An acoustic hootenanny begins Saturday at the Charleston County Public Library

On Saturday, the Charleston County Library will be home to a lot more than books. That is the first date of an all-acoustic monthly concert series, which will feature solo artists, bands and acoustic ensembles.

It was all started by Kevin Crothers. Crothers is the man behind Blues Bash, the annual Charleston blues concert for ten years running, and Local Blend, which had a five-year stint at the Spoletto Festival. He was ready to try something different.

"One thing we've often heard from the people (who have attended) the Blues Bash is that we have one of the nicest facilities to listen to live music," Crothers said. "It's a great place to hear music when you want to just hear music. We really try to promote sort of a listening room environment where the focus is on the artist."

The first night of the concert series will feature local blues-folk mainstay Pete Ledbetter, Charleston's own sailor singer-songwriter Chuck Taylor, and Sabrina, a soulful acoustic act from Nashville.

Ledbetter has been playing music professionally for 30 years and intends his set on Saturday to be a blend of roots, folk and traditional country to pay homage to these guitar stylings that have gotten lost in today's industry. He looks at the concert series as a positive step for the preservation of these genres.

"I'm just glad that there is some alternative outlet for acoustic music," Ledbetter said. "You take your art down to the bare bones. If it's (just) you and your guitar, you need to know how to play your instrument."

Taylor is also glad to be part of that "listening room" environment.

"I think we're going to get a lot of people who are music lovers, and musicians need music lovers," Taylor said. "It's going to be a good avenue for acoustic music that doesn't necessarily have to fit into the 'coffee house' thing." "The first one is singer/songwriters, essentially solo artists. This is probably the show where the artists will be most alike," Crothers said.

Crothers has dates that carry the series all the way until next November, and is not only looking for solo-artists to fill the bill, but acoustic ensembles as well. Each concert will be held in the library's sound room, which seats 200 listeners, and will be free of charge, The artists will be compensated for their performance by book sales and different fundraisers that the library puts on throughout the year. December's Off The Grid concert will feature the duet Becca and Daniel, and ensembles Mac Leaphart Band and The Explorers Club.

The Off The Grid series is an alternative to bar and coffee house performances that gives the audience an intimate experience with the performers.

"It's telling stories," Ledbetter said. "You're creating a story. If you engage the people, if you talk to them, look them in the eye, that, to me, is what the acoustic experience is about. It's almost like the old bards, and the old story-tellers. I think we're coming to see the end of that tradition, but I hope not, because people touching people with music is important to me."

More info

What: Acoustic series at the Main Library

When: 2-5 p.m. Saturday

Cost: free

Address: 68 Calhoun St., downtown

Phone: (843) 805-6930

Web site: www.ccpl.org/