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Ub Iwerks: the hand behind the mouse. Urban Guide The Hand Behind The Mouse, The Birds Ub Iwerks was the greatest innovator in American animation. In addition to creating the character of Mickey Mouse for Walt Disney, Iwerks pioneered the use of synchronized sound, color, multiplane cameras, and dozens of new photographic processes. Iwerks showed cartoon characters interacting with live actors in Song of the South, and he employed Xerox technology to turn a dozen dalmations into One Hundred and One Dalmations. Ub Iwerks's rich and varied career is lovingly revisited in The Hand Behind the Mouse, a documentary by Iwerks's granddaughter Leslie. This documentary is double-billed with Alfred Hitchcock's surreal horror masterpiece The Birds, which features Ub Iwerks's Oscar nominated special effects work. Wed/14-Fri/16; Sun/18-Tues/20. Fine Arts Cinema, 2451 Shattuck, Berk. $5-$7. 848.1143; www.fineartscinema.com. (CB) Musicians for Medical Marijuana When Americans abuse tobacco leaves and the pungent distillations of grains and berries daily, all the fuss over one green and benevolent herb is slightly displaced and more than a little ridiculous, considering it is the only one of the three that has proven medicinal benefits. When the late Bill Barth, musician and medical cannabis patient, came here from the Nether-lands (an enlightened country where access to safe herbal remedies is both sanctioned and affordable), he disbelieved the low supplies and high prices of the healing herb, and the legal and medical hindrances impeding its use. He and other activists started an advocacy group, Musicians for Medical Marijuana, which hosts benefit concerts to support public education efforts, research, and financial assistance for patients and their caregivers facing legal challenges. This Friday, Dark Star Orchestra will recreate a Grateful Dead concert (down to exact set lists) and Jerry Garcia's ex-wife and long-time friend, Mountain Girl, will attend for authenticity's sake. Meet doctors and lawyers on hand for consultation under the glow of Liquid Light's psychedelic light show. The show promises to be a mini-420 festival, complete with a tie-dye ambiance, a raffle, crafts, and vendors. Fri/16, 7:30pm. Historic Sweet's Ballroom, 1988 Broadway, Oakl. $20. 869.5391; www.m4mmj.org; www.ticketweb.com; www.gdsfoo.com. (EP) de Dionyso and Burns answer with the right hand. Arrington de Dionyso With one foot in the avant blahrg and the other in roots rock revivalism, Arrington de Dionyso comes swinging down from the forested steppes of the Pacific Northwest with a satchel of woodwinds in one hand and a jar full of piss and vinegar in the other. As P.W. Long once sang (a vocalist with whom de Dionyso shares a certain growl, though the latter's is burlapped and deepened with years of study of Tuvan throatsinging), you can wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which one fills up first. In Long's case, the answer was, the wrong hand! But with de Dionyso, dreams of the sacred and profane are joined in caterwauling expositions of bass clarinet that jitterbug across expectations of genre and songcraft, joined on this tour by the stringplay of violinist Michael Griffin and the liquid piano of Gust Burns. de Dionyso's latest release, the two-volume epic Creation Music, pairs recordings of this trio with a quartet he joined last time he was in town, featuring locals Eli Crews, John Shiurba, and Garth Powell, who will likely show up at some point during de Dionyso's week in the East Bay, along with a bevy of avant-rock all-stars to open. de Dionyso turns voice, guitar, and bass clarinet into a seamless instrument of singular heft and power, and the shapeshifting rapport between him and legends of the underground Griffin and Burns make this week's shows a must. Deerhoof, The Curtains, Garth Powell open Friday. Fri/16, 8pm. Tuva, 3192 Adeline Street, Berk. Tue/20, 8:30pm. 1502 8th Street, Oakl. (AS) Bethany Anne Ayers, Alexander Cheves Imagine a painting or sculpture that depicts normalcy in all its vibrancy. You're attracted to it. It reminds you of what you had, or what you never had. You approach the art. You get right underneath it, right behind it, when suddenly your eyes begin to focus as if it's the first time you've seen the work. The normalcy falls away. The images stop you in your tracks. The art has you. Flat planes surface. Flatter characters hold their positions. Materials reveal their identity. You're left then, with the task of remembering your own flaking pieces of normalcy in the face of works by painter Bethany Anne Ayers and sculptor Alex-ander Cheves. This exhibit at Ardency Gallery is a chance for you to look at yourself by looking at images that you hang around, but seemingly have nothing to do with you. Take some time and take another look. Meet the artists at a reception Saturday, or visit the gallery before the exhibit closes Dec. 15. Sat/17, 5-8pm. Ardency Gallery, 709 Broadway, Oakl. 836.0831. (AL) Local soul legend in her own time, Ledisi. Ledisi If you want to hear a deep soul singer, swing by Yoshi's next Wednesday. Oakland's own Ledisi will be recording Glad to be Alive, Part 1. If you don't already know, Ledisi and her band Anibade provide a stellar show that'll keep you gigging. The band has a exhausting schedule that demonstrates their love and dedication to their music. Anibade, which also happens to be Ledisi's middle name, means "my mother is great" in Yoruba. Ledisi's independently produced album, Soulsinger, has gained a lot of exposure and respect. Aside from hitting the club circuit, the album's single "Take Time" was also given airplay on major stations like KMEL. Later this month her much anticipated sophomore album Feeling Orange But Sometimes Blue will be released. Her singing is uplifting with a voice that comes deep from within, as well she can break it on down with a little scatting. This lady's got it going on and for those that cannot feel her you better get out of her kitchen! Wed/21, 8pm and 10pm. Yoshi's, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakl. $12. 238.9200; www.ledisi.com. (GS) Picks by Chris Baker (CB), Aimee Le Duc (AL),Erica Pedersen (EP), Alexi Somon (AS) and Gabriel Serpa (GS). [ East Bay | Metroactive | Archives ]