BEST BETS Thursday 8/31:

HUNTINGTON BEACH

10am-2pm

Art

“El Nuevo Mundo: The Landscapes of Latino Los Angeles� comes to Orange County. More than 100 photos by sociologist Camilo Jose Vergara will be displayed, showing the physical character and social texture of Los Angeles County since 1992 as its population becomes increasingly Latino. His work explores how Latinos are building and decorating their homes, landscaping their yards, transforming their workplaces and creating neighborhoods that resemble those in Mexico and Central America.

* “El Nuevo Mundo: The Landscapes of Latino Los Angeles,� Golden West College Fine Arts Gallery, 15744 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach. Through Oct. 2. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 6-9 p.m. Free. (714) 892-7711, Ext. 51032.

IRVINE

5:30pm

Pop Music

The direction of DeWayne Jessie’s career changed overnight in 1978 when the rising actor accepted the role he was offered in National Lampoon’s “Animal House.� Or perhaps we should say it changed over day--for that role with which Jessie has been associated ever since was that of Otis Day, lead singer of the hot R&B; band that helped John Belushi and his fellow Delta House misfits tear up the campus. Otis Day & the Knights quickly transformed from a cinematic creation to a real band after the movie became a hit, and they’ve been touring on and off ever since. They play today at the Irvine Spectrum.

* Otis Day & the Knights, Irvine Spectrum Center, 71 Fortune Drive. 5:30 p.m. Free. $20 for preferred seating. (949) 721-4000.

IRVINE

8:30pm

Comedy

Victoria Jackson, a “Saturday Night Live� alum (1986-92) whose dizzy blond persona has been likened to that of Judy Holiday, devotes much of her time these days to her two children. But the actress is also a stand-up comic whose credits include “The Tonight Show.� Onstage, Jackson has always been a tad offbeat: She got her start at the Variety Arts Center in Los Angeles reciting poetry while standing on her head.

* Victoria Jackson, Irvine Improv, 71 Fortune Drive. 8:30 p.m. Also Friday, 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 7, 9 and 11 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m. $15 to $17. (949) 854-5455.