The monthly Friday acoustic music series, a creation of Novato-based guitarist Gordon Rowland of Guitarwork.com, has returned to Benicia. The second of its six concerts, featuring harpist Motoshi Kosako, is this Friday, March 6, at Northgate Church.

Rowland started the series last year as a way to feature musicians in a more intimate setting and to work with the community. The inaugural series took place at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

The series gained in popularity, he said, and by the August show, when Jon Mendle and Matthew Fish performed, St. Paul’s was full.

This year the series has moved to Northgate Church because “Northgate is quite comfortable with twice the seating,” Rowland said. “There is also stage lighting and a sound engineer, which remedies the light and sound comedy act I used to do.”

Last year the series supported the St. Paul’s community meals program; now in a new venue, Rowland has asked that the staff of Northgate direct two dollars of every ticket sale to community emergencies.

“Guitarwork concerts have done benefits for cancer victims, tsunami victims, Valdez oil spill victims, high school programs, Vietnamese schools, Nairobi orphans. All these events happened in an atmosphere of emergency,” he said.

“I have attended Northgate Church and I trust them. I know they are not going to redirect funds for their building program.”

Another new feature to the series this year: food and beverages. “We provide food at 7, and music starts at 7:30. It frees up dinner hour for travel time, and makes a larger window for arrival time,” Rowland said.

Among the acts listed for the remaining concerts are musicians who performed last year, but there are new faces as well — Motoshi Kosako among them.

Guitarist Alex DeGrassi was originally scheduled to perform April 3, but the date was moved a week to April 10. “I booked Alex DeGrassi on Good Friday!” Rowland confessed. “A fan enlightened me and we have compensated.”

Aryeh Frankfurter and Lisa Lynne are scheduled for May 1, and the Guitarwork Ensemble will be June 5. The July 10 performance is still up in the air, but some performers have expressed interest. “Carlos Reyes is still considering my small stipend,” Rowland said, and “in the interim, a guitar duo from Chico is interested, (composer and guitarist) Stuart Weber from Montana has expressed interest, and the list of takers is growing.”

When Rowland is putting shows together, he said he likes to “surf the wave of options and imagine combinations.”

“I want the audience to surf the wave of options with me,” he said. “It’s a community rather than a business enterprise.”

He said that for each performance he tries to provide a surprise, “something that delights.”

“It may be something they see, taste or hear,” he said. “Just like a performer gives his utmost to produce delight in them, I want them to know how powerful they are in building confidence and self-esteem for a performer,” Rowland said of the audience. “I want a powerfully delighted audience, and performer.”

If You Go
Motoshi Kosako’s performance will take place Friday night at Northgate Church, 2201 Lake Herman Road. Doors open at 7, and the concert begins at 7:30. Tickets are available at guitarwork.com.