1-Man Show Plays in Search of Audience : Rob Curtis can be seen for free Tuesdays at Cafe Voltaire. That means he makes nothing for the shows, but it’s a start.

Talk about your affordable night out. The free Rob Curtis & Wakazula show on Tuesdays at Cafe Voltaire in Ventura surely registers high on the cheapskate scale, and after ingesting some of that industrial-strength coffee, you’ll be chattering like a magpie to your significant other.

One of a growing number of coffeehouses in downtown Ventura, Cafe Voltaire has that airy barn look. That’s probably because it used to be an airy barn in which the city repaired its bus fleet. Trying to put the place on the map despite a location somewhat off the beaten path, the cafe now offers music six nights a week, with no tunes on Thursday’s Poetry Night. There’s Open Mike Night every Sunday and Chess Night on Mondays.

Curtis, whose paycheck equals the cover charge, took the gig with the intention of building something out of nothing. And nothing pretty much describes Tuesday nights for most club owners.

“The owner offered me a night and I accepted it with the stipulation that it be the same night,” Curtis said. “But it’s hard to get on a roll. I have a marriage to hold down and an 8-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter.”

Then again, Curtis doesn’t have any trouble dividing up the loot at the end of the night.

So what’s Wakazula?

“Wakazula is an umbrella, and the name of the whole band,” the guitarist said during halftime of one of his recent gigs. “And I’m the whole band. I’ve been involved with various groups, but Wakazula has been going since the summer of 1993 when I won the Bermuda Triangle Acoustic Music Contest. I’ve gained a lot of experience doing everything myself, but I have been rehearsing with a drummer, and I’m looking for a bass player.”

The thirtysomething Curtis comes from a musical family. Four of his siblings formed These Visitors back in Goshen, Ind. Occasionally, Rob would sit in, making it a unanimous family venture. His brothers Rick and Mike migrated to Los Angeles, played with Neil Young’s occasional backup band, Crazy Horse, co-wrote “Southern Cross,” a biggie for Crosby, Stills & Nash, then released an album under the name the Curtis Brothers. They’ve since headed back to Hoosier land, where they do an annual reunion gig, so far, without Rob.

“Playing was a combination of things,” he said. “I was the youngest of five in a musical family and my brothers had developed their own styles, but the last thing they wanted to do was to become a musical Partridge Family. I’m always debating whether or not the family talent is a blessing or a curse. I was born an artist, so I really have no choice.”

Curtis moved from Indiana to Florida, then to Santa Paula in the ‘70s, picking up a variety of musical influences during his travels.

“One thing about Indiana, the radio reception was great,” he said. “I could get stations from Minneapolis, Chicago, Memphis and Nashville. When I moved to Florida, I was just devastated by James Brown and black music in general. Bands like Sly & the Family Stone were great, but they couldn’t keep it up. Later, when I saw Johnny Clegg & Savuka, that turned me on to the stage show idea. These days, I’m more inspired by artists like Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails). He’s where I thought Devo was going to go.”

On Tuesdays, Curtis will be the guy in the corner playing a most unusual electric guitar cranked down. Although there are no neighbors, earplugs are unnecessary at Cafe Voltaire. With all sorts of subtle guitar work, Curtis once described his music as “a cross between Seal, Sade and Nine Inch Nails,” and later, “groove music that’s not too abrasive.”

In addition to the one-of-a-kind guitar it took him eight years to build, Curtis also plays a mandola , which is half-mandolin and half-viola. He plays his quirky songs in front of a most unusual backdrop, bookshelves. With a tape on sale, the former janitor hopes to expand his fan base to include many more cool cats, besides the friendly gray one acting cute not 15 feet from the stage.

“I used to sweep the stage at the Ventura Theatre,” he said, “and I hope to be playing on it real soon. Timing is essential. I’m ready to jump out, and I think this is a good time. I’ve got at least 30 solid songs. I’m working on a CD, and I’ll be finishing the tracks through January and February.”

Details

* WHO: Rob Curtis & Wakazula.

* WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

* WHERE: Cafe Voltaire, 34 N. Palm St., Ventura.

* HOW MUCH: Free.

* CALL: 641-1743.