When Katie Jacoby was 15, she emailed The Who asking to perform the violin solo in “Baba O’Riley” at their upcoming show at the Wachovia Center in 2007. While Jacoby never received a response, 15 years later she plays the solo with the band every night. The B-Side had the pleasure of speaking with Jacoby before The Who’s show at the San Jose SAP Center on October 24th.
Lily Ramus (B-Side): I read that you grew up in a very musical family. Were you classically trained when you were young or were you always drawn to rock music?
Katie Jacoby: Yeah, I was classically trained when I was young, really on this path of playing strictly classical music: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky…but when I was in junior high, I got bit by the rock and roll bug and knew this is what I wanted to do on the violin.
LR: That’s so cool. How did you get into that? Into playing rock music?
Photo by Amanda J. Cain/ SAP Center
KJ: It started out with trying to learn Black Sabbath riffs on my violin. And around that same time, I got an electric violin as well and plugged it into the guitar amp and just made it as loud as possible to destroy the peace in the household. But it was a time of discovery with a lot of classic bands like Black Sabbath, Metallica, The Who, those three were huge for me.
LR: I totally relate to that. I played a lot of instruments growing up, mostly in the school band or classical contexts, and I never was into any of the music that we were playing. And then when I was in middle school, I also discovered rock music and was like, I’m going to play the guitar.
KJ: I’m so happy we both had that experience! It’s really transformative, and it’s a powerful moment of discovery for sure.
LR: No, definitely. I’m kind of geeking out talking to you because it’s very reminiscent of my own musical journey.
KJ: I love this!
LR: I wanted to ask, did you ever feel like an outcast as a violin player in this rock music scene or rock music context?
KJ: Yeah, I think playing the violin in a rock setting…there’s certainly not a lot of violinists. So that is one way to be an outcast. Another thing is being a woman in rock music or an Asian American person in music…I think there’s a lot of instances of feeling like a minority or an outcast, but at the end of the day the music is what matters.
LR: Yeah, absolutely. I had this podcast for a while that was called “Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss,” and it was focused on the gender gap in rock music. It’s a big part of all of our experiences as women in this scene and not seeing yourself represented. And, yeah, I mean, I play guitar and I still struggle to find representation. I can’t imagine being a violin player in this scene and having an even smaller community.
KJ: It’s a source of inspiration though, because it’s like, this is the instrument I know how to play. And this is the kind of music I am looking to share with the world and just being really focused and driven with that in mind. That’s the only way I know how to function.
LR: Yeah, that’s super cool. I’m very excited for the show to see it all in action. Changing directions a little bit, what’s it like playing with a different symphony every night? Are there any logistical challenges or have the shows been running pretty smoothly?
KJ: Luckily, they’ve been running very smoothly just because the band only hires the top players in every city. That being said, it is a very long day because we go in the morning to rehearse the show with the orchestra who has never played that music before. And also they might not be used to performing with rock bands. So there’s some conveying of like, we don’t know how this song is going to end, and Pete Townshend will either do some sort of epic windmill or like signal to everyone, or he might jump and we’ll all know….well, we won’t know what it is, but when it happens, you’ll know it. So trying to convey things like that for people who play in more conservative orchestras or settings like that; that might be new to them.
LR: Yeah, definitely. That was one of my follow up questions: what is it like bringing together rock musicians and orchestral players? Are there any unexpected or surprising similarities in the musical processes or how things end up coming together?
KJ: Well, a lot of The Who’s compositions kind of have an inherent orchestral nature to them. Like Pete Townsend has all of these intricate synthesizer parts and then having those melodies fully realized by a full orchestra is really powerful.
LR: Yeah, I can imagine. In your perspective, how does the orchestra fit into The Who’s sound?
The Who performing with orchestra. Jacoby pictured left. Photo by Amanda J. Cain/ SAP Center
KJ: It’s kind of like another band member. Yeah, that’s what I would say. I was talking about the power before….The Who’s music without an orchestra is already, like, the most powerful thing ever but to add the orchestral element just brings this whole new texture which is really special.
