Sept. 16

Mad Magazine’s Joe Raiola: American Heretic 


7:30pm. Henry Miller Library, Big Sur. 667-2574, www.henrymiller.org.


Sept. 23

Monterey County Artists Studio Tour Gala Party | 7-9pm. Pacific Grove Art Center, Pacific Grove. 659-5003, www.pgartcenter.org.

Sept. 23-25

Carmel Authors & Ideas Festival | Sunset Center, Carmel. 626-6243, www.carmelauthors.com.


Sept. 24

Twin Shadow | 6-10:30pm. Henry Miller Library, Big Sur. 667-2574, www.henrymiller.org.


Sept. 24-25

Monterey County Artists Studio Tour 2011 | This is the 22nd annual occurrence of this sprawling art tour, started by a sub-committee of the Artists Equity collective. Best strategy: Go to the Pacific Grove Art Center to get a close-up look at a work by each of the 61 artists, get the map, plot out your course, eat a hearty breakfast, and pace yourself like it’s a marathon. 11am-5pm. Various locations throughout the county. 659-5003, www.montereystudiotour.com.


Sept. 24


Dance Salsa for the Arts | 1-3pm. Museum of Monterey, Monterey. 372-2608, www.museumofmonterey.org.


Sept. 24


The Art of Grace Villareal (closing) | 3-5pm, closing reception. In Spirit Gallery, Carmel Valley. 920-8259, inspiritgalleryart@att.net.


Sept. 24-Oct. 28


Treading: Peter Hiers and Jojo Whilden Exhibit | An exhibit of art and photography with the theme of environment, sustainability, consumption and driving. 3-5pm Sept. 24 opening reception. Carl Cherry Center, Carmel. 624-7491, www.carlcherrycenter.org.


Sept. 25


The City Harmonic and Aaron Gillespie | 7pm. Golden State Theatre, Monterey. 372-4555, www.goldenstatetheatre.com.


Sept. 29

Thurston Moore and Cass McCombs | Before there was Kurt and Courtney, there was Sonic Youth’s Thurston and Kim, the original power couple of alternative rock guitar noise whose raucous experimental music didn’t suggest the musicians’ longevity, prolific output, numerous collaborations and deep influences. Just goes to show that meteoric burnout isn’t a mandatory part of rock brilliance. 6-11pm. Henry Miller Library, Big Sur. 667-2574, www.henrymiller.org.


Sept. 29


The Bacon Brothers | 8pm. Sunset Center, Carmel. 620-2048, www.sunsetcenter.org.


Sept. 30-Oct. 16


Romeo and Juliet by Pacific Repertory | 7:30pm Fri-Sun. Outdoor Forest Theater. 622-0700, www.pacrep.org.


Sept. 30-Oct. 2


Art in the Adobes | 5-7pm Fri; 11am-5pm Sat-Sun. Historic adobes and other Monterey locations. 655-8070, www.artintheadobes.org.


Oct. 1


Honeymoon | The Alternative Café, Seaside. 583-0913, www.thealternativecafe.com.


Oct. 1


Green Seas, Blue Seas and the Public Fine Art of Ray Troll | 3pm. Chautauqua Hall and Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, Pacific Grove. 648-5716, www.pgmuseum.org.


Oct. 1


Chamber Music Monterey Bay Presents St. Petersburg String Quartet | 8pm. Sunset Center, Carmel. 625-2212, www.sunsetcenter.org.


Oct. 7, Nov. 4, Dec. 2


First Fridays Art Walk – Artistas Unidas | 5-8pm. Oldtown Salinas, Salinas. 594-1799, www.aristasunidos.com.


Oct. 7


Cat’s Meow Halloween Fashion Show | 7:30-10pm. The Alternative Café, Seaside. 583-0913, www.thealternativecafe.com.


Oct. 7


Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack | 8pm. Sunset Center, Carmel. 620-2048, www.sunsetcenter.org.


Oct. 7-8


Furthur With Phil Lesh and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead | When local Dead-icated fans first heard news of this show of the seminal and long-lived band, we imagine there was a lot of coffee-spewing and fainting. And then the cleaning out of bongs. Monterey County Fairgrounds.


Oct. 7-9


American Institute of Architects Monterey Design Conference | Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove. 372-8016, http://aiacc.org/monterey-design-conference.


Oct. 7-9


Robinson Jeffers Fall Festival | Various locations throughout Carmel. 624-1813, www.torhouse.org.


Oct. 7-30


Paris is Paris is Paris-Gertrude Stein in Paris | A one-woman character play by Tom Parks. 7:30pm Fri-Sat; 3pm Sun. Carl Cherry Center, Carmel. 624-7491, www.carlcherrycenter.org.


