Article Contributed by L. Paul Mann
Published on February 5, 2026
Matteo Mancuso | Lobero Theatre | Santa Barbara, CA | January 29th, 2026 – photos by L. Paul Mann
If there were any lingering doubts that we are witnessing a historic shift in the evolution of the electric guitar, Matteo Mancuso erased them within the first four bars of his opening number at the Lobero Theatre. Standing on a stage that has hosted generations of giants, the Sicilian phenom didn’t simply play the guitar—he reimagined its mechanical and expressive limits in real time.
The timing felt right. Coming on the heels of the NAMM Show in Anaheim, where technology and gear dominate the conversation, this night was a reminder that tools ultimately serve the musician, not the other way around. At the Lobero, the focus was on touch, tone, and intent—pure musicality stripped of spectacle.
Mancuso’s streamlined touring setup reflects that philosophy. His Yamaha Revstar Professional RSP20, paired with a Fractal Audio FM3 digital modeler, delivered a tone that was warm, articulate, and remarkably consistent across registers. Strung with Dogal Maestro Series strings, the guitar responded instantly to his right-hand nuances, while occasional use of baritone guitars added depth to select passages without ever feeling ornamental.
Performing as a trio, Mancuso was joined by longtime collaborators Riccardo Oliva on bass and keyboards and Gianluca Pellerito on drums. Together, they functioned as a lean, highly responsive fusion unit. Oliva’s bass work was both grounding and conversational, often weaving melodic counterlines that danced with Mancuso’s leads. Pellerito, meanwhile, drove the music with astonishing speed and precision, especially on high-energy pieces like “Falcon Flight,” where the band moved as a single organism.
The real revelation of the evening, however, was Mancuso’s technique. Eschewing a pick entirely, he employs a classically informed fingerstyle approach that allows for an intimacy with the strings few electric guitarists achieve. On “The Great Wall,” the theater fell into near silence as his notes bloomed with a rounded, vocal quality. In the Lobero’s pristine acoustics, the difference was unmistakable: even his most blistering runs felt lyrical and conversational rather than aggressive.
The set drew from his debut album The Journey as well as newer, more exploratory material. “Silkroad” stood out for its blend of Mediterranean melodic sensibilities and modern jazz-fusion vocabulary, while “In the Morning Light” demonstrated that Mancuso’s restraint can be just as compelling as his speed.
One of the night’s most moving moments came with the trio’s interpretation of “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers,” dedicated to the late Jeff Beck. Earlier in the evening, a young musician invited through the Lobero’s Brubeck Circle outreach program mentioned similarities between Mancuso’s fingerstyle approach and Beck’s expressive touch. Mancuso responded with a dry grin, quipping, “Their girlfriends must have been very happy.” Rather than leaning on Beck’s signature vibrato, Mancuso shaped the piece through subtle swells and dynamics that felt deeply personal and entirely his own.
The encore brought the evening to a jubilant peak. A high-octane take on “The Chicken” unleashed full-throttle fusion energy, with Mancuso and Pellerito trading ferocious four-bar breaks that brought the Santa Barbara crowd to its feet. As the applause roared, Mancuso laughed and noted that it was the first time he’d broken two guitar strings in a single night.
By the time the house lights came up, it was clear that Matteo Mancuso has moved well beyond the labels of “internet sensation” or “rising star.” At the Lobero Theatre, he proved himself a definitive voice in the ongoing story of the electric guitar—an artist capable of playing the impossible while keeping melody, warmth, and humanity front and center. For those in attendance, this wasn’t just another impressive show; it was a genuine *where-were-you-when* moment in modern guitar history.
