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HISTORY REMADE: Multimedia performance artist DJ Spooky
revamps D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation using two
turntables and live video.

WITH THE RELEASE of The Birth of a Nation in 1915, D.W. Griffith made U.S. history in several senses. Not only technically and aesthetically innovative, and then by far the most successful film ever made (a blockbuster in the age of nickelodeons), The Birth of a Nation also claimed to be history, reenacting the Civil War and its Southern aftermath in virulently racist terms. As a "moving" image of a nation finally "united" in brotherhood (at the expense of African Americans) by the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, it had America – millions of viewers in a rapidly expanding industrial disorder – indelibly imagining itself in the quintessential medium and art form of the new age. But if Griffith made history, it's fair to say other Americans, beginning with the NAACP in 1915, have been unmaking it ever since. Now Paul D. Miller (a.k.a. DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid) returns to the source, via two turntables and a live video mix, as he brings 'Rebirth of a Nation,' his lauded cinemasonic revamp of Griffith's classic to Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. This moody, mesmerizing work (excerpts are available on his Web site, www.djspooky.com) comes as a radical expression of the contested terrain of history, the selected field of perception, and the fact that a moving picture keeps on moving. DJ Spooky gives a preperformance lecture called "Rhythm Science" on digital art and media from a DJ's perspective. Lecture Thurs/24, 6:30 p.m.; performance Fri/25-Sat/26, 8 p.m., Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, 700 Howard, S.F. $24-$45 (Thurs/24 $6, or free with a ticket to Fri. or Sat. performance). (415) 978-ARTS. (Robert Avila)

Rock 'n' roll soul You could say that Boston imports the Turpentine Brothers play the kind of bash-and-howl rock that ex-Resineator Anthony Bedard fucking invented. Or you could be lazy and say they're another garage rock band (but a good one). But a more accurate description would mention that most of the time they sound like an unidentified band off of some Nuggets compilation of one-hit wonders, only with a little muscle and deeper feelings, incorporating as much soul as rock 'n' roll. They're all about guitar, drums (the drummer is like the Neil Peart of garage rock drumming), and wobbly keyboards underneath, with decidedly Oblivians-ish vocals. In fact, if you've ever freaked out in your room listening to the Oblivians' "Strong Come On" 10 times in a row, you're gonna wanna check these guys out. Local trash rock faves the Husbands open; Man Man and the godlike Demolition Doll Rods also play. 10 p.m., Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, S.F. $7. (415) 923-0923. (Mike McGuirk)

Modern age Whether T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land" put you to sleep or drove you to learn Sanskrit, modernist poetry devotees Rainer Maria will manage to inspire you regardless. Named after German lyric poet Rainer Maria Rilke, the Dairyland indie rock trio was born when former members of the band Ezra Pound, Kyle Fischer and William Kuehn, recruited singer-bassist Caithlin De Marrais. Now full-fledged Brooklynites, these rocking English majors deliver beautifully pensive melodies that delight your ears as well as your cerebral cortex. With their blend of occasionally jarring harmonies, vibrating, resounding guitar, and lyrics that could eventually make their way into a Norton anthology, Rainer Maria might just be the literate, angst-ridden teenage spawn of Rilo Kiley and Built to Spill. But all resemblances aside, this trio's got talent to boot. Henry Miller Sextet and Minipop also perform. 8:30 p.m., Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market, S.F. $12. (415) 861-5016. (Elisa Jacobs)

My SoCalled Purim Listen up, klezmer junkies: DJ SoCalled cranks up the sounds of tradition at 'DJ SoCalled's Hip-Hop Purim Dance Party.' The acclaimed mix master behind albums The SoCalled Seder (JDub Records) and HipHopKhasene (Piranha) is joined by klezmer artists Stu Brotman on bass, Jason Rosenblatt on harmonica and keyboards, and Susan Watts on trumpet. The Canadian DJ and producer samples old 78 records, lacing his upbeat dance tunes with a nostalgic old-world twang. To get historical, Purim, or the "Jewish Mardi Gras," is a raucous celebration commemorating the rescue of Jewish people in Persia as told in the Book of Esther. The Hub at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center presents SoCalled's version of the crizazy holiday bash. 8 p.m., 12 Galaxies, 2565 Mission, S.F. $12-$15. (415) 292-1233. (Laurie Koh)

A real steal With members of San Francisco street punk stalwarts the Swingin' Utters and college radio heroes Camper Van Beethoven among their rank and file, the Filthy Thieving Bastards take the influences of their independent upbringing and combine them with the sounds of the legendary Pogues and other folk-fueled rockers. They create an intoxicating blend of musical styles, playing stripped-down working-class ballads about love and life, such as "Between the Lines" and "After Thoughts," and songs featuring accordion, violin, piano, pedal steel, and mandolin like "Death Is Not the End" and "Wasting Away." Joining the Bastards for this show is Spider Stacy, a founding member of the Pogues, whose high-proof distillation of traditional Irish music combined with the piss-and-vinegar attitude of punk has been the stuff of myth since the band's inception more than 20 years ago. Word is that the show features a set of both FTB originals and classic material by the boys from the County Hell themselves. Grab yourself a pint and prepare to party like the Irish Rover. Groovie Ghoulies and the Rock and Roll Adventure Kids also play. 10 p.m., Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market, S.F. $10. (415) 861-5016. (Sean McCourt)

