…looking good in tight pants and swarthy mustaches. The creators and hosts of the Found Footage Festival, Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher, continue to scour the country in search of the oddest videos for your enjoyment as well as entertaining themselves with their mischievous antics during interviews. Recently, Nick Prueher passed himself off as a chef, writing the cookbook Leftovers Right: Making a winner out of last night's dinner, and made unconventional (gross) Thanksgiving leftover meals on daytime news programs. Prueher and Pickett were also the masterminds of a similar trick in which their friend played an inept yo-yo master who was terrible at his craft. There’s no telling what this show will hold, however, you will most definitely be entertained by this strange blast from the VHS past peppered with Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett’s uproarious commentary and skits. And get ready to hear the best keyboard-laden soundtracks that have ever been made. –Emily Hingle
Wrestlemania XXX
Thursday – Sunday, April 3 – 6
Various Locations
WWE.com
Professional wrestling’s biggest annual event comes to New Orleans for the first time and brings with it a flurry of activities. Wrestlmania itself will be in the Superdome Sunday night with several slated matches, including the main event for the World Heavyweight Championship. On Monday night, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) shifts to the Smoothie King Arena for Monday Night RAW, its weekly program. WWE is also hosting WWE Fan AXXESS Thursday through Saturday at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, allowing fans to mingle with WWE Superstars and Divas, get autographs and participate in wrestling fandom. Several independent wrestling companies will have events, too. Mid-South Legends Fanfest will be at the Sigur Center in Chalmette on Friday. Wrestlecon will have fan sessions Saturday and Sunday morning and matches at the Sugar Mill on Saturday evening. World Wrestling Network Live will use Tulane University’s McAllister Auditorium for events on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, featuring wrestling companies like EVOLVE and Dragon Gate USA. On Thursday night legendary ring announcer Jim Ross will visit the House of Blues. For less serious wrestling enthusiasts, professional wrestler Colt Cabana will present “Bad Wrestling Movies” at the New Movement Theater Thursday and Friday night for $10. –Sam Nelson
Integrating the Shadow Gallery Opening
Saturday, April 5; 8 p.m.
Inner Recess Recording Studio, 1068 Magazine St.
InnerRecess.com; Free
Brent Houzenga, a painter and experimental artist who makes New Orleans his home, is one of the many reasons why the art scene here is so strong. On April 5, his new show “Integrating the Shadow” opens at the Inner Recess Recording Studio on Magazine Street. Come have a cocktail and listen to music offered up by DJ Tommy LeBlanc, while you admire Houzenga’s newest collection of masterpieces, a decade in the making. Check out the unique and interesting art that he was able to produce using paint, stencils, tape, and other random objects he collected over the past ten years…many times using only his left hand to do so, no less (a notable feat since he’s a right-handed guy). Houzenga’s art is colorful and impressionistic, making constant use of shapes, patterns, and paint splotches that would show up even Jackson Pollock. Another of his well-utilized techniques is painting in strips, which give the pieces a woven or patchwork appearance. The artist has already built up an impressive list of credentials, including having his art displayed in gallery exhibits all over the world and featured in books and magazines. There is a documentary about him, and he has even been commissioned to paint for the likes of Matthew McConaughey. Yet all this early recognition for such a young artist still hasn’t gone to his head. He loves making his art, and is all about art for art’s sake. Says Houzenga, “I keep blowing my own mind. Don’t get me wrong – the outside world and the effect it has on other people push me plenty. But man, the simple act of doing it, of experimenting, of coming to a conclusion from chaos. THAT is where it’s all at…The ACT, the RITUAL… that’s where it’s at. ”Come and see for yourself. Drinks, music and fabulous artwork provided. –Kathy Bradshaw
Mobb Deep
Tuesday, April 8; 9:30 p.m.
The Parish at House of Blues, 229 Decatur St.
Houseofblues.com; $20
Do you remember the feeling you felt when you listened to hip-hop back in the 90s? Artists were storytellers, painting a picture through their lyrics so vividly that you thought it happened to you and no matter how hard core the delivery the music made you think? You played it over and over again until you became a zoned-out bobble head. Mobb Deep’s music gives you that essence of Hip Hop feeling laced with raw East Coast character. Havoc and Prodigy of Mobb Deep are legends in the hip hop game selling over three million records of countless classics including tracks like “Quiet Storm” and “Say Something.” They have decided to bless us once more with their latest LP, The Infamous Mobb Deep, equipped with a mix of new tracks and 10 unreleased songs with feature verses from greats Nas, Raekwon, and Ghostface. Havoc and Prodigy share an unbreakable family bond, despite their brief feud in 2012, and are currently touring worldwide. The Infamous Tour reaches New Orleans April 8th live at the House of Blues, just in time to celebrate their album release. If you are a true hip-hop fan, there is no need to tell you to come witness a historic performance. Instead, I’ll see you there. –Telle Ink
Kings of Leon
Friday, April 11; 8 p.m.
Smoothie King Center, 1501 Dave Dixon Dr.
Kingsofleon.com; $27.50
After a three-year hiatus, Kings of Leon is back on an international tour promoting their 6th album release for Mechanical Bull. Comprised of the Nashville native Followill brothers, Caleb (guitar), Nathan(drums) and Jared (guitar), alongside cousin Matthew Followill (guitar), the Kings of Leon have experienced platinum album sales and continues to top charts across the world. Mechanical Bull is one of their best releases thus far, a great listen all the way through offering fans a more natural sound. Their wide range of musical selections compliment any mood, whether you’re ready to rock out or cuddle next to your honey. Songs like “Temple” offer a unique interpretation of liking someone, beautifully sung over an upbeat '90s style string melody. With worldwide success, we can only imagine what’s next from the Kings of Leon family. The Mechanical Bull Tour makes it’s last United States stop in New Orleans at the Smoothie King Center before heading overseas to finish the tour. This show is sure to be an amazing jam session of hit records from beginning to end! –Telle Ink
G-Eazy + Tory Lanez
Saturday, April, 12; 9 p.m.
One Eyed Jacks, 615 Toulouse St.
OneEyedJacks.net; $15
G-Eazy is cool. For starters, he’s a Loyola Alum who has opened for the likes of Drake and Lil Wayne. As if that weren’t enough, now G-Eazy has hit the road as a headliner and is selling out decent sized venues across the country. His most recent conception is the These Things Happen Tour which started late February in Dallas. With a musical style similar to Hoodie Allen and swag unparalleled to any other rapper touring, G-Eazy’s rise to “Almost Famous” (one of his latest singles) has been a trip. If you haven’t seen him perform live, check out his Twitter (@G_Eazy) for a good indication of how G and his homies get hyphy – every show is “one for the books.” Gracing last year’s Voodoo Fest with his presence, he proved to hold it down even festival style (which is a big deal for a rapper). Lately though, it seems he is trying to move away from the more poppy sounds he got his big break with, and into a more sensual, hyper-sexual sound, kind of like The Weeknd. Regardless, his charming boyishness still shines through. This performance at One Eyed Jacks is the last stop on the These Things Happen Tour so it’s pretty much bound to be hella off the heezy. Look out for some of his best including “Been On,” “Must Be Nice,” and “Acting Up,” plus new material like “Tumblr Girls,” (ft. Christoph Andersson) and “Last Night” (ft. KYLE and Devon). –Lauren Adam
Kid Ink
Sunday, April, 13; 7:30 p.m.
House of Blues; 225 Decatur St.
HouseofBlues.com; $20
Kid Ink (Tha Alumni) set off on his My Own Lane tour at the beginning of the month. Among the stops, Kid will be hittin’ the House of Blues stage for their “Ones to Watch” series from here to Boston. The Los Angeles rapper worked alongside names like 2 Chainz, Nipsy Hu$$le, and Tyga in his 2011 mixtape Wheels Up before releasing his first studio album Up & Away in 2012 and then My Own Lane in 2013. His breakout song, “Show Me” features R&B’s bad boy, Chris Brown with Trey Songz and Juicy J getting in on a piece of the remix. The cut was produced by DJ Mustard who also took the undeniably amazing beat to Ty Dolla $ign for the equally as hot track “Paranoid” with Trey Songz. In his latest single, “Iz U Down,” Kid Ink links back up with Tyga for another catchy-ass hook dripping with West Coast swag and more classic rhymes about money, power and hittin’ switches. I’m down. Iz U? –Lauren Adam
