Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/856465
Monterey County Fair Aug. 31-Sept. 4 Monterey County Fair & Event Center S ince the Monterey County Fair takes place on the very grounds where the seminal Monterey Pop Festival took place 50 years ago, it's appropriate that the theme of this year's 81st fair is "Fair Fun in the Summer of Love." And while there's plenty of reasons to go to the fair, from the array of food to the games and amuse- ment park rides and livestock, art, flower and wine exhibits, the live music (free with fair entry) may be the biggest draw. This year's main stage concerts includes Oakland funk band Tower of Power on Aug. 21; country star John Michael Montgomery on Sept. 1; and Paperback Writer — The Beatles Experience on Sept. 2. All shows start at 7:30pm on the Garden Stage. www.montereycountyfair.com. Kansas 40th Leftoverture Anniversary Tour Saturday, Sept. 2, 8pm Sunset Center R emember back in the '70s when rock bands named themselves after cities, states and countries? Boston, Chicago, Berlin, America, Asia, etc. One of the best was a band that hailed from Topeka, named Kansas, of course. The band made its debut in 1974, and eight gold albums, three multi-platinum albums, one platinum live album and a million-selling single, "Dust in the Wind," and the classic rock staple "Carry On Wayward Son" later, Kansas is celebrating its 40th anniversary with its first-ever stop in Carmel. Yes, arena rock in the Sunset Center! It's being presented by Crescent Bay Entertain- ment, with all proceeds to benefit the Beacon House recovery center. www.sunsetcenter.org. Monterey Jazz Festival Sept. 15-17 Monterey County Fair & Event Center T he granddaddy of them all, the longest con- tinuously running jazz festival in the world, the Monterey Jazz Festival turns 60 this year, so expect to see a lot of longtime festival favorites grace its stages. Faves include Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kenny Barron, Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redman, Branford Marsalis, Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and Angelique Kidjo, as well as newcomers such as rapper/actor Common, Leslie Odom, Jr. of the Broadway hit "Hamilton," and bluegrass man- dolinist Chris Thile. That all adds up to 110 per- formances, educational events, conversations, and exhibits on eight stages, for 30 hours of live music over two days and three nights. Happy 60th MJF! www.montereyjazzfestival.org. Carmel International Film Festival Oct. 18-22 Various venues, Carmel-by-the-Sea A lthough not in the same league (yet) as its big-city film festival brethren such as LA, Palm Springs, Sonoma, Mill Valley and Santa Barbara, the Carmel International Film Festival, in only its ninth year, is turning heads and not just of film aficionados, but directors, producers and actors. While the glitz and glamour of the other festivals can overshadow the films them- selves, Carmel is small enough for intimate con- versations, discovering hidden gems, and rub- bing shoulders with the artists themselves. And they have a great track record for introducing or debuting future award-winners. That's 50 indie films, including feature-length, documentaries, shorts and student films as well as 3D. And it all takes place in Carmel. So they have that going for them, too. carmelfilmfest.com. Howie Mandel Friday, Oct. 20, 8pm Golden State Theatre, Monterey C omedian Howie Mandel had a relatively successful standup career going when in 2010 he replaced David Hasselhoff in season 5 of "America's Got Talent." His star took off and now not only is he a fixture on the hit show, he's a busy executive producer of a number of TV shows, including "Take It All" and "Howie Do It" for NBC, "Deal With It" for TBS, and "Mobbed" for FOX. He's hosted NBC's "Deal or No Deal," and is the creator of the popular Emmy-nominated cartoon "Bobby's World." He also spent six sea- sons as Dr. Wayne Fiscus on the Emmy-winning NBC drama, "St. Elsewhere." But his bread and butter is his standup comedy, which he contin- ues to perform over 200 times a year. America's got talent, indeed. www.goldenstatetheatre.com. Howie Mandel performs Oct 20 at the Golden State Theatre in Monterey. C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 1 7 115 Kansas performs on Sept 2 at Sunset Center in Carmel with proceeds to benefit the Beacon House recovery center.