For the second year in a row, Club Passim will take its beloved BCMFest online amid a meteoric rise in reported Covid cases.

Club Passim and its yearly Iguana Music Fund have awarded $40,000 to 23 musicians with strong ties to New England, ranging in size from $500 to $2,000.

A Covid-19 exposure has closed The Cantab Lounge until 5 p.m. Dec. 30, but its reopening last week over three nights included what felt like the true arrival of the rejuvenated bar, drawing in thirsty passersby with a rip-roaring performance from Chicken Slacks for the first time since early 2020.