Acoustic Guitar Pageantry, the Ongoing Saga at 10

Of its many musical byways and subcultures, Santa Barbara’s acoustic guitar culture has long been a fairly well-represented avenue, with regular visits from such guitar legends as Leo Kottke and shows at Campbell Hall, SOhO, and elsewhere. But the scene bumped up exponentially a decade ago, thanks to the arrival of the organization known as SBAcoustic, bringing a steady flow of live shows by some of the world’s finer pickers, from folk, country, Hawaiian, and jazz (and jazz-adjacent) turfs.

Who hath wrought this phenom? Kevin Gillies is the determined and brave culprit behind this enlightened madness, who has long followed and nurtured his deep unplugged guitar passion as a guitarist, luthier, presenter, and guitar expo organizer. Before helming SBAcoustic’s series of live shows around town, he hosted ambitious events similar to the once-dominant Healdsburg Guitar Show, at Earl Warren Showgrounds and what is now the Hilton by the beach, in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

Since then, Gillies has ushered in acoustic guitar culture into welcoming spaces around town, including the historic Alhecama Theatre, SOhO, and a new home venue, the Unitarian Parish Hall. The upcoming milestone 10th season kicks off on Saturday, June 13, at SOhO, with the noted bluegrass master John Jorgensen — with special guest Gabe Witcher (Punch Brothers) on fiddle, Herb Pedersen on banjo, and Brian Netzley on bass.

Herb Pedersen and Gabe Witcher | Photo: Courtesy

We checked in with Gillies recently on the state of things in SBAcoustic, as it heads into a strong season of music, 10 years into the continuing adventure.

Congratulations on your 10th anniversary with SBAcoustic. How has this adventure evolved since its formation?

Thanks. It’s been an interesting and oftentimes challenging ride. Life has a habit of getting in the way of plans. The 2016 and 2017 guitar shows were, on the surface, showcasing the finest handmade stringed instruments, with luthiers presenting their artisanal works from all over the world. But behind that, it was about the music. We took over several venues around town with ongoing concerts for three days and four evenings.

Music is not just a bunch of notes and chords. Of great interest to me is that the 12-note chromatic “western” scale is a reflection of the ongoing migration of human culture over several thousand years as people migrated from India through Persia, splitting below (Moorish) and above (Romani) the Mediterranean, then again down into Iberia to become flamenco and above into Europe and the British Isles, and then into North America. 

You can hear the roots of all of this in the various “American folk” forms from New England, Appalachia, bluegrass, county, western swing, blues, and jazz. Then it reversed back to Europe, when swing heavily influenced Manouche jazz — or gypsy jazz — and was incorporated into Hawaiian music, which was originally mele chants, predating written language, as the oral history of the culture, to form slack key.

The social aspect of music cannot be overstated. All of the common genres we present — folk, blues, jazz, flamenco, Hawaiian, and gypsy jazz — are music of the “common” people, of the underprivileged, of those who were down-trodden. Music is how they shared their struggles and grievances, are songs of loss and protest, and always of emotion from the heart when played authentically. 

For eons, it was the base of gathering — to play and share music and dance. For instance, you cannot separate out the meaning of Hawaiian music from hula, or flamenco from dance, so we present those together whenever we can. Music is unparalleled in both its reflection of and impact on human culture, developing across time, place, religion and culture. It is the door to our souls, the balm for our spirit, an inspiration to feel deeply, our common language, and the heart of community. It is the voice of people to tell their stories, attainable to everyone regardless of wealth or status and inseparable from immigration around the world as people sought a better life.

I’m really pleased that so many of the world’s top musicians continue to come to the series, and that it is booked out through 2027. They make less than their normal rates, but they know they will get a knowledgeable and attentive audience. Several of our Acoustic Club members provide housing for them, which is incredibly important to making the bookings work.

I remember first meeting and knowing you when you put on the guitar luthier expos, at Earl Warren and then the Fess Parker (now Hilton). Can you give me a thumbnail bio of your world, as a luthier, guitarist and guitar scene advocate?

I originally apprenticed as a fine furniture maker and had worked for decades in residential architecture and construction, and community planning, on Maui. I had an inkling of the 2018 financial crisis six months beforehand. We decided to sell our off-grid home that spring, and almost immediately “got retired” by the economic collapse. We moved here but didn’t have the contacts to make a go as an architect or deal with its politics, and rather than hit a brick wall it was time to find a new gig.

