Who knows where the time goes? It’s been months since we last posted something on an actual live concert. But Richard Thompson performed a free, socially distanced set in the athletic field behind Woodbridge High in New Jersey, so we had no choice but to go to summer school. The 71-year-old guitar legend lives in nearby Montclair and wanted to get out of the house for the evening to see the bright lights. He told the audience he’s been making ends meet working at the Purell factory, but on this night, he was in the business of making the kind of music those assembled needed to hear—live, in person—after quarantining since the spring. It felt so good, and Richard Thompson wasn’t breaking anybody’s heart tonight. And yes, he played “Keep Your Distance.” Masked MAGNET photographer Wes Orshoski has always been a man who’s open to persuasion.
