For many, the idea of New Orleans conjures up images of Mardi Gras, walking down the street drinking Hurricanes as tall as a small child, beads and demanding a woman to “show your…” well, you get the idea.

However, the Crescent City is a town filled with far more history and culture than one might find down the famous and debauched Bourbon Street. Just a few steps away from the neon lights and liquored-up nights lies an entirely different nighttime activity.

Preservation Hall, a landmark of the French Quarter, will bring Athenians an opportunity to experience a little bit of New Orleans jazz with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band show at the Melting Point Friday night.

“We take all these traditions, all these musical and cultural traditions, and put it in a blender and see what we come out with, and it’s just beautiful, entrancing music,” said Ben Jaffe, director of the Hall and tuba player in the band. “It is uniquely and distinctly New Orleans.”

The show is part of a two-night “New Orleans music weekend,” and is timed perfectly for Mardi Gras celebrations, some of which already have begun in New Orleans.

Since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, many of the parades, which are an integral part of the New Orleans Mardi Gras tradition, have not been able to run their typical routes because of remaining damage.

Cowboy Mouth, a New Orleans rock band playing Saturday night, will be opening and closing the Endymion parade, one of the bigger parades of the holiday, which is only now able to run on its original route.

“We love being part of the whole revitalization of the city,” said Fred LeBlanc, the band’s lead singer and drummer.

Indeed, both bands said the impact of Hurricane Katrina on their hometowns continues to affect their daily lives.

“It isn’t over for us,” Jaffe said. “Five of our musicians lost their homes and all of their worldly possessions and have had to rebuild their lives from nothing, and when you’re in your 60s and 70s, that’s something you can never prepare for.”

LeBlanc made it back to the city only a week after the storm.

“It was pretty frightening. You can’t imagine the streets of Atlanta or Athens completely empty,” he said. “It was something I never thought I’d ever see.”

However, both Jaffe and LaBlanc are confident the city is in the process of rebounding, though it is taking time.

“It’s amazing to me to watch our musicians and our music and our culture still find a way to continue and persevere,” Jaffe said.

Indeed, the love each has for their home is evident in speaking to them. While their music may be different, they both are dedicated to persevering in the face of tragedy and bringing a taste of New Orleans to audiences.

“New Orleans has given me everything I have been blessed with – music, good food, and a great way of life – and that’s something I want to be able to share with others and have them experience,” Jaffe said.

“We’re here today, so let’s celebrate now,” LeBlanc said.

Both shows will offer a dinner before the show featuring Cajun food on the menu.