Tonight, guitar legend Carlos Santana will be performing at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. This is the first of a three-night string of performances, so Artsweek recommends seeing him while he’s hot. The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $55 to $75. The theatre is located at 2700 N. Vermont Ave. See www.santana.com for more information. If you go, have a friend tape the first presidential debate between President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry at the University of Miami, Florida. The moderator is Jim Lehrer. It’s important – so get informed, bitches. The debate will air on several major networks Thursday evening. Check your local television listings for exact times.

Tonight, alt-country rockers Drag the River will be performing at Velvet Jones. Don’t miss a band that skillfully grafts its punk rock roots with a distinctly honky-tonk sensibility. Velvet Jones is located at 423 State St. in downtown Santa Barbara. You must be 21 to enter. Go to www.velvet-jones.com for more information. Today also marks the opening of a new exhibition at the UCSB University Art Museum titled “Picturing Tradition: Lutah Maria Riggs Encounters Mexican Architecture.” The show includes drawings and photographs made and collected by Riggs in 1922 as source material for then-future designs of Santa Barbara architecture. See www.uam.ucsb.edu for more information.

Drive on down to Los Angeles to see British rock ‘n’ roll poster boys the Libertines perform at the Henry Fonda Theater on Saturday. See ’em while you can, because with all their drug problems and band turmoil, this incredible band may not be around for much longer. The theater is located at 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. See www.henryfondatheater.com for more information. Sunday, the internationally renowned Julliard String Quartet will be performing at the Montecito Country Club, as part of their three-day residency in Santa Barbara. The performance begins at 2 p.m. Be sure to check out these modern-day string masters in action.

The Lyon Opera Ballet will be gracing the stage of Campbell Hall on Monday and Tuesday night. They’ve come all the way from France, so they must be tired, but it’s still sure to be a great performance. Even Artsweek itself will be there. The Ballet is known for their mastery of the works of various contemporary choreographers. This will be the company’s Santa Barbara debut. Tickets are $19 for students and $40 for the general public. The show starts at 8 p.m. If you’d rather dance than watch others dance, head over to Robertson Gym 2320 at 8:30 p.m. for the year’s first meeting of the Swing and Ballroom Dance Club on Monday. Don’t hesitate because your first visit is free! So, bring a friend and dance. E-mail for more information.

Tonight the Associated Students Program Board will be hosting two events for your pleasure. The first is part of their free noon concert series. The band