Irvine Barclay Theatre

* The popular Spanish world music group the Gipsy Kings will perform Aug. 17 and 18 at the Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., L.A. $30 to $110.50. (323) 665-1927. * Veteran singer-songwriter Eric Clapton performs Aug. 17 and 18 at Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., downtown L.A. $40 to $85. (213) 742-7340. * Olivia Newton-John opens the Cerritos Center's ninth season, performing Aug. 17 and 18 at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. $55 to $65.

* Theater: "Side Man," Warren Leight's 1999 best play Tony winner about one man's obsession with jazz and the effects it has on his wife and son, closes Sunday at the Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Today-Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 5 and 9 p.m.; Sunday, 2 and 7 p.m. $15 to $42.50. (626) 356-PLAY.* Theater: "Last Train to Nibroc," Arlene Hutton's old-fashioned romance about a 1940 meeting between two disappointed souls, closes Sunday at the Tamarind Theatre, 5919 Franklin Ave.

Don't have a cow if you can't score tickets for Sunday's performances of "MacHomer" at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. Canadian Rick Miller struck gold with the zany idea of having the cast of characters from "The Simpsons" play out an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Macbeth." Miller drew the cartoon backdrops and does all the voices for his touring show. Only a few tickets were left Wednesday for Sunday's 5:30 p.m. show (the 3 p.m.

The Irvine Barclay Theatre will open its 2001-02 Contemporary Dance Series with the San Francisco-based Joe Goode Performance Group, Oct. 11-12. The season will continue with the Mark Morris Dance Group (Jan. 24-26); Hubbard Street Chicago under its new artistic director, Jim Vincent (March 8-9); and the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band paying tribute to choreographer Donald McKayle (April 4-5). Specific programs will be announced.

South African singer-songwriter Miriam Makeba will kick off the 2001-2002 World Stages series, co-sponsored by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Irvine Barclay Theatre. The author, political activist and United Nations ambassador will open the four-concert series at 8 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Irvine theater, 4242 Campus Drive. Makeba was the first African recording artist to win a Grammy Award, in 1965, and, in 1967, the first to have a worldwide top-10 hit, "Pata Pata."

SANTA ANA 8pm Pop Music It's a night of ambient electronic explorations from England with Juno Reactor and The Orb at the Galaxy in Santa Ana. Juno Reactor mainstay Ben Watkins is on the mend after breaking his leg earlier this month during a tour in Japan. Alex Paterson, meanwhile, has fired up his ever-danceable outfit for one of its rare Southland appearances. * Juno Reactor, The Orb, Galaxy Concert Theatre, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana. 8 p.m. $17.50 to $19.50. (714) 957-0600.