As I have all the woodworking tools, I built our home and got intrigued by the architecture of instruments — the physics and the sculptural aspects. They are a complete ecosystem that not only has to look great but play and sound perfectly.  

The Healdsburg Guitar Show was the premier showcase in the world, but it closed up in 2013. I was silly enough to think I could take over the idea and bring it here but really had no idea what I was getting into. Yikes.

But I did meet a lot of incredible musicians who I still book to this day. Richard Smith is a great example — he brought his Hot Club of Nashville to the first show and has returned every year in some form or another. His Transatlantic Guitar Trio with German Gypsy Jazz star Joscho Stephan and the incredible Rory Hoffman played their very first live show for us and will return in September for the official 10th anniversary concert. We’ve hosted them as often as any in the world, for which we are incredibly lucky as they are without doubt the finest guitar trio in the world — they are stunning.

You have braved the challenges of presenting music during COVID and other challenges. Have you found there to be a strong and dedicated audience for this niche of music in this area? 

“Challenges” is an understatement for sure. We of course had to close up for a bit, and I was unable to continue production duties for a while. SOhO stepped in and was a saving grace to keep going. We present our larger shows there, including John Jorgenson and Herb Pedersen with Gabe Witcher from the Punch Brothers.

They are very generous playing for us at a fraction of their due, but they come as it’s been a long relationship, can warm up for their tour and will get a great reception. I just hope to get a worthwhile turnout, but it’s early enough to hit the show and jump over to Asleep at the Wheel (playing the Lobero Theatre that night) for those wanting to catch both.

We were selling out every show before the pandemic, but sadly it has never recovered. The musicians deserve so much more — we charge less for seats than the other venues on their tours but pay them 100 percent of net, as we are all volunteers — I even do the sound at the Parish Hall. 

We have a dedicated core, but it has shrunk as habits changed, and we’re not getting any younger. We continue to try to attract new members who may not know the acts or the genres, but I am confident that every show will be great, and eye- and ear-opening. We’ve presented well over 100, without a bust. 

I’m impressed with the upcoming list of shows for your 10th season. Can you tell me about your vision for this season, and point out some highlights? 

I’m incredibly grateful that the musicians keep contacting me and bring their best to the shows. They love the intimacy of a smaller venue and appreciation of a knowledgeable audience. The 10th anniversary lineup is very much a who’s-who of the best talent. I keep it interesting — you can’t present the finest in one genre and push repeat, so I vary a lot. 

We’ve got bluegrass, fingerstyle, county, gypsy jazz, singer/songwriters, boogie-woogies, ragtime, and jazz from Europe to the U.S. to Australia. You might not know the names of Joe Robinson, Alexandr Misko, Sarah McQuaid, Sonny Leyland, or Kyran Daniel, but they are all outstanding and wonderful people.

How do you envision the future of SBAcoustic?

A friend wrote this: “Acoustic music is the timeless sound of nature and resonating materials — wood, bone, gourd, gut, and skin. It predates the spoken language of modern culture, crossing all borders and barriers. It speaks to great, universal truths of very personal, yet familiar stories. Those stories keep legacies alive, allow them to be shared, and create new ones going forward.”

I think that is well said. We have formed an alliance with other small not-for-profit concert promoters at Cultural Music Alliance (link). The others primarily focus on their particular genre and heritage — flamenco, blues, and folk — which is great, whereas we cross-genre as much as we can and bring other musical forms to town.

Beyond that, gathering together and sharing is so important. We’ve presented music at many venues around town, and are now based at the USSB Parish Hall for the smaller “folk” presentations. I really like it as it is warm and intimate with great acoustics and is a social gathering place for those who share the same passion for traditional music and contemporary iterations, including fingerstyle. 

It’s sort of a “coffee-less house,” for those old enough to remember the ’50s or ’60s. It’s not just great, affordable music — it’s personally our main way to share a common interest, as that seems to be getting harder and harder to find as we age in a polarized world.

Anything else you’d like to add? 

S.B. “suffers” from an embarrassment of musical riches for the population size — the level of talent that comes through this small town is incredible. But it makes it hard to get attention and motivate people to get off the couch and away from streaming as it’s just too easy.

I hope people will recognize that without their participation, the shows can’t go on. I encourage everyone to get off the couch and enjoy live music.

SBAcoustic 10th Anniversary Concert takes place on June 13 at SOhO. See sbacoustic.com for more information.