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By Dan Leone

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IT'S HARD TO believe that Alternative Tentacles – the aggressively outspoken record label founded once upon a time by Jello Biafra when his Dead Kennedys were fresh, fabulous, and on top of the punk world – is 23 years old already. At least it's hard for me, anyway; if you weren't born 23 years ago, you probably think Biafra is older than dirt and the label has always been around. It hasn't been, though, and having Biafra and A.T. in town has changed the musical and social landscape over the years. The Alternative Tentacles 23rd Anniversary Showcase coincides with the release of Biafra's latest album, Big Ka-Boom, Part One, recorded live last November in Madison, Wis., and entirely devoted to unraveling the web of lies and confusion surrounding the World Trade Center attacks and the war that followed. The performance captures Biafra at a moment when America was covered in red, white, and blue; the public was suffering from emotional overload; and the government was charging ahead, using patriotic blackmail to clear the way. Biafra is at his best when the heat is up, and Big Ka-Boom shows this intensity. Biafra will no doubt deliver acerbic observations on our rapidly decaying world – it's a little strange to promote the evening as a celebration; I don't know if I've ever seen the man in a celebratory mood – but he'll be joined by some of his A.T. labelmates (the Flaming Stars, Iowaska, and the Phantom Limbs), who'll add other flavors to the mix. Biafra's great when the world isn't, which is why this show is special. 7:30 p.m., 859 O'Farrell, S.F. $12. (415) 885-0750. (J.H. Tompkins)