TOO CLOSE TO REASON

Guitarist Scott Metzger spent the past decade earning a reputation as one of the most adventurous improvisers in live music. When he wasn't sharing the stage with the likes of Phil Lesh, John Scofield or Nels Cline, he was playing to massive crowds with Joe Russo's Almost Dead. His musical interests, however, run broader than those bona fides might suggest. During breaks he pursued projects like WOLF!, a hard-charging, fully electrified guitar trio that balanced tight compositions with group improvisation, and the Showdown Kids, an acoustic gypsy jazz trio. And once in a great while he booked a solo acoustic show, most notably a 2018 sellout at New York's iconic Joe's Pub.