My Spilt Milk picks the week's highlights, including a birthday for Bootsy Collins, jamming with Mike Clark, going underground with Ryan Hemsworth, plus Michael Franti and Spearhead, Surfer Blood, and three nights of Widespread Panic.

My Spilt Milk picks the week's highlights, including a birthday for Bootsy Collins, jamming with Mike Clark, going underground with Ryan Hemsworth, plus Michael Franti and Spearhead, Surfer Blood, and three nights of Widespread Panic.

Friday: Bootsy Collins' Birthday Bash with Bootsy Collins and the Funk Unity Band, DJ Soul Sister, 10 p.m., House of Blues: Since making rounds with James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins has earned his title as the funkiest of the funky. Friday night, the bass player celebrates his 62nd birthday at the House of Blues (tickets); Also on Friday: Space Capone, Brassft Punk, 10 p.m., Tipitina's (tickets); Dirty Bourbon River Show, The Magnetic Ear, 9 p.m., Gasa Gasa (tickets); Wolfgang Gartner, Tommy Trash, 10 p.m., Joy Theater (tickets); Cobalt Cranes, Grooms, 10 p.m., Circle Bar; MC Trachiotomy's CD-release and Halloween Bash, Itchy-O Marching Band, Scary Toesies Puppet Theater, Autotomii, Rotten Milk, and more, 10 p.m., Siberia (tickets); Jason Aldean, Jake Owen, Thomas Rhett, Dee Jay Silver, 7:30 p.m., New Orleans Arena (tickets); R. Scully's Rough 7, Grandfather Child, 10 p.m., Allways Lounge 

Saturday: Gem Sessions with Mike Clark, 10 p.m., Little Gem Saloon: Jazz and funk drummer, Mike Clark, spent most of his career backing Herbie Hancock, but his beats have been sampled by Prince, NWA, and De La Soul. Saturday, he takes his turn showing off during the Gem Sessions (tickets); Also on Saturday: Honey Island Swamp Band, Billy Iuso and Friends feat. Nigel Hall and Eddie Christmas, 10 p.m., Tipitina's (tickets); Sarah Potenza and Ian Crossman, Kevin Gordon, 9 p.m., Chickie Wah Wah; Ponderosa, Hunter Kuhlmann solo set, 10 p.m., The Howlin' Wolf's Den (tickets); Lovely Bad Things, Yelaphants, 10 p.m., Circle Bar

Sunday: Underground feat. Ryan Hemsworth, Cyril Hahn and Suicideyear, 9 p.m., Hi-Ho Lounge: Electronic DJ's/Producers, Ryan Hemsworth and Cyril Hahn fuse hip-hop verses with moody melodies at Hi-Ho Lounge (tickets); Also on Sunday: Capleton and The Prophesy Band, DJ T-Roy, 9 p.m., The Howlin' Wolf (tickets) 

Monday: Michael Franti and Spearhead, Serena Ryder, 8:30 p.m., House of Blues: Blending hip-hop, funk, reggae, jazz, folk and rock, the genre-defying Spearhead crew celebrate their eighth studio album, All People (tickets); Also on Monday: Tess Brunet, Schooner, 10 p.m., Circle Bar

Tuesday: My Spilt Milk presents Surfer Blood, Team Spirit, Andy Buoy, 10 p.m., One Eyed Jacks: The alternative band draws on its South Florida roots, combining surf and indie rock. Tuesday night, they play a mixed set, including songs from their latest album, Pythons (tickets); Also on Tuesday: Crocodiles, Royal Bangs, Brass Bed, 7 p.m., U.S. Mint (tickets); The Waterboys, 8 p.m., Civic Theatre (a href="http://www.civicnola.com/event/325677-waterboys-new-orleans/" target="_blank"); Brass-a-Holics, Partners N Crime with the Big Easy Bounce Band, DJ Diagnosis, 10 p.m., The Republic (tickets); Daniel Johnston, Mason Briggs, 8 p.m., House of Blues' Parish (tickets)

Wednesday: Widespread Panic pre-party feat. Sunny Ortiz, Ike Stubblefield, Beth McKee, Tommy Malone, The Isaac Bramlett Band, and more, 9 p.m., House of Blues: The Southern rock, jam band returns to New Orleans for a three-night stand starting on Halloween, and the House of Blues has booked a show with fans who are ready to start early in mind (tickets); Also on Wednesday: Viberian Experience, 8 p.m., Gasa Gasa (tickets) 

Thursday: Quintron  and Miss Pussycat, zZz, 10 p.m., One Eyed Jacks: Using self-made electronic instruments, synthesizers and an organ, Quintron and Miss Pussycat have made swamp-tech dance music in New Orleans for more than a decade. Thursday night, they'll perform an eclectic Halloween show (tickets); Also on Thursday: Blues Traveler Post-Panic Halloween Jam, The Steepwater Band, 10:30 p.m., Tipitina's (tickets); TBC Brass Band, 8 p.m., Gasa Gasa (tickets); The Voodoo Ball feat. Nahko, Medicine for the People, 9 p.m., House of Blues (tickets); Thunderbitch feat. Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, Clear Plastic Masks, Fly Golden Eagles, Las Rosas, 10 p.m., Hi-Ho Lounge (tickets); Gravity A's Halloween Bash, Mike Dillon Band, 10 p.m., Blue Nile; Morning 40 Federation, King James and The Special Men, 10 p.m., d.b.a.

Other Stuff:

Widespread Panic returns to New Orleans, one of their favorite places for their annual Halloween show, to play three nights at the UNO Lakefront Arena, starting Thursday at 8 p.m. (tickets).

The night before the grunge headliners perform at The Voodoo Music Experience, Zeitgeist will show Pearl Jam's Twenty documentary which chronicles the band's career spanning over two decades. For more information, click here.