Live at The Tavern

While we wait for Aaron Rosenblum to finish up his album of field recordings, we sometimes ask him about various tapes he has recorded of other artists. These, he tends to provide more quickly. Thus, here is the first of what we hope to be a series of live shows by various artists, documented by Mr. Aaron. The artist in Pat Gubler, aka PG Six. The venue is The Tavern at Hampshire College. The date is March 30, 2001. This was still an early point in Pat’s solo journey, but the aesthetic documented here appears to be fully formed, and his playing is great on both harp and guitar. The set is typical of what he was doing around the time his first album came out — a commingling of covers and originals, most with traditional Anglo flavor, all possessing an easy intimacy. The audience was small in the Tavern that night — it is not a large room — but you can feel how every listener present is hanging on every note, every breath. They are, as Professor Leary might say, “tuned in.” And this focus is well rewarded. The more closely you listen to the words and fingers of PG Six, the deeper you sink into the music. His work is not the ideal background noise for strip poker parties. It’s glorious darkness and light can only be fully appreciated via active listening. Pat reaches out for rings of karma not to toss them into your face, but to tuck them close to his heart. We catch glimpses of their illumination only in passing. So even though some form of radiance is often the central motif of his music, it is not always easily apprehended. I suppose this legerdemain is the deference the material deserve. Whatever it is Pat does, it sounds pretty damn great here. On a night just over two decades past. Our thanks to Aaron for his visionary switch flicking! And to you, for understanding it’s import. –Byron Coley, 2021