Peace Out, Brooksy

Long-time Lane County resident and fingerstyle guitarist extraordinaire Brooks Robertson says farewell to our beloved city on Feb. 12 when he makes a break for the stars up in Portland. LaVelle Wine Bar, a recurrent host of Robertson, plans to make the event as fitting as possible while we see off one of the area’s most talented and unique artists. Brooks has been named the Buster B. Jones of his generation, and this seems apt considering how smoothly and impressively he makes his guitar hum. Jones was also a mentor of Robertson from an early age, and so the legacy of virtuosic fingerpicking will live on for years to come.



There’s something about the power and raw energy of one dude sitting in a chair with just a six string and a bunch of intense chops that makes the heart sing. Brooks has made this feeling a reality for years in Eugene, and there’s no doubt he’ll do the same up in P-town. His reputation is already large, and it’s boosted magnificently by his memorable second-place overall finish at last years “Yamaha Six String Guitar Theory Competition,” an international event that draws guitarists from almost fifty countries worldwide.

The evening-long “Bon Voyage” event at LaVelle features a meet-and-greet with Robertson starting at 5 pm, a set by local country-pop band Apropos from 6 to 6:45, and a two-hour Brooks set worthy of this momentous sendoff beginning at 7. Food will be available for purchase all night, and everything else is free. Could you really ask for more?

So let’s doff our hats to Brooks for supplying us with one of the coolest guitar techniques around. Thanks for all the good times, dude.

The Brooks Robertson “Bon Voyage” concert starts at 5 pm, Saturday, Feb. 12, at LaVelle Wine Bar; FREE

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