.This Week’s Day-by-Day Picks

WED 10

Nobody knows very much about The Adventure of Iron Pussy, and you get some pretty bizarre results if you try to Google it, but here’s the story on this wacky 2003 movie comedy that plays tonight (9 p.m.) at the Pacific Film Archive as part of the SF International Asian American Film Festival: In Bangkok, the eponymous cross-dressing former go-go boy and 7-Eleven clerk-turned-secret-agent and her tuk-tuk driver sidekick infiltrate a socialite’s home to uncover a terrorist plot and drug ring — but Iron Pussy falls in love. With singing and dancing. Actor Michael Shaowanasai (Iron Pussy) and director Apichatpong Weerasethakul both studied film in the States (Shaowanasai at the SF Art Institute), and now they’re the toast of Thailand’s indie-pic scene. Ain’t showbiz wonderful? $9. NAATAnet.orgKelly Vance

THU 11

Don’t hate him because he’s beautiful. While you’re at it, don’t hate Jackie Greene because he’s under 25, signed, and talented as all get-out. Just sit back and enjoy the Sacramento singer-songwriter when he plays the Freight & Salvage tonight, because he won’t be playing rooms this size for long. The folks at the Freight say that Greene likes the venue for its piano; they like him because he takes influences like Bruce Springsteen, the Band, early Tom Waits, and, of course, Dylan, and gives them a wide-eyed, youthful spin. The Freight is at 1111 Addison St. in Berkeley. Showtime is 8 p.m., and tickets cost $16.50 in advance (via TheFreight.org or 866-468-3399), $17.50 at the door. — Stefanie Kalem

FRI 12

Screw pretending that your bandmate is your sister when she’s really your ex-wife; fugheddabout making like your entire band is descended from space warriors stranded in Antarctica; you know that the Bay Area’s own Captured! By Robots has the greatest shtick in rock. The story so far: Jay Vance made himself a pair of robot bandmates some years ago, and they stuck a chip in him and began calling the shots. But GTRBOT666 and DRMBOT 0110 are occasionally benevolent captors. When Vance, aka JBOT, wanted to play funk instead of the band’s signature heavy robot rock, the bots gave the go-ahead — C!BR now employs a horn section made of 25 truck and car air horns. The band plays with Hurting Crew at Blake’s (2367 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley), starting at 9:30 p.m. The show is 18 and up; call 510-928-0068 for cover charge and other info. — Stefanie Kalem

SAT 13

The Blackhawk Museum, in addition to running one of the most exciting automotive museums on the West Coast, from time to time features special exhibitions and meet-the-artist events, like today’s face-to-face with Ron Kimball. You might not recognize the name, but you’ve undoubtedly seen his photos of cars as well as wildlife in Time magazine and other national publications. Kimball shot owl photos for the Harry Potter franchise; he also operates Ron Kimball Stock, a photo rights business that owns a library of more than half a million images. From 10:30 a.m. to noon this morning, he appears at the museum (3700 Blackhawk Circle, Danville, 925-736-2280) to talk about his work. Visit BlackhawkMuseum.orgKelly Vance

SUN 14

March 8 marked the anniversary of the first International Women’s Day, now celebrated as International Women’s Month. Woo-hoo! A whole freakin’ month. Hold tight, ladies — we’ll be on US paper money in no time. Sheesh. In the meantime, check out a Storytelling Women Performance at Live Oak Center, featuring improvised song, masked storytelling, dance, South Indian dance, and more by Patricia Bulitt, Ruth Halpern, Bekka Fink, Shanti and Rani Ramrattan, and Nancy Schimmel. The pieces will honor influential women in the performers’ lives; tickets cost $15-$35 (no one turned away for lack of funds). The event begins at 3 p.m., and Live Oak Center is located in Live Oak Park, 1301 Shattuck Ave. (at Berryman), Berkeley. Call 510-841-6612, or 510-644-8513. — Stefanie Kalem

MON 15

A good day to go look at the bulbs. Don’t just sit around dreaming of the magnificent garden you’re going to get around to planting someday — march down to the UC Botanical Garden (200 Centennial Dr., Berkeley, 510-643-2755) and hit the Spring Bulb Bonanza. Today is the first day of the event, so be smart — get there early for the best selection of allium, Zigadenus, Leucocoryne, Dracunculus, Ixiolirion, Melasphaerula, narcissus, crocus, Babiana, Calochortus, and lots more species and varieties, including perennials and unusual houseplants. All the above plants will be available daily at low prices through April 15, but only while supplies last. So hurry. The gardens are open 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more info: BotanicalGarden.berkeley.eduKelly Vance

TUE 16

At Marriage Equality of California’s fund-raiser, Unlearning Homophobia, you can munch pizza and toss back beer with the makers of three documentaries that are all short on time but long on unflinching courage: Dee Mosbacher and Frances Reid’s Oscar-nominated 1994 film Straight from the Heart, which features a broad spectrum of ordinary people recounting their journey to understanding their gay and lesbian kids; All God’s Children (2001), Mosbacher and Reid’s study of sexual orientation as seen through the prism of traditional African-American values (featuring interviews with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, and many more); and De Colores (2001), Peter Barbosa and Garrett Lenoir’s bilingual exploration of how Latino families deal with homophobia. Each film is under thirty minutes long, so there’s plenty of time to order pitchers and pies. Have you figured out where it’s all happening yet? The Parkway Theater (1834 Park Blvd., Oakland) is the place, and 6:30 p.m. is the start time for the event. Call 510-814-2400 for admission price and other details. — Stefanie Kalem

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