It had been a *long* since we saw live music, and we were really looking forward to getting back into it, starting with Scott Metzger and Katie Jacoby at Club Passim on Wednesday, March 30th. Drove into Harvard Square on the first warm day after a late-March cold spell and had no trouble getting a parking spot on the Common. We met Dave at Russell House Tavern and had a fine meal and couple of beers, then did the short walk up the alley to the Club.
There were only about a dozen other fans there when we arrived, but more kept trickling in and by the time Scott's set started it was possibly half full. There were no anti-idiots around in Cambridge, long live the People's Republic! They not only required proof of vaccination, they required proof of a booster shot. They also required masks when not actively drinking or eating and almost everyone complied. They had a bench-style setup and so Sarah had to sit facing away from me and Dave; she reported that her waitress had to remind the others next to her to pull their masks back up a couple of times, but besides that I saw total compliance.
Katie came on first accompanied by Simon Kafka, who had accompanied her and Scott when we saw them at City Winery. She played a beautiful, old violin with a mike strapped to it, right near her chin rest. Simon was on an old acoustic and they played some beautiful, intricate tunes. Both Katie and Scott were wearing wedding rings, they must have squeezed in the event sometime during the pandemic after being officially engaged in early 2020.
Scott came on after a short set break, solo, with a small, 1955-vintage guitar. He played some beautiful stuff himself. He had a vocal mike that he generally used for introductions only, the exceptions being covers of Black-Throated Wind, Waylon Jennings' Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line, and Vincent Black Lightning, which he was born to cover. But besides those aberrations it was mostly original guitar jazz mastery. A few people were sporting Grateful Dead stuff but remained polite listeners. This was an acoustic jazz/swing concert and was all about virtuosity. It was fantastic, especially with an intimate crowd in the tiny Club Passim on a non-busy night.
Katie and Simon came back out to join Scott for a few closing tunes, including a Stéphane Grappelli mashup and a Phish song. Near the end he thanked us for coming out, commented on the wonderful, living-room style setting, and thanked us for not "shouting out stuff." I took the opportunity to call for Lost Sailor, which amused him.
Incredibly enjoyable concert and a nice, mellow night. Strolled back to the car through the early-Spring evening and headed back home.
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