G-9, BRICKHEAD, ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS How close to the edge of hip can local music get around here? If the same old thang seems like a drag, you might want to try listening to some bands perched on the precipice of tomorrow''s musical menu. Every Thursday KMBY hosts 3rd Floor Underground, an event that highlights bands reaching for hardcore originality and unbridled success. The trio of bands performing tonight is G-9, Adverse Side Effects and another Santa Cruz-based band called Brickhead that will probably end up buckling the walls with an onslaught of poppy punk songs.

9pm. Bluefin Cafe and Billiards, 685 Cannery Row. Free. 375-7000.

friday 3|8

Let''s Hear It for the Girls

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN''S DAY Oh, sure, you could say that every day is women''s day, but you would have to ignore the fact that March 8th commemorates one of the first organized actions in history by working women. On this day in 1857, hundreds of female garment and textile workers went on strike in New York City to protest low wages, excessive working hours, and inhumane working conditions--an act of civil disobedience that resulted in violent encounters with the police. In honor of that rebellion, UC Santa Cruz women''s studies and literature professor Akasha Hull takes the reins as keynote speaker for an evening of arts dedicated to womanhood. Hull is the recipient of the Outstanding Women of Color Award and the Women Educator''s Curriculum Material Award for her book All The Women Are White, All The Blacks Are Men, But Some of Us Are Brave (1982). A show of drummers and singers will follow.

7pm, with 6:30 reception. CSUMB World Theater, 6th Avenue, Marina. Free. 582-4345.

Rock Me, Amadeus

AMADEUS TRIO It isn''t every day that a trio of this quality comes along. Pianist Marian Hahn, Juilliard-trained and dripping with top prizes from numerous international competition, is praised by the New York Times for her ability to "draw a lovely, glowing tone from her instrument." Trio founding member Timothy Baker, performing on his "Gultar" Stradivarius violin made in 1726, is an internationally renowned violinist who has appeared as soloist with the National Symphony, Boston Pops, Moscow Philharmonic and more. Cellist Jeffrey Solow''s passion and deft artistry have won him acclaim the world over. Tonight these three stars perform Mozart''s Trio in C major, Smetana''s Trio in G Minor, Op. 15 and Brahms'' Trio No. 2 in C major, Op. 87.

8pm. Carmel Presbyterian Church, Ocean and Junipero, Carmel. $18 general/$5 students. Tickets available at Bay Books in Monterey, Thunderbird Books in Carmel and Book Mark in Pacific Grove. 625-3637.

saturday 3|9

Dear John

STEINBECK CENTENNIAL SERIES The letters a writer writes are often more revealing than the work he or she is generally known for. Notes to friends can show emotion, raw style experiments and hints of what eventually ends up in stories and books. So for fans of any particular writer, an excellent way to get to know that person better is to read letters to the people he or she cares about most and what those people say in return. Today''s slide show on the correspondence between Steinbeck and his old friend Doc Ricketts is called "A Portrait in Letters: The Correspondence of Edward F. Ricketts." On hand will be Doc''s son, Ed Ricketts Jr. Actors from The Western Stage will perform readings.

2pm. National Steinbeck Center, One Main, Salinas. $10/$5 for members. 774-4721 or www.steinbeck.org.

Boys Night Out

BRUBECK BROTHERS AND TAYLOR EIGSTI Tonight two members of a jazz dynasty (if you can call two generations a dynasty, and what the heck?) join forces with a 17-year-old prodigy who''s been performing on piano since the age of 8. Drummer Dan Brubeck plays alongside his brother Chris on standup bass (and yes, they''re piano legend Dave Brubeck''s sons) while Bay Area rising star Taylor Eigsti takes the piano bench. From all appearances Eigsti could have been mugging at us from the Abercrombie & Fitch catalog, but lucky for jazz fans he chose piano instead. Judging from a few listens from his two CD''s, Eigsti combines tricky finger work with diamond-cutter precision and swings like every good jazz man should.

7pm. Jazz & Blues Company, The Crossroads, Carmel. Call for price. 624-6431.

Faure into The Unknown

FROM MYSTICISM TO FAITH...A JOURNEY Themes in this dulcet and spiritual musical voyage by the Camerata Singers range from the tender to the triumphant. The playlist includes John Tavener''s ethereal Song for Athene (sung at the funeral of Princess Diana), the upbeat American spiritual Ride On, King Jesus, and two gripping works by contemporary Norwegian composer Knut Nystedt in the style of the 20th century. The concert culminates in a performance of Gabriel Faure''s Requiem, a masterful work that musically illustrates the spiritual journey to everlasting life. The Requiem includes feature soloists Lori Decter Purcell and Joseph Wright from Opera San Jose. Saint Mary''s by-the-Sea musical director Kitty DuVernois plays the organ. Nine auditioned students from Pacific Grove, Robert Louis Stevenson and Salinas High Schools will also perform with the Camerata Singers in a program called Camerata Futures. The show repeats Sunday.

Saturday 8pm, Carmel Mission Basilica, Carmel. Sunday 3pm, St. Paul''s Episcopal Church, Salinas. $15/$13. 373-3255.

Lady in Blues

KAYE BOHLER For those who like their blues players seasoned, here are Kaye Bohler''s creds: she''s been singing the blues since before Bill Clinton took office. Even though a lot of people know her as a songbird in Pele Juju, the 10-woman world-music ensemble that used to rock the Central Coast''s world on a regular basis, Bohler is just itching to show everyone what she likes to do with 12 bars. For full story, see page 30.

9pm. Sly McFly''s, 700 Cannery Row, Monterey. Call for price. 649-8050.

wednesday 3|13

Dance Infusion

LILY CAI DANCE COMPANY Don''t get into a bidding contest with China when it comes to determining which country started dancing first. While European ballet dates back to the 16th century, China was already deep in the trenches of formalized dance nearly 3,000 years earlier. The Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company, performing at CSUMB''s World Theater as one of the campus''s Diversity Days events, is renowned for its cutting-edge style of mixing ancient dances of Chinese dynasties with classical ballet. Set to original music and multi-media designs, this visually stunning post-modern dance troupe has won numerous awards for its innovative techniques and artistic presentation since its inception in 1988.

7pm. CSUMB World Theater, Sixth Ave., Marina. $20 general/$15 discount/$10 CSUMB students w/ ID. 582-4580.

This week''s Hot Picks were simmered and tasted by Aaron S. Birk, Rachel Boyes, Jennifer Flowers, Traci Hukill, Jessica Lyons and Andrew Scutro.