Durham
Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos
Papa Mojo’sA Cajun woman once told Mel Melton, “This gumbo is the best I’ve ever tasted, other than my own.” Melton, who’s food earned him the Best Dish in North Carolina’s competition for casual dining in 2008, called it the best compliment he’s ever received. “The Zydeco Chef” serves classic Cajun fare like étouffée, cochon de lait po boys and yardbird, and he plays a good washboard and harmonica, too. Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos’ foot-tapping blues even earned them the opening slot with B.B. King at the debut of the Durham Performing Arts Center.
All of Melton’s skills will be on display tonight at Papa Mojo’s as he celebrates the second anniversary of his restaurant and the start of Mardi Gras. Expect the Abita to flow. Grab a seat for dinner, stay for the show and sport your dancing shoes. Cover is $10 for the 9 p.m. gig. See www.papamojosroadhouse.com. Joe Schwartz
Chapel Hill
Carolina Brewery’s 15th Anniversary
Local 506Tonight’s specials$2.50 pints and $5 32-oz. draftscelebrate the 15th anniversary of Carolina Brewery. So does the music: The brewery’s brewmaster, Jon Connolly, anchors the night with his new band, The Mugs. Fronted by Connolly and featuring a few members of The Imperial Pints, The Mugs play what Connolly swears is “fun, upbeat, original Southern rock ‘n’ roll with some British-style, guitar-driven swagger thrown in.” They’ll headline, while Josh Kimbrough’s Butterflies, now performing as a three-piece, open with introspective indie rock wrought with down-home instrumentation. New local outfit Graveyard Fields transitions from the ground and into space with their strangely ’80s mix of rock and R&B. Why ferment at home when you can mix with friends, right? Tickets are $7; show starts at 9 p.m. Visit www.local506.com. Ashley Melzer
