At 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, in the Lobero Theater, Lobero LIVE will present a concert-performance by the singer, songwriter, and guitarist extraordinaire Leo Kottke.
Kottke, says the Lobero, “is known for a finger-picking style that draws on blues, jazz and folk music, as well as syncopated, polyphonic melodies. He overcame a series of personal obstacles, including partial loss of hearing and a nearly career-ending bout with tendon damage in his right hand, to emerge as a widely recognized master of his instrument.
“At each concert, Kottke intersperses his humorous monologues with vocal and instrumental selections spanning the entirety of his career, played solo on six- and 12-string guitars.”
Chances are, if you are a fan of Kottke, there are songs or numbers you would love to hear him do live. He probably won’t, but it won’t matter. Whatever he plays or sings, it will turn out to be just what you wanted to hear. I can think of no more adorable artist now performing.
He began as a disciple of John Fahey, but soon branched off into his own self-defined niche, which he has been expanding and furnishing ever since. Writing up one of his concerts at the Lobero, years ago, I said: “Reviewing a Leo Kottke concert is like trying to describe smoke.”
I guess I’ll stick with that.
Tickets for An Evening with Leo Kottke are $49 for Section A, $39 for Section B (with a limited number of VIP tickets at $105, including a reception with hosted bar and appetizers). Tickets are on sale now at the Lobero box office, 805-963-0761, or online at www.Lobero.org.
— Gerald Carpenter covers the arts as a Noozhawk contributing writer. He can be reached at gerald.carpenter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are his own.