PopAs any discriminating fan of true alternative...

Pop

As any discriminating fan of true alternative ‘80s rock can tell you, one fourth of the Replacements plus two-fifths of the Go-Go’s is a heck of a lot better than most ‘80s nostalgia acts in their entirety. The percentages get even better for this Doll Hut bill when you consider that ex-Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson keeps alive his old band’s raw essence in his new band, Perfect, while the two Go-Go’s alumnae, guitarist Kathy Valentine and drummer Gina Schock, are back playing good, biting, catchy pop-rock with the Delphines. The trio’s front woman, Dominique Davalos, played bass alongside Valentine in the more roots-oriented Blue Bonnets.

* Who: Delphines, Perfect, Scout Finch, Walter Clevenger.

* When: 9 p.m. Friday.

* Where: Linda’s Doll Hut, 107 S. Adams St., Anaheim.

* Whereabouts: Exit the Santa Ana (5) Freeway at Lincoln Avenue; go west. Turn left onto Manchester Avenue--the club is at the intersection of Manchester and Adams Street.

* Wherewithal: $6.

* Where to call: (714) 533-1286.

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Music

Reflecting the Romantic spirit of heroic individualism, the 19th century concerto tends to explore the conflict between the one (an instrumental soloist) and the many (the orchestra).

Handel published a consummate set of concerti grossi in 1740 as his Opus 6. But his enterprising London editor had brought out a set of concerti seven years earlier as Handel’s Opus 3. Conductor-violinist Iona Brown and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra bring this earlier set to O.C. tonight, in a concert sponsored by the Philharmonic Society.

* What: Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra plays Handel’s Opus 3, complete.

* When: 8 p.m. today.

* Where: Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.

* Whereabouts: Exit the San Diego (405) Freeway to Bristol Street; go north. Turn right onto Town Center Drive.

* Wherewithal: $10-$48.

* Where to call: (714) 553-2422.

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Theater

The UCI theater department is giving Arthur Miller’s powerfully written drama “The Crucible” a large and visually exciting production at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. It takes us back to the 1692 Salem witchcraft trials, a mad period in American history when society descended into mass paranoia. The hunt for witches went on for 100 days, ending in the execution of 19 men and women. Husbands spied on wives; children denounced parents; neighbors settled old scores with fatal accusations.

At the center of the maelstrom is a love triangle, which Miller extrapolated from small hints in the record, involving historical figures.

* What: Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible.”

* Where: Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive.

* Whereabouts: Exit the San Diego (405) Freeway at Jamboree Road; go south. Turn left onto Campus Drive. The theater is near Bridge Road, across from the Marketplace.

* When: 8 p.m. today and Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday.

* Wherewithal: $6-$15.

* Where to call: (714) 854-4646.

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Family Affair

If live opera is on a list of Things You Would Never Do Without Anesthesia, perhaps small doses will make it more palatable.

Cal State Fullerton’s Opera Theatre is staging an evening of short opera scenes featuring a 30-member cast of performers from CSUF’s music and theater departments. The two-hour performance features a one-act version of Humperdinck’s “Hansel & Gretel” and a changing selection of scenes from such operas as Verdi’s “Falstaff” and Rossini’s “Cinderella.” The show is accessible to school-age children and up, said Opera Theatre co-director Janet Smith.

* What: CSUF Opera Theatre in an abridged “Hansel & Gretel” and other opera scenes.

* When: 8 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday; 5 p.m. Sunday.

* Where: Cal State Fullerton Recital Hall, 800 N. State College Blvd.

* Whereabouts: Exit the Orange (57) Freeway at Nutwood Avenue; go west. Turn right onto State College Boulevard, then right into Parking Lot D. The recital hall is in the performing arts building.

* Wherewithal: $4-$7. Parking is $1.50 on today; free Friday-Sunday.

* Where to call: (714) 773-3371.