We are the Champions (of the Arts): Steve Vagnini talks about the glory days of Monterey's music scene.

The Arts Council for Monterey County's Champions of the Arts gala is a luminous evening of many of the most creative minded people in our midst. What they do is invaluable to the community. What they say about what they do is also valuable in its own right. I spoke with all eight of them. Portions of their interviews appear in the latest print copy of the Weekly. But here are more insights, wisdom and revelations from this batch of arts champions.

Steve Vagnini, recipient of the Volunteer award for his work on Sand City's arts festival West End Celebration and youth nonprofit Guitars Not Guns, expressed appreciation for being counted in the company of his fellow Champions.

"I'm honored, humbled," he said. "What a great group of people to be matched up with. I was surprised but honored to hear I was recognized for what I've been doing in Monterey for three decades. I think the catalyst was Guitars Not Guns the last four years [and] West End Celebration, but also promoting musicians in this town the last 35 years. Your local bands. Not necessarily big name acts. That's what I'm about."

But the award, as he ascertained, is for Volunteer. That would include his 13 years helping to shepherd Sand City's signature event, West End Celebration. He was with two fellow founders of WEC, city councilmember Todd Kruper and publicist Diedre Bascou, at a White Album Ensemble show in Santa Cruz that was also a benefit for that city's chapter of Guitars Not Guns.

"Wow, what a great idea," he told them. "Why don't we have a Monterey chapter?"

So he went through the steps to found the local chapter of the nationwide organization, one of the most successful in terms of graduating students out of the program—600 in just three years. In addition to being not cost to the child, each graduate gets to keep the guitar that is donated to them by their musician teachers.

"Those guys are the real champions," Vagnini said. "I have passion, so I push people. I'm more a facilitator. I have great organizational skills."

No kidding. In addition to the music promotion and the volunteering—he organized last Saturday's sold-out Rock Scully tribute at Museum of Monterey—Vagnini is the county assessor and county clerk/recorder. But the music work has always been there, lo these three-plus decades, spilling out in surprising stories about Monterey's music-starry past. Like this reminiscence sparked by the lone question: Do you play music?

"When I was in high school I sang in bands," Vagnini said. "Every once in a while I would jump up and sing with a group. I never played an instrument. When I first moved back to Monterey I was going to start another band but I didn't have it in my anymore. Instead of singing, I started managing.

"The Club in Monterey was the happening place. They had live music on Thursday nights. Los Lobos, Huey Lewis, Bonnie Raitt played there. Edgar and Johnny Winter. One time Bruce Springsteen came in to check out a band. Mick Fleetwood popped into the bar. Clint Eastwood used to come in before he was famous.

"Where My Museum is today used to be called the Old Monterey Music Hall. I was the business manager there. We had Ricky Nelson play there a week before he died in a plane crash. David Bromberg, Mimi Farina, Bobby Weir and the Midnites, stuff like that happening all the time. The Oz was a club that didn't last long, but that's where The Tubes and Elvin Bishop played. The Broadway Band was playing downstairs where Cibo is; it was called The Brasserie. They had live music seven nights a week. Monterey was much more happening back then."

And you can be sure Vagnini was one of the reasons why.