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33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano; 949-496-8930; thecoachhouse.com
A perennial winner in this category, The Coach House opened in 1980 and gained a reputation for booking a wide range of music genres as well as comedy (though classic rockers, blues musicians and tribute acts are its bread and butter). O.C. bands have recorded live albums and videos here. The old school South County venue, located off I-5, has a 500-person capacity, with 300 seats reserved for dinner guests. A few VIP rooms overlook the stage.
Savvy regulars know to purchase tickets early for a coveted long wooden table spot right in front of the stage. Yet there are also decent vantage points at smaller tables and leather booths along the side walls. The wooden chairs are placed close together, so you’re practically required to break bread with a fellow music lover over a plate of steak, chicken, nachos, or pie.
Through the years, everyone from Los Lobos, Todd Rundgren, Huey Lewis and the News, Michael Bublé and Asia to The Bangles, Jesus and Mary Chain, The Replacements and Crowded House HAVE graced the stage. Even Kiss, The Eagles, Heart, and Duran Duran members made Capistrano a tour stop at some point. Jake Shimabukuro, Crash Test Dummies, ABC and All-4-One appeared more recently.
Although artists tend to charge an additional fee for a fan photo/autograph nowadays, the venue used to be an easy place to secure a quick personal encounter.
1 University Dr., Aliso Viejo; 949-480-4278; performingarts.soka.edu
With an overall design based on a Tuscan hillside village aesthetic, Soka Performing Arts Center (making its Best of Orange County debut) opened in 2011. The three level, 1,000-capacity venue has a sound system designed by acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, who also oversaw Walt Disney Concert Hall.
General Manager Renee Bodie says her staff’s mission is to “engage, educate, and elevate the human spirit” and that they are dedicated to “programming world class musicians.” Soka PAC is “an exquisite listening experience and a jewel of the OC.
Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Bela Fleck, Jimmy Webb have all appeared at Soka PAC. This past spring, Danny Elfman watched the Pacific Symphony perform the North American premiere of his Percussion Concerto here. Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite, Judy Collins, Booker T. Jones, Karla Bonoff and David Lindley are on the upcoming schedule.
Soka Performing Arts Center also does music education outreach with local elementary schools.
FivePoint has been a “temporary” venue since 2017, but it boasts a few benefits that permanent places lack. Public transit is nearby and there’s a relatively short walk from the parking lots to the entrance. Tiffany Silman, general manager/concerts at Live Nation, says what concertgoers come upon next is rare: “A huge, open lawn where you’ll see food trucks and people playing cornhole. You can sit at a picnic table or buy a blanket from our general store and spread out on the grass with your friends and family.”
Music fans had better sound than usual during a summer season including Thomas Rhett, Train, Third Eye Blind, Brad Paisley, Incubus and Sammy Hagar. That’s because noise-attenuating acoustic blankets were installed around grandstands.
“In an effort to be good neighbors, we want to do everything we can to be sure we keep the sound inside the venue and not impact those in the surrounding communities,” Silman said.
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