Hungry for live music… Look no further. Here’s OffBeat’s look at New Orleans’ top shows for tonight, Thursday, December 13, 2012:

Who: Chris Smither
Where: Chickie Wah Wah (map)
When: 8:00 p.m.
Why: A master storyteller, Smither returns to the city where he spent his formative years on the heels of his latest release Hundred Dollar Valentine, the venerable folk singer’s first to feature all original material.
Watch:

 
Who:BASSIK featuring DJ Shadow and Salva
Where: Republic (map)
When: 9:00 p.m.
Why: Underground kingpin and electronic music pioneer DJ Shadow shapes his songs solely from samples and never drops the same beat twice.
Watch:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkE6DION27w[/youtube]

 
Who: Soul Rebels
Where: Le Bon Temps Roule (map)
When: 11:00 p.m.
Why: Simply put, the Soul Rebels own Thursday nights in New Orleans. Their longstanding, uptown weekly at Le Bon Temps is one of the scene’s strongest pillars.
Watch: