Go Wild

Like a curio shop brimming with shrunken heads, strange potions, forlorn puppets, fading stars, and dusty keepsakes of long-gone eras, the Slow Poisoners' new album, Great Spiders and Diamond Powder, is crowded with oddball treasures just waiting to be sifted through and pored over. In the David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust tradition, the Slow Poisoners smash the past into the future, creating an otherworld populated by marvelous freaks, dusted with space glitter, and accessible mostly through fever delirium or opiate haze.

The Poisoners' record release party, where viewers may expect to find the band shrouded by a phantom string section, a giant bubble-blowing head, and questionable refreshments, is just one of many reasons to celebrate Nadine's Wild Weekend, a three-day showcase of 75 local bands that kicks off with an in-store at Amoeba Records. The opening night bash at the Fillmore features Spearhead's Michael Franti in the all-star Conga Club, and a record release party for Stroke 9 (9 p.m. Thursday at 1805 Geary; $12.50), followed by an after-party at "Popscene," where DJs play Britpop and mod music (330 Ritch; $5-8). From then on, it's a three-day weekend featuring everything from the honky-tonk of Wilson Gil & the Willful Sinners (9 p.m. Friday at Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St.; $8) to electronic music spun by KALX-Berkeley DJs (10 p.m. Saturday at the DNA Lounge, 375 11th St.; $12).

The Slow Poisoners play with Fingers and Plush; the show begins at 9 p.m. Friday at the Hotel Utah, 500 Fourth St. (at Bryant), S.F. Admission is $8 ($30 for a full weekend pass); call 478-2277. Look for a full schedule of Wild Weekend shows in this week's Music Listings. (