A closer look Author Ward Churchill committed the unforgivable crime of treating Americans to a bitter but oh so necessary dose of reality when, shortly after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he penned an essay, later developed into a book titled On the Justice of Roosting Chickens: Reflections on the Consequences of U.S. Imperial Arrogance and Criminality. Churchill directed his ire at Americans' hypocrisy in expressing such righteous outrage about the attacks while nonchalantly dismissing – indeed, being complicit in – the deaths of one out of four Iraqi children under the age of 12 as a result of the 1991 U.S. bombing campaigns, to name just one of an extensive list of examples. Americans shouldn't dish out what they can't take, was the gist of his message. And god forbid anyone should publicly make that point and get away with it. Churchill recently became the political punching bag du jour for Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, Colorado governor Bill Owens, and a whole host of patriotic lapdogs. Churchill, one of a handful of tenured Native American professors, was compelled to give up his post as chair of the University of Colorado at Boulder's Ethnic Studies Department, where he taught for more than 20 years. But that hasn't appeased his foes. Come hear Churchill speak for himself, and show that you support free speech and academic freedom, even – no, especially – in the face of such bold totalitarianism. 7 p.m., Women's Building, 3543 18th St., S.F. $10. (510) 208-1700, www.akpress.org. (Camille T. Taiara)

Use your illusion As it turns out, black light does have applications beyond illuminating dorm-room posters and transforming even yellowish sets of choppers into blue-tinged teeth of wonder. As manipulated by the National Black Light Theatre of Prague in its new show, Fantasy Travellers, it allows actors to engage in some pretty amazing behavior, including flying, shrinking to pocket-size proportions, and vanishing in the blink of an eye. Far more kid-friendly than, say, a midnight showing of Laser Floyd, this imaginative performance draws creative inspiration from the classic, ever-so-trippy worlds of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Gulliver's Travels. 3 p.m., Marin Veterans' Memorial Auditorium, Avenue of the Flags at Civic Center, San Rafael. $18-$32. (415) 499-6800, www.ticketmaster.com. (Cheryl Eddy)

Crazy like an ox Some people think of Oxes primarily as a rock band wrapped in a publicity stunt, but you can't really expect anything but pranksterism from members of a group of people who call themselves the Baltimore Rowdy Collective. Performing atop big black boxes and putting out an album (Oxxxes, Monitor, 2002) with a cover that'd appeal to those with bestial tendencies got them some attention. But the three-piece really pulled the rug from under everyone when they released a split 10-inch with Arab on Radar that turned out to be Oxes pretending to be AOR. But for those who forgot, Oxes do play music too, and it's as disruptive and disorderly as their sense of humor – that is, if you find it funny to be doubled over by elaborate, big-balled instru-metal. Appropriate showmates Big Business, a hard rock duo featuring Jared Warren (Karp and the Whip) on bass and vocals and Coady Willis (Murder City Devils) on drums, play with Oxes tonight. These Arms Are Snakes headline, and More Dogs open. 7 p.m., Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. $10. (415) 621-4455. (Sarah Han)

Tigers and bears While wildcats are usually depicted as ferocious, vicious creatures that occasionally attack unsuspecting hikers and naive zoogoers, Pedro the Lion may just change your attitude toward the king of the jungle, as this cat would probably write you a bittersweet love song rather than eat you for dinner. Fronted by singer-songwriter David Bazan, they sit nicely beside the Doves and Death Cab for Cutie on the would-be peeling park bench of melancholy rock. On their latest release, Achilles Heel (Jade Tree), Bazan's bleak, deadpan vocals resonate with their usual desolate beauty as humming electric guitar riffs and gently thumping drum beats keep the rock sound afloat. Although Pedro's sound is more emo than aggro, the group's soft roar still knows how to a pack a punch. Low co-headline, and Tomorrow and Everyday After open. Also Wed/30 with Kid Dakota. 8:30 p.m., Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell, S.F. $16. (415) 885-0750. (Jacobs)

Shit hits the fans Hopefully there were no confused fans of San Francisco's gypsy-pirate punks Shitstorm at the Pound-S.F.'s February battle-of-the-bands show, where an up-and-coming "hard-ass metal" band from French Lick, Ind., with the same name was billed to play. The former, a favorite with S.F. underground dirty-folk rockers, is more likely to be hijacking a sand-docked boat in Dolores Park's playground and rocking out with a washboard and a fiddle than shredding guitars with the likes of Shrapnel Krawl. The best time to see them is when they're playing among friends, so bring out a handful of your own and catch them opening for their pals the Eastern Euro-flavored Full Moon Partisans with punk-with-a-twang rockers Trainwreck Riders and the East Bay's gothy Strip Mall Seizures. 9 p.m., Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. $7. (415) 621-4455. (Han)

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