Live music during the last days of Carnival includes Rebirth, G. Love, Funky Meters, The JAG, Shovels and Rope, R. Kelly and more.

The second weekend of Carnival involves free shows, rare appearances, The JAG and R. Kelly.

Friday: Morning 40 Federation, Gnarltones, 10 p.m., One Eyed Jacks: Extreme seasons call for extreme bands, and few bands capture Carnival's exuberant wooziness like the Morning 40. (tickets) Also on Friday: Rebirth Brass Band, Jermaine Quiz, 10 p.m., The Howlin' Wolf (tickets); The xx, Austra, 8 p.m., House of Blues (tickets); Funky Meters, The New Mastersounds, 10 p.m., Tipitina's (tickets); Hurray for the Riff Raff, Coyotes, Gold and the Rush, Feral Foster, 8:30 p.m., Prytania Bar; Chuck Dukowski Sextet, Secret Society in Smaller Lies, Dummy Dumpster, Sci-Fi Zeros, Split Lips, 8 p.m., Checkpoint Charlie's; The Town Pants, 10 p.m., Le Bon Temps Roule; Papa Mali's Carnival of Souls, 8 & 10 p.m., Snug Harbor; The Hillbilly Ball with Gal Holiday and Her Honky Tonk Revue, Mike Hurtt and His Haunted Hearts, 9 p.m., Chickie Wah Wah 

Saturday: Rebirth Brass Band, Papa Grows Funk, 10 p.m., The Howlin' Wolf: All of The Howlin' Wolf's shows are free during the Carnival season including this night with the Grammy-winning Rebirth and Papa Grows Funk, which is playing its sayonara tour before putting the band on hiatus later this year. (tickets): Also on Saturday: Galactic with Corey Glover, Fishbone, 10 p.m., Tipitina's (tickets); Better Than Ezra, Big History, 10 p.m., House of Blues (tickets); AllOne, Alexa Dexa, Quickie Mart, Sex Party, 8 p.m., The Big Top

Sunday: Simple Play and My Spilt Milk Present The JAG, Coyotes, Babe, 10 p.m., Circle Bar: The Nashville-based trio convincingly revisits late '60s/early '70s hard rock psychedelia. Also on Sunday: Trombone Shorty's Bacchus Bash with Partners N Crime, Big Easy Bounce Band, Baby Boyz Brass Band, 10 p.m., Tipitina's (tickets); The Hot 8 Brass Band, 10 p.m., The Howlin' Wolf  (tickets); Ed Hall, Gary Wrong Group, Valparaiso Men's Chorus, Heavy Lids, 9 p.m., Siberia (tickets); Rory Danger and the Danger Dangers, 10 p.m., AllWays Lounge; The Revivalists, Naughty Professor, 10 p.m., One Eyed Jacks (tickets); Red Baraat, 10 p.m., Blue Nile

Monday: Shovels and Rope, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Andrew Combs, 10 p.m., House of Blues' Parish: This Americana duo is immediately engaging, partly on the strength of their songs and Cary Ann Hearst's voice, but more because of the easy, playful personal and musical relationship she has with her husband Michael Trent. (tickets) Also on Monday: Lundifest with Juvenile, Dumpstaphunk, 9:30 p.m., The Republic (tickets); G. Love and Special Sauce, Swear and Shake, 10 p.m., House of Blues (tickets); Quintron and Miss Pussycat with Stephanie "Call the Police" McDee, The K-Holes, Vice Cooler, 10 p.m., One Eyed Jacks (tickets); George Porter Jr. and the Runnin' Pardners, 10 p.m., The Howlin' Wolf (tickets)

Tuesday: Gypsyphonic Disko, New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, 4 p.m., d.b.a.: Gypsyphonic Disko exists largely as a recording project, but on occasion, Ben Ellman and Quickie Mart take it to the stage with guests for a combination of live performers and DJ music. Also on Tuesday: Lloyd, Partners N Crime, The 8-9 Boyz, 9 p.m., House of Blues (tickets) 

Thursday: R. Kelly, DJ Poppa, 10 p.m., The Republic: After playing a Valentine's Day show in Baton Rouge at the River Center Arena, R. Kelly's playing an after party at The Republic. (tickets) Also on Thursday: Scott H. Biram, Black Eyed Vermillion, Whiskey Dick, 10 p.m., Siberia (tickets) 

Other Events

In the middle of Carnival, it's natural that the movie series at Buffa's would screen Royce Osborne's 2003 documentary All on a Mardi Gras Day. The show starts at 7 p.m.

On Thursday, the 17 Poets Reading Series will include the yearly post-Mardi Gras reading by John Sinclair, readings from Lavender Ink's new anthology FUCK Poems, and an open mic starting at 8 p.m.