With the Best of the Beat upon us, it’s hard to think about anything else today, but if there are a couple of events this weekend that I don’t want to let pass without notice.

Tonight, if you’re crazy enough not to come to the Best of the Beat, there’s an interesting night of blues at the Mother-in-Law Lounge assembled to be a part of a radio documentary on New Orleans blues and R&B. Ben Sandmel will perform with a band that includes John T. Lewis, Tommy Singleton, Rico Watts, C. P. Love, and Richard “Tricky Dick” Nixon. Admission is free, and music will start around 7pm, so you can still make the last few hours of the Best of the Beat.

And Saturday night, we’ll be at the Thousand $ Langford show at Chickie Wah Wah, with Mekon/Waco Brother/Jazz Fest Bible cover artist Jon Langford playing with Thousand $ Car. Also that night, the Ying Yang Twins – the Atlanta crunk duo responsible for the Saints’ kickoff anthem “Halftime (Stand Up and Get Crunk)” will be at the Frat House – formerly Jimmy’s – with Partners N Crime.