Club 47 (now Passim) in Cambridge

Passim is an American folk music club in Harvard Square. It was opened by Joyce Kalina (now Chopra) and Paula Kelley in 1958, when it was known as Club 47 (based on its then address, 47 Mount Auburn Street) in Cambridge. It moved to its present location at 47 Palmer Street in 1963, and changed its name to simply Passim in 1969.

In the 1960s, Club 47 played a role in the rise of folk-rock music. The club's importance to the 1960s Cambridge folk scene is documented extensively in Eric Von Schmidt's Baby, Let Me Follow You Down: The Illustrated Story of the Cambridge Folk Years (1994).

Baby, Let Me Follow You Down

The Illustrated Story of the Cambridge Folk Years

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 You could say that the Cambridge folk revival began when an unknown teenager named Joan Baez took the stage (for the first time in her life) at Club 47 in 1958. The audience was made up of her parents, sister, boyfriend, and a few friends. She was paid $10. They asked her to play again. She was soon playing twice a week for $25 a show.

In 1961, Bob Dylan was said to have played at the club between sets for free so that he could say he had played at Club 47. Others to grace the stage at Club 47 include The Charles River Boys; Eric von Schmidt; Joni Mitchell; Judy Collins; Pete Seeger; Clay Jackson; Ethan Signer; and Taj Mahal.

For The Love of the Music: The Club 47 Folk Revival (2012), is a documentary film exploring the rich history of Club 47 from 1958 to 1968. From the 60s folk revival to the dawn of the “singer-songwriter era,” the story is told through personal recollections by Club 47 performers, including Joan Baez, Taj Mahal, Judy Collins, Tom Rush, Maria Muldaur, Geoff Muldaur, Jim Kweskin, Jackie Washington, Jim Rooney, Peter Rowan, and many more. The compelling documentary can be rented or purchased on Vimeo. See the trailer below, as well as a few other videos that tell some of the tale of Club 47.