Mike Dawes | Fully Seated

Solo acoustic guitar as a spectator sport sounds like a hard sell until you watch somebody play bass, melody and percussion simultaneously on one instrument and realize you have been listening to what sounded like three people. Dawes is among the handful of players working at that level, and the arrangements of familiar songs are the gateway — people arrive for a cover they recognize and stay for the original material. Seated is correct; this is music to watch hands during. The Ventura room is small enough that you can. Music at 8:00 PM on East Thompson Boulevard, a Thursday. Fingerstyle guitar has a quiet and enormous following built almost entirely through video, and shows like this are where those people finally meet each other.