Steve Forbert at Hank Dietle’s Tavern, 11/18/21
One of the things I love about seeing artists perform is seeing them in intimate settings. I’ve done the arena and stadium shows, where most times I’m so far away that I’m resigned to watching most of the show on the projection screens. But nothing beats getting up close and personal with your favorite performers. And on this night, it was intimacy to the max. Hank Dietle’s Tavern, in Rockville, MD, is a roadside honky-tonk bar that has the distinction of holding the first and oldest liquor license in Maryland, issued at the end of Prohibition. The bar was heavily damaged by fire in 2018, and closed, but a rehabilitation program got the joint back open this summer. They have local music nightly, but Steve Forbert was the main attraction tonight, in a sold-out show. I was lucky enough to get last-minute tickets that were only released on Tuesday of that week, so thanks to Allen, one of the owners, for the notice. I got to Dietle’s early, at 5:30 PM since I wanted to beat traffic an...