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Located at 2828 Canal Street in the heart of Mid City, Chickie Wah-Wah is located in the building that before Katrina used to house a dive bar called the Canal St. Bus Stop. Back then, it was a funky down home joint that featured local brass bands usually once or twice a week. 
The New Orleans flavor of the House of Blues chain of Music Venues is, like the others, full of "outsider" art and religious iconography, and has a world class stage and sound system. The venue is spacious for the performers, however, if you are going to try to catch a concert there, be sure to get there early, becuse there are a very limited number of spaces to check out the show with a clear view of the stage. Of course, the musical acts that perform at the House of Blues are some of the best in the world, and sometimes that is worth having to jockey for position to see. 
Back in the 70's, this venue used to be known as the Toulouse Theater which hosted plays and musicals. James Booker used to play solo piano during the intermissions here.The building itself is very interesting, with an ante-room that has its own bar. You then walk upstairs into the main room, which is very sizeable and comfortable. The bar in there is in the shape of a big oval in the middle of the room, and that makes it very easy to hang out and watch the band from there. The bar used to be in the Matador, when it was located across from the old U.S. Mint on Esplanade.
The stage is large and it still has the old theater feel. The New Orleans based burlesque troupe, Fleur de Tease, calls the club home. The local bands that play here are usually the more experimental and down and dirty rock and roll groups. Morning 40 Federation, Happy Talk Band, Rotary Downs, Quintron and Miss Pussycat are regular performers at One Eyed Jacks. The club also books national acts that are on the cusp of breaking big.
A venue that has the feel of an old Bangkok opium den, this two story music club has over the last twenty years become ground zero for the avant-garde and DJ scene in New Orleans.There are two music rooms in the building, with the downstairs room mainly featuring DJ's and hip hop acts, and the upstairs room showcasing jazz, funk, and other acts, all usually with an experimental flavor.
The feel of the club is friendly and very hip, with lots of tattoos and dreadlocks. Individual expression is valued highly here. The late night scene can be the most happening in town, so showing up at midnight or 1AM can be a great idea on the right night. Covers tend to be very low, and drink prices are also cheap.
Located on the dividing line between the French Quarter and the Faubourg Marigny, the Dragon's Den is a great spot to come in and out of all night while bar hopping on Decatur and Frenchmen Streets.
The Maple Leaf. A music club that continually has the best line-up in town, because musicians love playing here. For one thing, there is a lot of history in this club. James Booker played a regular gig here for years. 
Snug Harbor is known as the premier Jazz venue in New Orleans for good reason. The restaurant offers great gourmet hamburgers and baked potatoes, and the stage and performance space is acoustically perfect for the sound of Modern Jazz. The club features weekly appearances by local Jazz musicians. Tuesdays with Jesse McBride and the Next Generation are always swinging, and very often on Fridays, Ellis Marsalis holds court. Other regular performers include Astral Project, Jason Marsalis, Dr. Michael White, and Charmaine Neville.
Snug also offers a comfortable bar outside of the performance space so that noise is kept to a minimum. Another good feature of the club is that they have a mini-record store, offering CD's of most all of their performers.
This French Quarter club, located at 800 N. Rampart is the home of Brass Band music in New Orleans. The club also features traditional jazz and straight ahead jazz as well. Shannon Powell normally holds court on Sunday nights when he is in town, and that is always a swinging show. George French often plays on Monday nights with the great vocalist Germaine Bazzle. The food is excellent also, with Chef Charlie throwing down some great BBQ and Red Beans on a regular basis. the vibe is laid back and cool, with low prices on drinks also. It is a great neighborhood joint and if you would like to hear real New Orleans Jazz as it is played today, Donna's is the place to go.
This huge music venue in the CBD has a nice sound system and a large bar. The room has great acoustics and musicians feel very comfortable on the sizeable stage. The Rebirth Brass Band Has been regularly appearing there, and the venue attracts many nationally touring acts. During Jazz Fest this year, the club hosted Ozomatli, Toubab Krew,Derek Trucks, The Headhunters, The Funky Meters and many other great shows. This club is extremely laid back and comfortable for the listener. Every spot in the room has good view of the stage. Cover usually ranges from $10 to $15 depending on the act.
This Frenchman street music venue is really one of the best in town. A converted playhouse, the walls, ceiling, and floor are all wood, which makes for an excellent acoustic environment for live music. There is usually no cover charge during the week and on the weekends a very low one ($5 -10). Also, the bands booked are consistently very high quality. Artists like Robert Walter, Stanton Moore, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, and Johnny Vidacovich make regular appearances. All of these things, along with one of the best drink selections in the free world, make d.b.a. a great choice when looking for music downtown.