There are many fine musicians in San Diego, but Mike Keneally is in a class of his own. Prolific to a fault, by definition he is a virtuoso guitarist and keyboard player, composer and singer. But that’s just scratching the surface. A cursory look at his resume reveals stints performing with Frank Zappa and Steve Vai, his own bands Beer for Dolphins and Drop Control, collaborations with members of XTC and even work with blues legends such as Solomon Burke and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. That’s in addition to 19 albums from his own projects and work on another 80 discs from other musicians. Restless by nature, Keneally is on a continual quest for new musical adventures. Keneally, who will perform a rare solo show at the Athenaeum on June 8 as part of the Acoustic Evenings series, got his start on a life in music at the age of 7, when he received an electric organ for his birthday. “I suppose it was inevitable I became a musician,” he said. “Music was floating around in the air at our household.” Though his entire family contributed to his love of music, it was his sister who had the greatest influence. “I was born in 1961,” Keneally said. “When I was 4 or 5, it was the mid-’60s and I had a teenage sister, target audience for Beatlemania. So she had all these incredible records I grew up listening to.” With the keyboard he explored progressive rock music such as Emerson, Lake & Palmer, but his 11th birthday saw him shift to guitar as his main instrument. “I was writing music, but I felt something was missing,” he explained of the switch. “I thought, ‘How come my songs don’t sound like the Beatles or the Rolling Stones?’ With a guitar I felt I could do so much more than with a keyboard.” Though he is perhaps best known for his electric guitar playing, for this performance, he’ll stick to acoustic. “It makes more sense, because it produces a fuller sound. With an electric you have other considerations and variables,” he said. Though he hasn’t yet visited the Athenaeum, he knows it by reputation and looks forward to testing its aural qualities. “I understand this venue is a rare occurrence, where you can be enchanted by the acoustics of the room,” he said enthusiastically. Despite having a vast catalog of songs to choose from for this performance, Keneally notes that his song choices are limited by the acoustic nature of the evening. “It really comes down to what I can do justice to in a solo format,” he remarked. “It does eliminate a lot of candidates, but it’s important that the set consist of songs in which the point can be made succinctly, without other musicians.” Keneally’s schedule is a blur of tour dates and recording sessions, with a matching philosophy that keeps him from being overwhelmed. “I really just have to make peace with the fact that some things take longer than others,” he said. “I try not to place pressure on individual projects. Moving between things as they progress keeps my interest, giving me new enthusiasm.” As much as he enjoys touring and working on his own music, he especially likes working on other people’s albums. “I’m always delighted to get involved on someone’s project,” he said. “It’s great to explore ideas from others. It takes things out of a comfort zone for me.” Now four decades into life as a musician, Keneally is clearly just as thrilled as ever to be making music. “I do get the same excitement as I did early on. What excites me about music is the feeling of there being new frontiers to explore,” he said. “I’m always trying to go into areas that I haven’t been before. And that never loses its allure.” Acoustic Evenings at the Athenaeum, with Mike Keneally, takes place Monday, June 8 at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., 7:30 p.m. All ages may attend. For tickets ($10 members, $15 non-members), call (858) 454-5872 or visit www.ljathenaeum.org.