Who's Next
Katie Jacoby was working as a violinconsultant andteacher for the non-musician actors onthe set of the Amazon Primeseries Mozart in the Jungle whena co-worker connected her withone of her rock-and-roll heroes,Roger Daltrey. The singer wasimmediately impressed with theyoung violinist and asked her tojoin him on the road as part ofhis 2018 solo run and, less than ayear later, Jacoby is now touringwith The Who themselves.
“It sounds cliché, but to say the first outing with Roger Daltrey was a dream come true is an understatement,” says Jacoby, noting specifically that playing the famous violin solo at the end of “Baba O’Riley” was a true bucket-list item—one that she checked off many times during the Daltrey tour. “I was so inspired by how professional, warm and gracious everyone in the band and crew were. Roger’s commitment to making the show the best it could possibly be was astounding. Even in the oppressive summer heat, he was giving it his all for every performance, soundcheck and rehearsal.”
However, withthis year’s Whodates, Jacoby willbe much more thanthe designated“Baba O’Riley”soloist—for theentire performance,the violinist acts asthe concertmasterof the orchestrathat the band istouring with.
The Who gig may account for the mosthigh-profile dates on Jacoby’sschedule—this year, it’s alreadyincluded her debut at NewYork’s Madison Square Garden—but it’s hardly her only musicalcommitment. Jacoby, who hasappeared on Saturday NightLive, The Tonight Show andother marquee stages, performsregular New York City gigs withthe Ed Palermo Big Band playingFrank Zappa arrangements andis a member of The ShowdownKids with her partner, JoeRusso’s Almost Dead guitaristScott Metzger. Earlier this year,she recorded tracks for herdebut solo album.
Jacoby’s success didn’t manifest overnight—she points to her supportive family as one of the main reasons for her ever-growing career. Along with listing early influences from Black Sabbath to Jean-Luc Ponty, Jacoby says that she acquired her love of classic rock from her father, while her mother bestowed an appreciation for progressive rock like Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. And though Jacoby calls her mother a “brilliant classical pianist,” her father isn’t quite on the same level.
“My dad, bless his heart, has been learning how to play ‘Hotel California’ on the guitar for all 29 years of my life,” Jacoby jokes. “He’s closer than ever, and I think this might be the year that he finally gets it.”
This article originally appears in the June 2019 issue of Relix. For more features, interviews, albums reviews and more, subscribe here.
