Amos Garrett is revered for his lighter-than-air touch on the electric guitar, but he recently discovered that there’s nothing heavier than water. The six-string veteran was hard hit by last June’s flooding in High River, Alberta, although it’s fortunate that his most prized six-strings were at a friend’s home, awaiting a rehearsal. Still, it’s been tough for the 71-year-old musician and his wife Denise.

“We took a lot of damage, and it wasn’t all just physical damage to the house,” Garrett told the Straight in a telephone interview. “Probably our biggest loss is that my wife lost her job as a result of the flood. We live pretty close to the line, so we need a grubstake to get us through until such time as Denise can find work again.”

It sounds dire, but Garrett’s able to joke about his losses, and he also reports that he’s getting a lot of help from his fans and fellow musicians. The latest in a series of country-wide benefit concerts takes place at the Rio Theatre next Thursday (October 24), and it will find Garrett joined by Tom Lavin and the Powder Blues, Jim Byrnes, Roy Forbes and a host of other local blues and roots performers. If you can’t make that, you can always send money. “Probably the best way to do that,” the guitarist says, “is through an E-transfer to my email address, which is amosg@shaw.ca.”