You can't tell from simply dropping by one night that Club Passim is one of the East Coast's premiere hotspots for folk music and spoken word. On a Thursday night, the 30' by 40' room that makes up the club's concert space is sparsely populated - there's just a scattering of friends and fans. Nobody, really. A few days later, though, there's a wait to get in and barely any standing room when you do.
But it's not the size of the crowd that matters. The artists that grace Passim's stage each night don't play to the masses or for the masses. They perform for the art of the songwriting craft and for the beauty of poetry mingled with music. They perform for their loved ones, and more importantly, they perform for themselves.
And that's why people continue to come back to this Harvard Square folk haven again and again.
Club Passim was established exactly 40 years ago as a nonprofit music center dedicated to the "cultivation and preservation of folk music." The club serves as a local haven for those wanting to immerse themselves in the art and culture of folk music and its traditions. Its resources include a performance venue, a school of music, and a series of multi-cultural children's programs.
"There's not much money in folk music, but they wanted to exist," said Crystal Hill, a frequent volunteer. "They want to be supportive of the folk industry without paying for it out of their own pockets."
Passim has the atmosphere to match its mission and its cause. Intimate and cozy, the club is laid-back and unassuming with an unmistakable sense of history. Tonight, Thursday, is a birthday party for Timothy Mason, the club's booking agent. He's invited his friends onstage to folk the night away with acoustic guitars, spoken word, and poetry.
Through the glass-paned door that sits behind the stage, there is an open, outdoor atrium. Passersby lean against a low wall, sip sodas, and listen to the soft music wafting its way outside, soaking up the atmosphere. Others linger on the sidewalk, peering through the windows. Those that sit inside at the rickety tables are crammed together in the small playing area, surrounded by soft, lime green walls and dim lighting.
Ambience aside, what draws patrons down Church Street and downstairs into Passim's blink-and-you'll-miss-it entrance is the music. Because of its intimate setting and its welcoming, open-arms atmosphere, Passim has become a home-away-from-home for lovers of folk. Hill has been frequenting the cafe since high school.
"I started going to Passim for music, during my junior year of high school," she said. "I drove all the way down from New Hampshire to see the band Eddie from Ohio."
Conspicuously absent from the club is the usual impermeable haze of cigarette smoke and pervasive smell of beer.
"There are a number of folk venues in the Boston area, but most offer alcohol and smoking. Passim totally doesn't do that, and it creates a different atmosphere. We're focused on the artist and what's good for the artist," said Hill.
The musicians who have found a home on Club Passim's stage speak of the cafe with an unmistakable fondness and tremendous gratitude. Brian Webb, a singer/songwriter new to the area who performed this past weekend at the Club's fourth annual Cutting Edge of the Campfire music festival, said, "I feel lucky that they treated me so kindly there."
Don Whitey, a club regular, remembers the early days at Passim. "When I first came, it was like a mortuary... now it just has this tremendous vitality, and it's a great resource," he said during Mason's birthday party performance.
Club Passim isn't just a resource for experienced musicians. The club's School of Music offers classes for beginners interested in dabbling in folk. Course offerings include Beginner Guitar and Beginner Fiddle. Tentative offerings include less conventional classes such as Songwriting and Promoting Your Gig.
Club Passim owes its tremendous success over the past 40 years to its audiences. Their loyalty and open-mindedness have allowed the club to bring in a wide variety of performers and continue its commitment to the artists.
"You can do just about anything you want here," said local singer/songwriter Mark Erelli.
This past weekend's Cutting Edge of the Campfire music festival is a testament to just how successful and influential Club Passim is. The four-day event featured over 100 local and national artists such as Edie Carey, Nate Borofsky, and Sarah Wheeler.
Club Passim has spent the past 40 years carving itself its own little niche in Harvard Square. It may be easy to miss, but as one of Boston's top music venues, it definitely should not be overlooked. Like Hill says, "This is the place to go for folk music."
