Tonight: Daniel Clowes Goes Psychedelic @ the Free Library

And other cool things coming up in comedy, books, movies, and flowers.

From Patience by Daniel Clowes

From Patience by Daniel Clowes

Daniel Clowes @ the Free Library | Thursday, March 3
The graphic novelist behind Eightball and Ghost World returns with his new book, Patience, a “psychedelic science-fiction love story.” No he won’t be reading from the book — “in this panel, this dude says something weird and this woman just, like, looks at him” — he’ll discuss it in a conversation with Sam Briger tonight.

Video and Before: Five Japanese Pioneers @ International House | Thursday, March 3
Exploring the work of five artists who used video before anyone else in Japan. This is tonight.

False Histories @ Tattooed Mom | Friday, March 4
This fundraiser for Mighty Writers features dubious history lessons and a “fake history quiz.” The lineup includes Philly comedians and storytellers Rachel Fogletto, Gregg Gethard, R. Eric Thomas, Alejandro Morales, Vickie Fernandez, Nicole Yates and lots more. Hosted by T.J. Hurley.

White Supremacy Not Welcome Here: Counterprotest to 3% Militia @ Sixth and Arch | Saturday, March 5
The Three Percenters, a group of “paramilitary patriots” who for some reason keep having to clarify that they’re not a pack of gun-fellating bigots, is apparently gathering at the federal building at Sixth and Arch. This is the counter protest organized by Philly Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ). Be loud. Be safe.

Cynthia Connolly @ Cindergarden | Saturday, March 5
Loud! Fast! Philly! presents this reading and slideshow by the publisher/photographer/co-author of Banned in DC: Photos and Anecdotes of the DC Punk Underground, ’79-’85, now back in print and updated. Released by Dischord Records, the book is famous for its photos, stories and flyers documenting the heyday of Minor Threat, Red C, Bad Brains and more.

Laser Life @ Lava Space | Friday, March 4
Alex Smith of West Philly’s daring Metropolarity art/literary/activist collective presents this queer sci-fi reading featuring visuals by Chaska Sofia (aka DJ Precolumbian).

The Sensible Nonsense Project: Cautionary Tales @ The Free Library | Tuesday, March 8
Seven speakers/storytellers — including actor Keith Conallen, my ol’ City Paper colleague Emily Guendelsberger, Comcast’s Gwendolyn Lewis, the Free Library’s Siobhan Reardon — gather in the Rare Books Department for a program tied into the Or Else: Cautionary Tales For Children exhibition. Free, but RSVP.

Romanian Spectralism: Parts 1 & 2 @ Hi5 Studio | Monday and Tuesday, March 7 and 8
Bowerbird presents the two avant garde concerts featuring “spectral” composers Iancu Dumitrescu and Ana-Maria Avram. Wikipedia will now clear up all your questions: “Spectral music (or spectralism) is a compositional technique developed in the 1970s, using computer analysis of the quality of timbre in acoustic music or artificial timbres derived from synthesis.”

Plus:

Have a concert, play, puppet show, exhibition, comedy night, turtle race I should know about? Send the info to ticket ~at~ phillymag ~dot~ com. Be nice. Don’t be spammy.