“The key to doing this for a long time,” explained Leo Kottke to his audience, “is never having a hit.”

        In a night filled with between-song miscellanea, that particular non-sequitur hit home more than the others. Mr. Kottke is no hit-maker, but for more than 30 years he has sustained a career as successful as any other neo-folk acoustic guitar soloist.

        Random songs and anecdotes from that career made up his 90-minute show at the 20th Century

        Thursday night.

        As a recording artist, Mr. Kottke concentrates on instrumental pieces. His live act is more multi-dimensional, with singing and storytelling as much a part of the show as his virtuoso finger-picking style.

        His playing relies on a balance of self-control and flashiness, which he always seems to maintain. Likewise, there's a harmony between tunes and talking during his best concerts. To simplify the dynamic, it's as if the guitar geeks want to hear him rip into the six- or 12-string, and their girlfriends want him to tell a funny story before he does so.

        Although the show was enjoyable, it seemed a little short on songs, as he only did 12 plus an encore.

        For the most part, he made the song selections count. His version of the Byrds' “Eight Miles High,” which he has done live for years, is an inspired cover choice. He found new rhythm and melody in the song, and his approach was more grounded than — but as equally effective as — the original's ringing-Rickenbacker psychedelia.

        That song was a musical moment in and of itself, and other than a couple other instrumentals, the rest of the tunes were tied into rambling, amusing monologs.

        The instrumental “William Powell” (played on a black six-string made of carbon fiber, for you guitar geeks) prompted a story about the real William Powell's baptismal gown. This somehow turned into Mr. Kottke describing a Tom Mix secret-vision ring he owns.

        Mr. Kottke's version of an old folk song called “Banks of Marble” served as an excuse to recall a debate about politicized music between the apolitical John Fahey and Pete Seeger, who thought music was politics. Mr. Kottke remembered how each of Mr. Seeger's thoughtfully crafted arguments was met by the same two-word response from Mr. Fahey: “It's boring.”

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