Oct. 8


Jerry Uelsmann Lecture and Opening Reception: Dances with Negatives | 2:30-5:30pm; exhibit runs through Dec. 24. Center for Photographic Art, Sunset Center, Carmel. www.photography.org.


Oct. 8-9


Monterey History Fest | Various locations throughout Monterey. 372-2608, www.historicmonterey.org.


Oct. 9


Edward Weston: American Photographer (Closing) | Monterey Museum of Art-La Mirada, Monterey. 372-5477, www.montereyart.org.


Oct. 9


Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii | The co-winner of the 2009 Van Cliburn Piano Competition kicks off Carmel Music Society’s season. 3pm. Sunset Center, Carmel. 625-9938, www.sunsetcenter.org.


Oct. 10


Experimental Rock Band Gang Gang Dance + Prince Rama. | 6-10:30pm. Henry Miller Library, Big Sur. 667-2574, www.henrymiller.org.


Oct. 12-16


Carmel Art and Film Festival | This festival, in its few short years, has grown to absolutely immerse Carmel with art, photography, film and music, like some Christo and Jeanne-Claude geographic gift wrap installation. And wasn’t it fun scouring the town last year looking for hidden graffiti work by Mr. Brainwash? Various locations throughout Carmel-by-the-Sea. www.carmelartandfilm.com.


Oct. 13-23


Comedy of Errors by Monterey Peninsula College Theatre | 7pm. Until Oct. 23. Carmel High School Performing Arts Center, Carmel. 646-4213, www.mpctheatreco.com.


Oct. 13


Alt-Country Rockers Ryan Adams and Jason Isbell | 6-11pm. Henry Miller Library, Big Sur. 667-2574, www.henrymiller.org.


Oct. 15


Jerry Seinfeld Live | 7pm. Golden State Theatre, Monterey. 372-4555, www.goldenstatetheatre.com.


Oct. 15


Alisal Center for the Fine Arts 25th Anniversary Gala | 6-10pm. Alisal Center for the Fine Arts, Salinas. 758-5715, www.alisalcenterforthefinearts.org.


Oct. 14


Wine, Women and Song Musical Fundraiser | Call for time. Pacific Grove Art Center, Pacific Grove. 375-2208, www.pgartcenter.org.


Oct. 16 


Viva! Greenfield Harvest Festival | 11am-5pm. Downtown Greenfield. 373-4778, www.firstnightmonterey.org.


Oct. 20


Jenny Lewis plus Special Guest | 6-11pm. Henry Miller Library, Big Sur. 667-2574, www.henrymiller.org.


Oct. 20


Howie Mandel | 8pm. Sunset Center, Carmel. 620-2048, www.sunsetcenter.org.


Oct. 20


The Alley Cats | 7:30pm. World Theater, CSUMB, Seaside. 582-4580, http://worldtheater.csumb.edu.


Oct. 21


American Impressionist Society Exhibition Opening Reception | 5-8:30pm. Mountainsong Galleries, Carmel. 620-0600, www.mountainsonggalleries.com.


Oct. 22


The Pink Floyd Experience | 8pm. Sunset Center, Carmel. 620-2048, www.sunsetcenter.org.


Oct. 22-24


Monterey Symphony Concert 1: Lisztomania | 2pm and 7pm Sat; 3pm Sun; 8pm Mon. Steinbeck Institute of Art and Culture, Salinas; Sunset Center, Carmel. 646-8511, www.montereysymphony.org.


Oct. 28


Pop Icons: Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein Opening Preview Celebration | 6-8pm. Monterey Museum of Art-La Mirada, Monterey. 372-5477, www.montereyart.org.


Oct. 29


Recital to Benefit the S.T.A.R. Foundation: Soprano Cyndia Sieden | 8pm. Hidden Valley Music Seminars Theater, Carmel Valley. 659-3115, www.hiddenvalleymusic.org.


Oct. 25


The Miles Davis Experience | 8pm. Sunset Center, Carmel. 620-2048, www.sunsetcenter.org.


Nov. 3-5


United Nations Association International Film Festival | 7pm Thu; 7pm Fri; 1pm Sat. Golden State Theatre, Monterey. 625-9414, www.unamontereybay.org.


Nov. 5


Selections from the Nutcracker Suite – Dance Kids and Youth Music Monterey | 2pm. Sunset Center, Carmel. 622-9008, www.dancekids.org.


Nov. 10


MOMIX: BOTANICA Dance Company | 8pm. Sunset Center, Carmel. 620-2048, www.sunsetcenter.org.


Nov. 11


Monterey Bay Symphony – A Salute to Military | 7:30pm. Golden State Theatre, Monterey. 373-8450, www.montereybaysymphony.org


Nov. 11


Chamber Music Monterey Bay Presents Morgenstern Piano Trio | 8pm. Sunset Center, Carmel. 625-2212.