LR: Yeah, I can imagine. I can’t wait to hear it tomorrow. How is this tour different from previous The Who tours that you’ve been a part of?
KJ: So we started The Who tour in 2019 and there were two years off because of COVID but then we picked back up in the spring. We had a spring leg and now we’re in the fall portion of it. I think there’s a new awareness that everyone feels about how truly special it is to all gather together, whether we’re playing music or that the audience members have all been able to make it. The world is fairly crazy and the sacrifices that people make to buy a concert ticket—it means a lot, and seeing all of those faces, both on stage and in the crowd, is really moving, especially after years of not seeing anybody.
LR: Yeah, absolutely. That’s definitely something I feel I’ve experienced as both a music fan and performer.
KJ: When we started this year, it was kind of a question like: can Pete still handle all of the guitar riffs? And is Rogers’ voice going to be great? And honestly both of them are playing and sounding better than ever. Pete and Roger are both releasing a lot of music that had nowhere to go in the two years of the pandemic. They’re both sounding so stellar.
LR: That’s great to hear. I was reading some reviews to prepare for this interview and they were overwhelmingly positive. What are your favorite moments of the night or of the set?
KJ: So I play the violin solo at the end of “Baba O’Riley,” and that is the final song of the show, and it’s a song that I have been playing since I was a teenager. So that one is really near and dear to my heart. But that’s the obvious one, I have a ton of other favorites and it almost switches depending on my mood. But lately I’ve really been moved by the “See Me, Feel Me” portion at the conclusion of Tommy and also “Eminence Front.”
LR: That was my follow up! Are there any deep cuts or songs that you think are underrated that you’ve been appreciating? So thank you for that.
KJ: Yeah, I mean they have so many hits, but another way that the orchestra is functioning….like in “Eminence Front,” it’s a very busy song because of all the synthesizer stuff that’s happening, but the way that the orchestra weaves in and around that is really fun to play. That’s a standout for me for sure.
LR: That sounds super cool! I can’t wait to hear it all. Do you have any funny or memorable stories from this tour so far?
KJ: I might have to think about that. Both Pete and Roger, they invented rock and roll as we know it today, and sometimes stories about the past will come up, and it’s always really special to get a glimpse into the things that they experienced. Roger the other day was just talking about one of the tours where he ate hamburgers every other day and he remembers that tour culminated with the illustrious swimming pool incident* back when The Who dealt with a lot of hotel antics.
LR: Yeah, I can imagine that it’s a real treat to get that kind of insight into… I guess, rock and roll in general. I feel like they’ve been a part of it since the beginning pretty much, and must have so many stories.
KJ: Yeah they practically invented it and shaped it!
LR: I can imagine some of the names that come up in these stories, of all these incredibly famous rock stars.
KJ: Yeah! Like Roger will just casually be talking like, “Oh my, mate Jimmy…” and then halfway through the conversation, I realize, oh, he’s talking about Jimi Hendrix.
LR: That’s so insane. Well yeah, thank you so much. I think those are pretty much all of the questions that I have. I’m really happy for you. Listening to you talk about playing “Baba O’Riley” your whole childhood and young adulthood and being able to now play with The Who makes me feel very warm and happy.
KJ: Oh, thank you! Yeah, I played it at my high school battle of the bands and little did I know that I’d be playing it with the dudes themselves.
LR: That’s so crazy! I really don’t know how to express what that must feel like. But yeah, thank you so much for meeting with me and I’m super excited to catch the show tomorrow.
KJ: Yeah! It was so nice to chat with you and great to meet you.
*In the ‘swimming pool incident,’ during a party, The Who’s original drummer Keith Moon stole a car and drove it into the hotel’s swimming pool.
Interview conducted and transcribed by Lily Ramus