Sunset Center
San Carlos between Eighth and Ninth, Carmel (831) 620-2048, sunsetcenter.org
Stately architecture, innovative acoustics, beautiful interior design, comfy seats, solid programming. Myriad restaurants, bars and cafes just up the street. Home to two art galleries and smaller rooms for community events. What more could you ask for in a performing arts venue? And some of the big, longstanding acts that have come through first broke big in the ’80s, including the B-52s, Olivia Newton-John, Styx and Kenny Loggins. Some of the upcoming acts include Anoushka Shankar, Buddy Guy, the Monterey Symphony and Louie Anderson.