Kate Jacobs

Many years ago, back in the mid-90s, my friend Frank sent me a CD in the mail with a note enclosed that said simply "I think you'll like this." The CD was The Calm Comes After by Kate Jacobs, and I was about halfway through the third song when I decided it would probably end up being one of my all time favorites. Turns out I was right. A few days later at work I happened to notice a tiny (miniscule, even) ad in Artvoice: Kate Jacobs was performing in Buffalo. On the night of the show, when I arrived at the Calumet, the place was empty other than a few people sitting at a table in the corner. A woman at the table half stood and called out a greeting, and after a second of confusion I saw that it was Kate herself. I went over to say hello, and she invited me to sit down with her and the rest of the band. We talked for what seemed like hours, about her music mostly, her songwriting process and the things that inspire her and what she's trying to say with it all. It was kind of awkward for me, because showtime came and went and it was impossible to avoid the hard reality that I was the only person in Buffalo that had shown up to hear her sing, but at the same time it was an absolutely fantastic experience. I mean, how often do you get to hear, straight from the horse's mouth, what the music that's important to you is really all about? After a while another couple arrived (better late than never) and to my dismay Kate put her hands flat on the table and said "I guess I should play now." Our moment was over, but Kate's music has stayed with me ever since.