Minstrel makes annual visit to Carlsbad
San Diego Union Tribune – San Diego,CA,USA
His first area performance was in Leucadia, he said. Now he has a local
following that includes those who know him, as well as many who are curious
to hear …

Harvey Reid is a modern-day minstrel, a traveling musician who has performed across the nation for the past 30 years.

Today, he visits the Carlsbad Village Theatre for an annual, one-night appearance.

Reid is a favorite with local guitar aficionados, said theater proprietor Tom McMahon.

“He’s pretty well the best we’ve had here,” McMahon said.

The “minstrel” hails from Maine and is known for his acoustic finger style and for creating the partial capo – a clamp that shortens a few of the guitar strings and raises the pitch that can be produced.

“It changes the landscape of what’s possible,” explained Reid, who has composed numerous songs that take advantage of the new sound.

He has released 19 albums on his own label, Woodpecker Records.

“When you play guitar, it’s all about running out of fingers. I can do things with a guitar and a partial capo you can’t (otherwise) . . . I’ve got some pretty fancy stuff,” he said.

Reid has logged more than 30 years entertaining at clubs, at festivals, on street corners and in concert halls around the country. The subtitle to his concert is “Celebrating 30 Years as a Modern Minstrel.”

Reid said he is “the modern version of the guy who used to come through with his harp and his donkey.

“People have been passing through towns, playing their music for people for thousands of years. Nowadays, we do it with a rental car and cell phone.”

He usually brings three instruments on the road: an autoharp, an acoustic guitar and a slide guitar to play the blues.

Fans will never hear the same show twice, Reid said. His concerts cover a wide ground of styles, from folk to classical, to blues and bluegrass, Celtic and ragtime.

“He’s one of the most amazing guitar players in the world, period,” said Kevin Kinnear, general manager at Buffalo Bros. Guitars in Carlsbad. “He’s a wonderful musician and storyteller and a great personality all around. (The audience) will be highly entertained, no matter what their musical orientation.”

Reid has worked closely with the local companies Buffalo Bros., Taylor Guitars and Deering Banjo Co., he said.

This will be his 18th visit to San Diego County. His first area performance was in Leucadia, he said. Now he has a local following that includes those who know him, as well as many who are curious to hear what he can do with a guitar, Reid said.

Kinnear likened the concert to a holiday.

“Harvey coming is an annual event I really look forward to,” he said. “It’s like Christmas coming around.”

Tickets are available online for $15 by clicking the “Coming Events” link at