Brand new Lighthouse Smokehouse brings on barbecue, an incredible club sandwich and…star bluesman Mike Beck?!

Lighthouse Smokehouse (375-6958) didn't take long to start smokin' on New Monterey's main street since its opening Feb. 13.

And it apparently won't take long to start rockin' either.

In a surprising—and surprisingly high-quality—twist, the week-and-a-half-old barbecue joint will host Mike Beck and the Bohemian Saints with Tom Ayres 9pm Saturday, Feb. 28. Cover is $10. 

For the record, it's a smokehouse as much as it is a relocated deli (hidden gem Bayview Deli) in a former Afghan restaurant (Amir's Bar & Grill).

But what they're smoking is as good as it always was down by the dock.

More on that in a second.

First to cowboy bluesman Beck, arguably the most popular local live act to perform here regularly. (That's thanks in part to the prodigious picking abilities of longtime guitarist Ayres of Persephone's Bees.)

“There’s no rules when you write songs,” Beck says. “For me, songs are about a feeling and that feeling is different within each person that hears it. That’s the beauty of it.”

In addition to delivering strong live shows, Beck has a knack for translating real life experiences into great tunes.

“Oildale”—a small town next to Bakersfield where Merle Haggard was born—was inspired by a trip he took to Bakersfield to meet Buck Owens.

He found the country legend and got Owens’ signature on his own prized Telecaster, but when he drove through Oildale, which used to be home to a bustling country music scene, the clubs were closed and the town was reduced to a dust bowl devoid of music.

No more George Jones and Hank Williams playing the legendary The Blackboard, which is understandable, but no sign they ever did, either. 

“It was like the Ryman Auditorium of the West Coast and it became a Domino’s Pizza parlor," Beck says. "There’s no celebration of the history of great California music.”

While “Oildale” is about the death of a beloved era, “John Steinbeck Drinks Here” and “Summer of Love” celebrate Monterey’s illustrious cultural past as the place where one of the greatest American writers called home and the site of one of the most groundbreaking music festivals in rock and roll history.

The Smokehouse club ($10.50) should be celebrated while we're at it. What Ayres is to guitar, the Lighthouse Smokehouse is to smoked-meat sandwiches.

Yes, it's that good. 

The key is the three house-smoked proteins—ham, turkey and bacon, not a common accomplishment around here—layered with thick mayo, ample avocado and toasted sourdough (or rye if you must).

The other sandwiches were also excellent, particularly with a glass of wine or draft beer from the full bar, including the saucy and satisfying Reuben ($9.50) and maple-cured BLT ($9.50).

The smoked salmon plate ($14.75) with a choice of side (including expertly roasted seasonal vegetables) proves another winner.

When the blues and rock roll, it will be time for a combination barbecue plate ($19.75) thundering out three meats (like a third-rack of ribs, tri tip, pulled pork, half Rocky's chicken or salmon) with one side and thick bread.