CIGAR BOX FESTIVAL with Ice Bob, Steve Arvey, Ben Prestage & Travis Bowlin

During hard times, people make do with what they have.  Historically, whenever musical people have not had access to commercially produced instruments, they have made wonderful use of household items and found hardware to create unique, functional and expressive devices.  Improvised instruments were germane to the birth and early development of both Jazz and Blues musical movements.

As the name implies, the body is made of an empty cigar box. The head and neck can be made out of anything from broom handles to wooden slates or sticks and if a cigar box can't be found then the actual body can be made out of bedpans, skillets and anything in between.

In the last quarter of the Twentieth Century, musically creative individuals became interested in reviving the art and craft of handmade stringed instruments.  Spurred on by the connectivity of the internet, participation in this Do-It-Yourself movement increased greatly in the earliest years of the Twenty-First Century and has now become a full-blown worldwide phenomenon.  The Cigar Box Guitar has risen to the upper levels of popular culture to the extent that celebrities like Steven Segal, Johnny Depp, and Sir Paul McCartney have jumped on the bandwagon.

Come celebrate the art of the Cigar Box Guitar with four masters of the craft!