The month of May is said to be one of the most beautiful months to visit the Peninsula. It marks the official beginning of the tourist season and bestows weather that reminds us of why we live here in the first place. This Saturday, it will also give us the largest showcase of unsigned bands in one single day in all of Northern California.

Let''s talk art and music, showcasing and sampling, all at the same time. Let''s talk The 3rd Annual Rock ''n'' Art Festival. It features more than 40 bands both local and from throughout California, as well as the work of local artists. And this year for the first time, the art exhibits will also include displays from all Monterey County high schools. This spectacle of new talent is the joint effort of Susan and Brad Mallory with help from the "three spirits clan."

Says Brad Mallory, "The Monterey Fairgrounds is the home of the first Monterey International Pop Festival in 1969, where artist greats such as Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Grateful Dead shared the stage and put on an unforgettable show. In that sense, it''s a historical monument. We simply want to continue ''the evolution of revolution of rock ''n'' roll.''" Judging from the lineup, that is exactly what they will be doing.

On the local side, you''ll see Dick Richie (formerly Juice), Naughty Babies, Foamscape and Unshakable among others. Out of towners include The Great Big Huge, The Johnny Oats Hour and Snap Draggin''. Quite a few bands performing at the festival also emerged from the Sand Jams at three spirits, a warehouse in Sand City specifically designed for local talent to come jam (sadly, it is now closed down). Among the three spirits alumni are Dura Delinquent, S.T.U.B, Matt Nathanson and Eddie Gutierrez. The big draw for the day is a performance by Gene Loves Jezebel, a band well-known for its ''80s New Wave sound.

The list goes on and on, but more important than dropping names is the idea behind it all. Mallory says, "There are two major purposes for this festival. One is to expose the emerging (unsigned) artist to the public, as well as to other artists who can give their support to fellow musicians. The second reason is bringing the 21-and-under generations closer to music and art, especially the work of local artists." The latter seems a very novel idea since there isn''t a single place featuring local musical talent that allows for the too-young-to-drink crowd. Mallory stresses that this is an all-ages event and hopes that young and old will take the opportunity to get to know MoCo''s artistic side.

To further underline the good cause, all bands, except Gene Loves Jezebel, will perform for free and all proceeds will go back to the promotion of music and art.

"Today''s world is filled with so much violence, anger and hate," says Mallory. "The festival however is a peaceful coming together of sorts, an opportunity to show your own individual creativity and experience nothing but good vibes and brotherhood."

I, for one could use some good vibes, so see you at the show.

Third Annual Rock ''n'' Art Festival, Saturday, 11:30am-11pm, $10/advance; $15/door. Monterey Fairgrounds, 372-5863.

Doc''s

celebrates the coming of May with some serious girl power in its lineup this weekend, starting tonight with Tina and The B-Sides. Talk about staying true to yourself and not losing sight of your dream in exchange for a fleeting fix of fame and fortune. This five-piece band, hailing from Minnesota, has been there, done that and turned its back on Tinseltown so it could return home with the intention to recapture its true musical core once again. The end result was the recent release of the band''s latest endeavor, It''s All Just The Same, and judging from rave reviews straight across the board, the attempt has been more than successful.

Just the Same marks the band''s fifth in a string of well-received releases, starting with the self-titled indie album in 1990. Young Americans (1992) and Monsters (1994) followed it up. The music is a blues/twang-tinged rock mix that will occasionally remind you of artists such as Melissa Etheridge and Bonnie Raitt. But lead singer/guitarist Tina Schlieske''s soulful yearning voice will draw you into a different world, leaving any possible comparisons in the dust. After Monsters, the band''s album sales totaled more than 52,000 in the midwest region, piquing the interest of major labels. They were signed by Sire Records and moved to L.A. in 1995, where the band released its national debut, Salvation in 1996. Though thankful for the opportunity, Schlieske says that the change made her look deep inside herself and realize her true ideas and needs. She learned that putting a career into the hands of others is very frustrating. Says Schlieske, "You have a tendency to get let down a lot. And that was, I think more times than not, what was happening to us."

Just The Same is a journey home from a personal abyss which most of us have experienced at one time or another, and it looks like Tina and The B-Sides have found their shining star.

Tina and The B-Sides with Blue opening, Thursday, 9:30pm, Doc''s Nightclub, 649-4241.

If you can''t wait for next weekend to let loose, get ready to spike your hair and put on those Army boots, and do whatever else it takes to put you in a funky-punky mood, ''cause on Wednesday the funk/punk-rock goes down with three bands that like it wilder than wild. Doc''s opens its doors to JB Stranglehold who will strut their stuff along with Psychosomatic and S.T.U.B. Now there might be a nice break in the week for you party-animals.

JB Stranglehold with Psychosomatic and S.T.U.B., Wednesday, 9pm, Doc''s Nightclub, 649-4241.