Raleigh
Colossus, Thunderlip
Slim’sRaleigh’s Colossus shows its love of British metal (and Willow!) with gaggles of guitar harmonies, while Wilmington pals and Lucid labelmates Thunderlip pays similar respects to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, just with a dirtier, cock rock countenance. Pay $3 at 10 p.m. Spencer Griffith

Durham
Bats and Bears
Museum of Life and ScienceEver seen a Malayan flying fox up close? Indigenous to Malaysia, this bat is about as wide, wingspan-wise, as Batman is talla whopping six feet (that’s the Val Kilmer Batman, by the way). And today you can see one as part of the N.C. Museum of Life Science’s program “Bats: The True Story.” Mies, a veritable star of the bat world, co-founded the Organization for Bat Conservation and has performed on an odd combination of TV shows, including Martha Stewart Living. Switching alliterative gears, Sunday, May 11, is the beginning of Bear Awareness Week, which focuses on the four black bears in residence at the museum. At 10:30 a.m. there is a presentation on caring for black bears, a conversation that will continue with scheduled keeper talks occurring throughout the week. The week culminates Saturday, May 17, with a day of activities that includes making plush bear dolls and bear food, as well as a presentation on black bear reproduction. Visit www.lifeandscience.org or call 220-5429 for more info. Megan Stein

Durham
Jim Wise
Regulator BookshopGet ready to relive Sherman’s March from a unique perspective when The News & Observer‘s Jim Wise reads from his new book, On Sherman’s Trail: The Civil War’s North Carolina Climax at 3 p.m. Wise’s book provides a thoroughly researched look at Sherman’s North Carolina campaign and its effects. Wise, who has served on the advisory board of the N.C. Civil War Tourism Council, boasts an intimate knowledge of the periodand is sure to provide a lively discussion. Zack Smith

Raleigh
George Clinton
Lincoln TheatreGeorge Clinton took funk on a jet pack ride into a psychedelic cartoon-land from James Brown’s soul-bump bedrock and Sly Stone’s shaggy rock fusion. But what has he been up to lately?

In the four-plus decades since he formed his doo-wop group, The Parliaments, and wrote songs for Motown, Clinton has helmed the shifting memberships of funk’s dual holy housesParliament and Funkadelicand permutations thereof. He’s a revered legend and has morphed into an iconic image, like a character from his own self-made world in Funkadelicland. He’s a sunglass-wearing hell-raiser with multicolored locks. That Clinton brand of weird appears as strong as ever: He lands frequent guest-appearances on hip-hop records and in videos, while his cult-like hardcore fans are allowed to record his performances, celebrating in the same free-exchange world as The Grateful Dead.

In 2005, he founded The C Kunspyruhzy label and now tours with the band actually called Parliament-Funkadelic again. It’s a mix of old members (like pioneering keyboardist Bernie Worrell) and new faces. Clinton’s own visage is all-knowing, his eyes askance and a Cheshire grin belying his enjoyment in being the godfather of freaky funk. In a benefit for SAFEChild N.C., Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic perform on the street outside the Lincoln Theatre. The show starts at 7 p.m. and costs $22.50-$27. Hobex opens. Chris Toenes

Raleigh
Garden Tour
Raleigh Little TheatreGive your mom flowers for Mother’s Day … or at least let her see someone else’s. Raleigh Little Theatre sponsors its annual Garden Tour today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 11, from 1 to 5 p.m. The tour features eight of Raleigh’s finest private gardens, starting with the Rose Garden on Pogue Street. Tickets, which are $15 in advance, are available either online at www.raleighlittletheatre.org or by calling 821-3111. Zack Smith