Acoustic
Fe e d bac k BY TORI PHELPS
|
PH O TO G R A PH Y BY C H R I S A LVA R A D O
S i n g e r- s on gwrite r an d g uitar arti san C h ri s Alvarado ri ffs o n th e be n e fits of pati e n c e , h i s de fi n itio n of “ maki n g it,” an d why h e ’ s th e luc ki e st g uy i n th e world. Driftwood is a reminder of what Mother Nature can do when she’s not even trying. Washed on the waves and shaped by time, it evokes images of coastal life at its laid-back, enchanting best. When Chris Alvarado named his custom guitar company Driftwood Guitars as an homage to his beloved Florida Gulf Coast home near Scenic Highway 30-A, he couldn’t have imagined that it would become synonymous with the kind of exceptional instruments that household-name artists are willing to wait years to own. Growing up on the Emerald Coast, Alvarado didn’t always appreciate the area’s unique beauty; it took being stationed in Alaska with the Air Force to discover that he missed it. The time away helped him realize something else: he wanted to perform music. As he waded into the area’s vibrant coffeehouse scene, he became a fan favorite and soon was playing every weekend.
46 | MAY 2020