Nov. 11


Frederica von Stade and Kristin Pankonin | 3pm. Sunset Center, Carmel. 625-9938.


Nov. 11-Dec. 11


Rumors | 8pm Fri-Sat; 2pm Sun. Magic Circle Theatre, Carmel Valley. 659-7500, www.magiccircletheatre.net.


Nov. 11-13


Talk to Me Monologues | 7:30pm Fri-Sat; 2pm Sun. Carl Cherry Center, Carmel. 624-7491, www.carlcherrycenter.org.


Nov. 11-13


SpectorDance and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute’s Ocean Dance Program | 8pm Fri-Sat; 2pm Sun. SpectorDance Studio & Performance Space, Marina. 384-1050. www.spectordance.org.


Nov. 12


Monterey Wine Country’s Best of the Blue Wine Tasting | 1-4pm. Del Monte Aviation Hangar at the Monterey Airport, Monterey. 375-9400, www.montereywines.org.


Nov. 12


December People’s Holiday Rock Concert | 7:30pm. World Theater, CSUMB, Seaside. 582-4580, http://worldtheater.csumb.edu.


Nov. 12


Italian Tenor Pasquale Esposito | 7:30pm. National Steinbeck Center, Salinas. 775-4726, www.steinbeck.org.


Nov. 13


Jane Smiley at Carmel Public Library Foundation | 4pm. Harrison Memorial Library, Carmel. 624-2811, www.carmelpubliclibraryfoundation.org.


Nov. 15


David Sedaris | Writer David Sedaris observes people (especially his own hapless family; though his sister Amy, a comedian, is a hoot) with the eye of a department store security guard and the diligence of a court stenographer, and writes about it all like a cynical Lit major who’s found his voice in irony. 8pm. Sunset Center, Carmel. 620-2048, www.sunsetcenter.org.


Nov. 16


State Street Ballet Performs The Jungle Book | 7pm. Steinbeck Center, Salinas. 775-4726, www.steinbeck.org.


Nov. 18


Humorist Mike Edison | 8pm. The Alternative Café, Seaside. 583-0913, www.thealternativecafe.com.


Nov. 18


Pink Martini – Jazz, Classical and Pop Concert | 8pm. Sunset Center, Carmel. 620-2048, www.sunsetcenter.org.


Nov. 19-21


Monterey Symphony Concert 2: George2 + Bragado2 = “Who Cares?” | 7pm Sat, Steinbeck Institute of Art and Culture, Salinas; 3pm Sun, 8pm Mon, Sunset Center, Carmel. 646-8511, www.montereysymphony.org.


Nov. 19


Chicago Opens | Here’s a bit of irony. Chicago, a seminal musical, has been a monster hit on Broadway; New York theater looks to the city of Chicago as a test market to see what’s going to be a hit. Until Dec 11. Western Stage Theater’s Main Stage, Hartnell College, Salinas. 755-6816, www.westernstage.com.


Dec. 2-3


Smuin Ballet’s Holiday Program | 8pm Fri; 2pm Sat. Sunset Center, Carmel. 620-2048, www.sunsetcenter.org.


Dec. 2-4


Monterey Cowboy and Poetry Music Festival | Monterey Conference Center, Monterey. 800-722-9652, www.montereycowboy.org.


Dec. 2


Carmel Music Society Presents the Gryphon Trio | 8pm. All Saints’ Church, Carmel. 625-9938, www.carmelmusic.org.


Dec. 3-4


I Cantori di Carmel Winter Concert | 8pm. Carmel Mission Basilica, Carmel. 644-8012, www.icantori.org.


Dec. 3-4


Youth Arts Collective Holiday Show and Open House | 5-9pm Dec. 3, 12-4pm, Dec. 4. 472 Calle Principal, Monterey. 375-9922. www.yacstudios.org.


Dec. 9-11

Nutcracker presented by Dance Kids of Monterey County | 7pm Dec. 9-10, 2pm Dec. 11. Sunset Center, Carmel. 622-9008, www.dancekids.org.


Dec. 16


Paula Poundstone | 8pm. Sunset Center, Carmel. 620-2048, www.sunsetcenter.org.


Dec. 16-18


SpectorDance Holiday Performance | 7pm Fri-Sat; 2pm Sat-Sun. SpectorDance Studio & Performance Space, Marina. 384-1050, www.spectordance.org.


Dec. 31


First Night Monterey “A FantaSea of Art” | This is perhaps the biggest and funnest cultural party of the year. Rightfully, it marks the close of each year, and the beginning of a new one. 3pm-midnight. Historic Downtown Monterey. 373-4778, www.firstnightmonterey.org.


(Compiled by Sam Sciolla, Walter Ryce, Mark C. Anderson, Mary Duan)