GET OUT!

Pop/Rock

* Hell Benders, La Donnas and the Condors play at Club Mesa, 843 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa. 9 tonight. Cover. (949) 642-8448.

* The Gregg Edwards Band plays at the Canyon Inn, 6821 Fairlynn Blvd., Yorba Linda. 9 tonight. Free. (714) 779-0880.

* T.N.T. plays at the Tiki Bar, 1700 Placentia Ave., Costa Mesa. 9 tonight. Free. (949) 548-3533.

Jazz/Blues

* The Ed Slauson Jazz Band plays at the Blue Beet Cafe, 207 21st Place, Newport Beach. 6:30 tonight. Free. (949) 675-2338.

* Michael Hamilton plays at the Savannah Chop House, 32441 Street of the Golden Lantern, Laguna Niguel. 7:30 p.m. Free. (949) 493-7107.

Matt Johnson Trio with Luther Hughes & Larry Koonse play at Spaghettini, 3005 Old Ranch Parkway, Seal Beach. 7:30 tonight. Free. (562) 596-2199.

* The Banda Bros. play at Steamers Cafe, 138 W. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton. 8 tonight. Two-item minimum. (714) 871-8800.

* Paul Carmen & Triorbits play at the Marine Room, 214 Ocean Ave., Laguna Beach. 8 tonight. $6. (949) 494-3027.

Theater

* Laguna Playhouse begins previews of A.R. Gurney’s comedy “Sylvia” at the Moulton Theater, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. 7:30 tonight. $30. Also Wednesday. Open Thursday at 7:30 p.m. $40-$45. Through Aug. 15. (949) 497-2787.

* The Joseph Stein musical “Fiddler On the Roof” continues through Aug. 8 at Elizabeth Howard’s Curtain Call Dinner Theater, 690 El Camino Real, Tustin. 6:15 tonight. $27.95-$37.95. (714) 838-1540.

Lecture

* Congressman Christopher Cox speaks at the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda. 11 a.m. today. $6. $45 with lunch at 12:15. (714) 993-5075.

* Artist Larry Bell discusses his work at the Orange County Museum of Art, 850 San Clemente Drive, Newport Beach. Noon. Free. (949) 759-1122, Ext. 204.

Art

* “Patssi Valdez: A Precarious Comfort,” and “After the Photo-Secession: American Pictorial Photography, 1910-1955,” continue through Sunday at the Laguna Art Museum, 307 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. today. $4-$5. (949) 494-6531.

For Children

* Children 8-12 explore Australian Aboriginal art traditions in a hands-on workshop at the Fullerton Museum Center, 301 N. Pomona Ave. 9:30-11:30 a.m. today. $5-$6. (714) 738-6545.

* Critter Crossing, an animal tracking workshop for children 4 to 10, is being offered at the Discovery Museum of Orange County, 3101 W. Harvard St., Santa Ana. 9:30 a.m.-noon today. $7-$10. (714) 540-0404.

Music

* Soprano Ruth Golden and pianist Rosemary Hyler play “Songs For a Summer Evening” at the UC Irvine Concert Hall, W. Peltason Drive and Mesa Road, UC Irvine. 7 tonight. Free, reservations required. (949) 824-1974.

* Pianist Bill Protzman presents “For the Love of Music” at Leisure World Clubhouse 5 at Laguna Woods. 2 and 7:30 p.m. today. $5. (949) 830-5945.

Poetry

* Mindy Nettifee, Buzzy Ennis, Paul Suntup, Lizzie Wann and John Gardiner read their poetry at the Gypsy Den Cafe & Reading Room, 2930 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. 8 tonight. Free. (714) 549-7012.

--Compiled by Ken Williams