Club Passim’s Matt Smith on 30 Years of Building Community

May 28, 2026

Matt Smith is a living legend with his unbelievable 30-year run at Club Passim, the historic folk venue nestled in a Harvard Square basement. Currently Managing Director at Passim, Matt is the most passionate music lover I know. He has used his platform at Passim to help establish artists like Lori McKenna, Anaïs Mitchell, Lake Street Dive, and so many more. I met Matt while working as a student at WERS 88.9FM, where he brought fantastic shows to a listening…

Basic Folk 221 – Tim O’Brien

July 13, 2023

Tim O’Brien is one of Bluegrass’ beloved players, from his work with the innovative Hot Rize to his yearly appearances…

Basic Folk 220 – Brian Dunne

July 6, 2023

I am feeling #blessed and #grateful to be sharing today’s interview with our listeners. Brian Dunne is one of my…

Basic Folk 219 – Ethan Setiawan

June 29, 2023

Is mandolinist Ethan Setiawan 100 years old?! The Indiana-born Setiawan’s expert playing will fool you into thinking he’s four times…

Basic Folk 218 – Caitlin Canty

June 22, 2023

Urgency and patience are the two poles of New England songwriter Caitlin Canty’s magnetism. Her music invites you to quiet…

Basic Folk 217 – Rissi Palmer & Miko Marks

June 15, 2023

Rissi Palmer and Miko Marks have been laying the foundation for country musicians and fans who are Black for almost…

Basic Folk: 216 – Performance vs Authenticity

June 8, 2023

Welcome to Folk Debate Club, our occasional crossover series with fellow folk-pod Why We Write! Today, to discuss Lyrics vs Melody, we…

Basic Folk 215 – Matt Sucich

June 1, 2023

Lately I have been fascinated by musicians who are creative not only in what they create, but also in terms…

Basic Folk 214 – Hanneke Cassel

May 25, 2023

Fiddler Hanneke Cassel has been a big Celtic star for decades and comes to the pod to try and teach…

Basic Folk 213 – Dom Flemons

May 18, 2023

Dr. Dom Flemons comes off as older than his 40 years and I think it’s because he seems like he…

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