With the first week of Spoleto barely half over, there was plenty to do in downtown Charleston on Tuesday evening. But away from the theater, dance, opera, comedy and visual arts, a few hundred folks gathered at the Music Farm to enjoy a set by guitar virtuoso Eric Johnson.

If the name isn't familiar, there is still a good chance that you have heard Johnson's music, as several of his guitar instrumentals have been used in television and radio commercials. Johnson, who has been playing guitar since the age of 11, is probably best known for his 1990 CD "Ah Via Musicom," which received national radio airplay, despite the fact that many of the songs featured no vocals. Oh sure, Eric does sing, but so incredible is the guy's guitar playing that he doesn't necessarily have to write lyrics for every one of his songs.

Besides a long set of great music, Tuesday night's show had more than a few attractive qualities. The crowd, though unusually large for a Tuesday night, was still small enough that one could move around freely inside the Farm. While there is nothing wrong with a packed show, I love it when I can stretch out a bit at a show. Another pleasant surprise was the show beginning just after 10 p.m., which is more than an hour earlier than shows usually begin in local clubs.

Johnson himself is 49, and while that is not exactly old, he might have taken into account that most of his audience are -- a) in their 30s and 40s, and b) have day jobs. Whatever the case, the early start was much appreciated.

Johnson kicked off his set with a few original songs, including "12 to 12," "S.R.V." and "40 Mile," before digging into his version of Bob Dylan's "My Back Pages" ("We do this song like the Byrds," explained Johnson before playing the tune. "We just put a little fuzz on it."

Johnson revealed that he had just about completed a new studio album, which would be released soon.

"We have two more tracks to mix, which means you ought to be able to pick it up in five or six years," joked Johnson, who then performed a new song that would not be available on the forthcoming album. Next up was a pair of Jimi Hendrix tunes, "Love or Confusion" and "The Wind Cries Mary," which Johnson, an obvious Hendrix fan, treated lovingly. Another Johnson original, "Columbia," which the guitarist dedicated to the men and women of the space shuttle Columbia, followed the Hendrix mini-set.

"We're going to play until 4 a.m., and then we're all going to go out and have cereal," Johnson told the audience. Apparently the musician wasn't familiar with the 2 a.m. local closing time, but it appeared that more than a few of the fans at the Farm were ready to go have some Cheerios with Johnson.

A short delve into the blues allowed Johnson to proclaim his love for that musical genre. After several more Johnson originals, the artist began to noodle around on his guitar. Perhaps "noodle" is an unfair description, because if in fact Eric is the guitar expert he claims to be, then that noodling deserves a wider audience. The lengthy guitar intro soon exploded into Johnson's signature song, "Cliffs of Dover," which Johnson, bassist Chris Maresh and drummer Tommy Taylor performed beautifully. Johnson also returned to the stage for a pair of encores. Whether he was singing using his superb guitar playing or was actually opening his mouth, Johnson had Tuesday night's audience enthralled. Let's just hope that Johnson's jokes about not having a new album for half a decade are unfounded.

Devin Grant is a freelance writer based in Charleston.
e-mail: Chucktowncritic@yahoo.com