In our current issue, we have an excerpt from Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New Orleans by Ben Sandmel. On Tuesday, May 1, the Historic New Orleans Collection, the New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation, the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation, the Palm Court Jazz Café and NOLA Relief will present a tribute to K-Doe at the Palm Court Jazz Cafe. The show will start at 7:30 p.m. and feature performances by the Blue Eyed Soul Revue, with Marcia Ball, Ernie Vincent, Tommy Singleton, and friends. Tickets will be $15 at the door. No advance tickets.

On May 11, Tipitina’s will host a Treme vs. The Wire Battle of the Bands benefiting the Roots of Music and Tipitina’s Foundation. The show will be hosted by Wendell Pierce representing Treme and Michael K. Williams – “Omar” – representing The Wire, and it will feature New Orleans bands Galactic and the Stooges Brass Band facing off against Baltimore funk band Lafayette Gilchrist and the New Volcanoes and Washington, D.C. go-go band Anwan Glover and the Backyard Band. Tickets are $20 (general admission) and $100 (VIP).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5nmTNQg83c[/youtube]

Treme-ologists may note that everybody performing on the bill has been a part of a David Simon-produced show except the Stooges (Galactic, in season two of Treme; Gilchrist on the soundtrack album for The Wire; Glover was Slim Charles on The Wire), so it’s likely that the Stooges will be a part of Treme‘s season three in some capacity.