Danny Goldberg and David Rees on this free country; Johnny Fox; the big day with Big Lazy; the day after with The Hangdogs, travelling Motherfuckers; Panda Bear and DJ Vadim.

Fed up with the incessant fear-mongering and war hysteria being fed to us by the mainstream media? You'd probably enjoy the collection of diverse dissenting voices contained in It's a Free Country: Personal Freedom in America After 9/11. Featuring contributions from Norman Siegel, Michael Moore, Howard Zinn and others, the book is a welcome respite from the war propaganda machine. Editor Danny Goldberg and contributing artist David Rees will expound upon the themes of terrorism and the Ashcroftian eradication of civil liberties on Thurs., Feb. 13 at Brooklyn Brewery. 79 N. 11th St. (Wythe Ave.), Williamsburg, 718-486-7422; 7, $3 don.

For the past quarter-century, the great Johnny Fox has been touring as a sword-swallower, fire-eater, juggler, magician and performer of other stunts full of wonder and mayhem. Throughout his travels, Fox has also been collecting, well, oddities. Victorian memorabilia, 18th century photographs, relics from Barnum's American Museum and the Dime Museums that once lined the Bowery. He even has Sammy Davis, Jr.'s glass eye! Now, in Cabinet of Curiosities, he's gathered the best and weirdest of his collection and put them on display at his home base, the Freakatorium Museum/El Museo Loco. Go and be amazed. Thurs., Feb. 13 through Sun., Feb. 16. 57 Clinton St. (betw. Stanton & Rivington Sts.). $5, $3 child under 12. 212-375-0475, www.freakatorium.com.

The other week we were in Times Square to see funnyman John Witherspoon (father in Friday) at Caroline's on Broadway. The show reconfirmed that he's one of our favorite entertainers, right up there with Dolemite, aka Rudy Ray Moore. Both are raunchy, lewd and keep us smiling for days. You may have seen Rudy Ray Moore in the 70s Blaxploitation comedies Dolemite and The Human Tornado, in which he plays a ladies man. He's also a standup comedian, singer and snappy dresser, and he'll prove it on Fri., Feb. 14 at the Knitting Factory as he croons soulful r&b numbers between comedic interludes. Last time, Moore gave us a battery-operated plastic rose that lights up, and we still flaunt it on a shelf at home. Here's hoping he'll cover Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me." 74 Leonard St. (betw. Church St. & B'way), 212-219-3055; 11, $18, $15 adv.

Or, if you want to impress your Valentine with your musical taste, head over to Tonic at midnight on Fri., Feb. 14, to see Big Lazy. No matter what kind of music your honey prefers, he or she will find something to like in Big Lazy's invigorating instrumental mishmash of jazz, surf-rock, desert stylings and classical tricks. (Drummer Tamir looks a little like Matt Lauer, but he plays as impressively as that prodigy in Hella.) Big Lazy stole the show last month when they opened for Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Elliott Smith. They don't pose and they don't whine. They just light up a stage like roman candles. As Stephin Merritt would say, how fucking romantic. 107 Norfolk St. (betw. Delancey & Rivington Sts.), 212-358-7501, $5.

It came and went, and you sat at home all by your lonesome. Don't be embarrassed. Tell your friends you were saving your affection and energy for Sat., Feb. 15, when New York City's funniest Valentines, the Hangdogs, take over Rodeo Bar. There won't be any candy and flowers?just plenty of glorious rootsy, citified country rock 'n' roll from heartpluckers Noam Banger, Automatic Slim, Papa Kevin and the gang. The show'll have a slew of new songs sprinkled in among your favorites and, unlike anything whatsoever associated with Valentine's Day, it's free. 375 3rd. Ave. (27th St.), 212-683-6500; 10 p.m.

Finally, it's Sunday night and almost everyone you know on Oz is dead. Fuck it. After watching hard-bodied men stab each other with stiff objects, why not head to New York's best traveling party, Motherfucker? Basically, you can see the same stuff, except sometimes with girls. On Sun., Feb. 16, it's at Downtime. Besides simulated shanking, you can also see lots of make-up, nice people acting all bad-ass and some really nice tattoos. In the Grand Ballroom you can see and hear Michael T. and Justine D. spin, while down in the dungeon, there's DJs Spencer Product and David Pianka. We wonder if John Lurie is still next door, now that White and Alverez are in Gen-Pop. Don't forget?no touching in the visiting room. 251 W. 30th St. (betw. 7th & 8th Aves.), 212-695-2747. $10 invite, $15 without.

The last time we saw Panda Bear, he was doing a ridiculous Tiny Tim impersonation at Northsix. The gurgling was so quiet and pointless that we didn't even realize there was somebody on the stage performing. Of course, a handful of Williamsburg kids were so fully immersed in the non-music that some of the fuckers actually shushed us for talking too loud. Reverent noise-act fans are artsy pussies, so we ignored them. That said, when Panda Bear gets together with the entire Animal Collective, which also includes Avey Tare, Geologist and Deaken, it can be an elaborately rehearsed spectacle complete with art rock, bizarre costumes and gurgling that's actually entertaining. Sun., Feb. 16, at Tonic. 107 Norfolk St. (betw. Delancey & Rivington Sts.), 212-358-7501, 8 p.m, $8.

"Darkness falls down all around us, you would think it was spring." So sings Alice Bierhorst on the opening track "Spring" from her new album Earthbound. A Manhattan-based singer-songwriter, Bierhorst has been releasing records on her own label since 1996, and this time around, she played all of the instruments herself. Last year, we saw her lay down drums for the late, great Jaleo. Accompanying music that suggests an acoustic Galaxie 500, her raspy voice is up-front and offers arguably better lyrics. Hear for yourself at her record release party on Sunday, Feb. 16, at Pete's Candy Store. 709 Lorimer St. (betw. Frost & Richardson Sts.), Williamsburg, 718-302-3770, 10 p.m., free.

And yet something else for Sun., Feb. 16. At Southpaw, Ninja Tune workhorse DJ Vadim makes a stop on his Russian Percussion tour, which features Mr. Thing, Killa Kela, Blu rum 13 and John Ellis. Vadim is known in the U.S. largely for the Sarah Jones track "Your Revolution" that was banned from airplay in some states. Everywhere else, he's known as a cut-and-paste beat purist who shrugs off the easy trip-hop label and, instead, sees himself as part of the larger hip-hop world. Poet and spoken wordster Yarah Bravo (aka Mrs. Vadim) serves as MC. Consider this warm-up for the Knitting Factory show three days later. 125 5th Ave. (betw. St. John's & Sterling Pls.), Park Slope, 718-230-0236, 8 p.m., $8.

Artist Robert W. Richards has been drawing celebrities and porn stars for many years, saying that he's inspired by "the highly fictionalized photographic portraits" of old Hollywood. His latest exhibit, "Gods of Erotica: An Excursion Through Four Decades of Male Erotica," features more than 40 "heroically sized" pencil drawings?including folks like Jeff Stryker and Scott O'Hara?arranged in triptych format, accompanied by b&w and color illustrations. Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation, 127-B Prince St. (Wooster St.), 212-673-7007, Tues.-Sat. 1-6. Free. [through 2/22].