January 21, 2025 1:21 PM ET
Matt Smith, Club Passim’s managing director
George Murphy/WXPN
Cambridge, Mass., is full of grand academic buildings. It’s a place that oozes prestige, grandeur and history.
But nestled in an alley in Harvard Square, down some stairs and so unassuming that you might walk by without even realizing it was there, is a legendary music venue as important as any of Cambridge’s stately halls.
Club Passim has been a sanctuary for folk music for over 60 years. Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan and arguably any major folk musician you can think of have all performed at this intimate venue.
To kick off our Sense of Place: Boston series, we talked with Club Passim’s managing director, Matt Smith, to find out how this modest club became a cornerstone of Boston’s music scene.
Smith and World Cafe host Raina Douris on the stage of Club Passim.
George Murphy/WXPN