Sat. March 31

All Asia is shutting down in July, which is a shame. But, knowing this, you have time for a long farewell. One night of interest might be Saturday March 31. For one thing, Barry Marshall - one of the best guys in the Boston rock biz - and his band will be playing Middle Eastern-style music while you enjoy Hot Voodoo - Belly Dancers in Paradise. That means gyrations from Samarra, (in photo) Baseema, Amani, Nefertiti, Qalayla, Zelaniqe and other women with made-up names, but great style will entertain. Samarra promises "music and dance inspired by the swaying palm trees, angry volcanoes and blazing sun of exotic lands ..." That may not be your average March night in these parts, and that makes it all the more reason to go. It runs from 7:45-9:45 p.m. and there's a $7 cover.

334 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-497-1544 allasiabar.com

Sat. March 31

 Is there any event anywhere that goes on without someone capturing it on videotape or digital camera/cell phone? Is mytube.com where we all aspire to be with our "art?" Do we have time to sift through all the chaff to get to the wheat? Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett do. The former writers from The Onion have been collecting "found" videotapes since 1991 after  Prueher stumbled across a McDonald's training video entitled "Inside and Outside Custodial Duties" starring David Spade. No, we're just kidding on that last part. But he did find it in a break room trash can while he was working in a Wisconsin McDonald's in a Wisconsin break room. "I couldnt' believe how dumb it was," says Prueher. "I immediately told Joe, and we had people over and made fun of it in my parents living room. Then, we started looking in thrift stores and garbage cans, and our collection began to grow. Now, we probably have 500 tapes, most VHS tapes from the golden age of home video."
The guys are bringing an hour's worth of their tapes to the Coolidge Corner Theatre Saturday March 31 at midnight, for their third "Found Footage Festival." Criteria? "For us," says Preuher, "the main thing is it has to be unintentionally funny and it has to legitimately sound. We generally don't do internet videos. Youtube is great, but for us, our show is more about telling the backstory of these videos and savoring it. We do our best to do some detective work into them and give you a guided tour."
One of this year's highlights, says Preuher is footage from a cable access show that aired in New York City in the late '70s and early '80s. "It's called 'Stairway to Stardom. It was a talent show, and has all the varyng talent levels you get on these. It's crudely produced with a lot of charm. These people wanted to be famous." So, when Preuher and his partner track these people down, what do they say? Are they embarrassed beyond words? "Everybody we've met has been a really good sport about it," says Prueher. "There's so many people celebrating this footage. In this one, there's this little girl tap dancer (in photo) dancing to a terrible disco song, She was 8 at the time. We tracked her down and she came on stage, re-enacted her dance." Also on tap: exercise videos from Mark Wahlberg and O.J. Simpson. "It's definitely not for kids," says Prueher, "but there's nothing prurient like Paris Hilton or Tommy Lee and Pam Anderson. There is some brief full frontal male nudity. We say 'We don't make 'em, we just find 'em.'"
This work led them to a humurous documentary they just made and are screening soon at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin. "It's called 'Dirty Country,' and it's based on another find, a cassette tape we found 12 years ago called "Songs for Studs." They're well-written, catchy country songs with the dopiest lyrics you can imagine, We tracked down the guy who made it, Larry Pierce. It turns out there's this whole underground genre, this dirty circuit. It dates back to the dirty blues of '20s." Admission to the midnight show of "Found Footage" is $9.50.

290 Harvard St., Brookline, 6217-734-2500 coolidge.org

 March 31

We just spent some backstage time with the Pogues Shane MacGowan and was again reminded of the thought that wewas the Brendan Behan of our time. Actually, Shane has weened himself of at least some bad habits. And, we're all aware, whether we want to say so or not, that some of those bad habits fuel some incredible songwriting. Which leads us to "Brendan Behan: Confessions of an Irish Rebel." Shay Duffin wrote and performs this one man play. He's now in a final stretch - the man's done nearly 7000 performances! - that takes place  Friday March 29 through March 31 at Jimmy Tingle's Off Broadway. When Behan died at 41 in 1964, the London Daily News eulogized him thus: "Too young to die, but too drunk to live." Behan, who spend a quarter of his life in jail, wrote "The Borstal Boy," "The Quare Fellow, "The Big House and "The Hostage." Two Tony awards in that bunch. Duffin's play includes writings and songs of Behan's. And he knew Behan; there paths crossed in Dublin when Duffin was a young man and Behan reaching the end of the line. (Duffin wears Behan's shoes on stage, given to him by Behan's widow Beatrice after she saw him do the show in 1984.) She said, "You do him proud." Duffin says he could have called the play "The Three Phases of Behan," as he designed it to deal with Behan the talker, the pub entertainter and the rebel. Other Duffin bits: He was in the Oscar-winning "The Departed," he sang the National Anthem at Fenway Park on national TV , never having sung it before. And Duffin did this play in Boston for 14 straight months in the '80s at the Charles Playhouse. The play wraps up this run tonight, Saturday at 7:30. Tickets: $$35-$25. (The Burren, also on Elm St. in Davis Square is offering dinner/theater packages. Call 617-776-6896 for details.)

255 Elm St., Somerville, 617-591-1616 jtoffbroadway.com

 Sat. March 31

Irma Thomas' career has spanned four decades, but her time may be more now than ever. In the spring of last year she released "After the Rain," a CD recorded both before and after Katrina, and it speaks to present day life in New Orleans as well as anyone could want. It won Thomas her first Grammy for "Best Contemporary Blues Album." "I want to say thank you God, and thank you New Orleans," she said, accepting the award. "49 years you believed in me and it finally paid off." Well, we wouldn't measure her worth (or anyone's) in Grammys. Let's hope she doesn't really either. It's not about the awards; it's about the connection you make with people night after night, the way you let them into your life or transform theirs for an hour or two. That, Thomas has done for many years. The gritty soul queen is a longtime Boston favorite; she records with the Burlington-based Rounder Records and its A-level producer Scott Billington. Thomas and her band wrap up a three-night at Regattabar. Tickets: $28. Shows at 7:30 and 10.

Charles Hotel, One Bennett St., 617-661-5000 regattabarjazz.com

Sat. March 31

It's almost April Fool's Day and that's certainly enough reason in clubland to jump the gun a bit. (And, technically speaking, if you're open past midnight, the event does take place on April 1.) Felt's got something called "The Fool's Party" on Saturday March 31 from 9 p.m. - 2 a.m. and there are two main hooks, according to Farah Casis, marketing manager: One is a "Strange Talent Contest," where the club is encouraging all "weird, bizarre, and interesting talent" to take a shot at a $1000 prize. Excluded from this competition will be a guy doing his own freak act, contortionist Turbo Tom. Turbo Tom, who is a physicist when he's not twisting himself into a pretzel and abusing himself with nails. The music mix is Top 40. mainstream, mash-up and rock,and your host is KISS-108's Jackson Blue. No cover,

533 Washington St., 617-350-5555 feltboston.com